{"id":594,"date":"2026-04-11T17:27:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T17:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/?p=594"},"modified":"2026-04-11T17:27:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T17:27:36","slug":"my-4-year-old-son-said-his-father-came-to-read-him-stories-every-night-but-his-father-had-passed-away-so-i-set-up-a-camera-in-his-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/?p=594","title":{"rendered":"My 4-Year-Old Son Said His Father Came to Read Him Stories Every Night \u2013 But His Father Had Passed Away, So I Set Up a Camera in His Room"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"692\" height=\"863\" src=\"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-111.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-111.png 692w, https:\/\/chomeo.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-111-241x300.png 241w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After my husband died, my four-year-old started acting like bedtime hadn&#8217;t changed at all. That&#8217;s when I decided to find out what was really happening in his room at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A month ago, my world shattered when my husband, Daniel, died in a car accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even after the funeral, I kept expecting to hear his truck pull into the driveway. I would pause in the kitchen and listen for his footsteps, the creak of the door, and the way he always called out, &#8220;I&#8217;m home!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the house remained quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>My world shattered when my husband, Daniel, died in a car accident.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel had always handled bedtime with our four-year-old son, Mason. It was their thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every single night, Daniel would grab one of Mason&#8217;s storybooks, pull out some ridiculous costume from the old dress-up box, and act out the story as if he were on a stage. Sometimes he was a knight, sometimes a pirate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One time, my husband wrapped himself in a blanket, saying he was a dragon who&#8217;d caught a cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason laughed so hard that night that he nearly fell off the bed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>It was their thing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes I&#8217;d join them, and the three of us would dress up as fairy-tale characters and act out scenes. I once wore a cardboard crown while Daniel pretended to rescue us from a wicked witch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason absolutely adored fairy tales, and Daniel loved seeing that look of wonder on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But after Daniel died, the costumes stayed in the closet. I couldn&#8217;t bring myself to touch them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bedtime became the hardest part of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I couldn&#8217;t bring myself to touch them.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>A few days ago, things started to feel strange. That morning, I tried to wake Mason for daycare, but he buried his face in the pillow and started crying, saying he didn&#8217;t want to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I sat beside him and rubbed his back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Sweetheart, why don&#8217;t you want to go?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>He rubbed his little eyes and said, &#8220;It&#8217;s just that Daddy read me a story last night. I went to bed late.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>A few days ago, things started to feel strange.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>My hand froze on his shoulder. &#8220;What did you say?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason sniffed. &#8220;Daddy came and read me a story.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Children react to grief in different ways. I had read that somewhere during one of those late nights when I couldn&#8217;t sleep. So I forced a smile and nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>***<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next morning, things got worse. Mason was eating cereal at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then he looked up at me and said, &#8220;Mommy, Daddy, and I finished reading the dinosaur book yesterday.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My heart started pounding against my ribs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Daddy came and read me a story.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I crouched beside him and tried to keep my voice calm. &#8220;Sweetheart, Daddy couldn&#8217;t have finished the book with you&#8230; He passed away&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason frowned as if I had just said something silly. &#8220;Mommy, but Daddy is alive, and he read me a story yesterday.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The way he said it sent a cold shiver down my spine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He wasn&#8217;t pretending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He believed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Mommy, but Daddy is alive.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That afternoon, I kept thinking about what he&#8217;d said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Was he dreaming? Imagining things? Or was losing his father simply too much for his little mind to process?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By evening, I had made a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I dug through the hall closet until I found our old baby monitor camera from when Mason was a newborn. It still worked. I placed it on a shelf in his bedroom where it could see the bed and the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just in case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>I found our old baby monitor camera.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That same evening, I tucked Mason into bed. He hugged his stuffed dinosaur. I kissed his forehead and turned off the light. Then I went to my bedroom and opened the baby monitor on my phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For hours, I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason rolled around a little and then drifted off to sleep, and that was it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I finally gave up and fell asleep for maybe two hours before my son had to wake up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>For hours, I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>***<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next morning, I asked him casually while pouring juice. &#8220;So&#8230; did Daddy come read to you again last night?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason shook his head. &#8220;No.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He didn&#8217;t seem upset about it either. Just matter-of-fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I felt both relieved and confused.&nbsp;<em>Maybe it really had been his imagination.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, I decided to leave the camera running for a few more days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just to be sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Did Daddy come read to you again last night?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>***<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two nights later, I sat in my bedroom watching the screen again. The house was silent, and my eyelids kept drooping. I told myself I would watch for another five minutes before going to bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s when something happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At exactly 1:14 a.m., Mason sat up in bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My heart jumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He looked toward the window, smiled, and then waved at someone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I leaned closer to the screen, suddenly wide awake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>That&#8217;s when something happened.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mason climbed out of bed, ran to the window, and pushed the curtain aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then he started talking to someone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My stomach dropped.&nbsp;<em>&#8220;Oh, my God!&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I could barely breathe when I realized who Mason was talking to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I shot out of bed and ran down the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My heart pounded so loudly that it drowned out everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Then he started talking to someone!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Daniel had always kept a baseball bat under our bed after someone tried to break into a house down the street a few years ago. Without thinking, I grabbed it before leaving my room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I reached Mason&#8217;s door, I heard, &#8220;Daddy, are you going to read the dragon story tonight?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I pushed the door open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A man was standing beside Mason&#8217;s bed. He looked&nbsp;<em>exactly<\/em>&nbsp;like Daniel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a second, my brain refused to process what I was seeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>A man was standing beside Mason&#8217;s bed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man wore one of Daniel&#8217;s fairy-tale costumes, the old knight outfit. And he was holding one of Mason&#8217;s storybooks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My hands tightened around the baseball bat. &#8220;What are you doing in my son&#8217;s room!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man&#8217;s eyes widened, and he immediately raised both hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Please don&#8217;t swing that thing,&#8221; he said quickly. &#8220;I can explain.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I was already stepping between him and Mason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Please don&#8217;t swing that thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My voice came out sharp and shaking. &#8220;Stay away from him!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Behind me, Mason looked confused. &#8220;Mommy?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I didn&#8217;t take my eyes off the stranger. &#8220;Mason, sweetheart, stay right there.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I pointed the bat straight at the man. &#8220;You&#8217;re coming with me. Right now!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Okay&#8230; okay.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I backed toward the door, keeping the bat raised. &#8220;Move!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Stay away from him!&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man stepped into the hallway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My heart was still racing, and my mind kept repeating the same terrifying thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man had Daniel&#8217;s face, but my husband was dead. And I was about to find out who that stranger really was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I marched him toward the living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Behind us, I heard Mason whisper again,&#8221;Mommy?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s okay!&#8221; I called back without turning around. &#8220;Stay in your room!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>The man had Daniel&#8217;s face, but my husband was dead.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He hesitated for a moment, then said softly, &#8220;Okay.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I waited until we reached the living room before I finally spoke again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Stop right there.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The man stopped. He looked so much like Daniel that it hurt. Not just similar. Identical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I tightened my grip on the bat. &#8220;You&#8217;ve got five seconds to explain why you were sneaking into my son&#8217;s room dressed like my dead husband.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He kept his hands raised. &#8220;I wasn&#8217;t trying to scare anyone.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;ve got five seconds to explain.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Oh, you weren&#8217;t? Because breaking into a child&#8217;s bedroom in the middle of the night feels pretty terrifying to me!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;I know. And I&#8217;m sorry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Who are you?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He hesitated for a moment. &#8220;My name is Derrick.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The name meant nothing to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m Daniel&#8217;s twin brother.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Who are you?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My first reaction was anger. Daniel had never mentioned a brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I stepped closer, raising the bat again. &#8220;That&#8217;s impossible!&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He nodded slowly. &#8220;I figured you&#8217;d say that.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Without making any sudden movements, he reached slowly into his back pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m just grabbing my wallet.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>He pulled out a worn leather wallet and slid a driver&#8217;s license across the coffee table toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s impossible!&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I picked it up and scanned the card. He had Daniel&#8217;s last name and the same date of birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The room spun for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I dropped onto the couch, still gripping the bat. &#8220;Daniel never told me he had a twin brother.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Derrick gave a sad, half-smile. &#8220;That&#8217;s because he thought it was better if you didn&#8217;t know.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My voice hardened again. &#8220;Why?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He let out a slow breath. &#8220;Because I spent the past 20 years in prison.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I picked it up and scanned the card.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I stared at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;When we were teenagers, Daniel and I weren&#8217;t exactly angels,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We got into trouble a lot. Stupid stuff mostly. Skipping school, pulling pranks, stealing snacks from gas stations.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;What happened next?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Then one night we found a black plastic bag stuffed under a car. Inside were tens of thousands of dollars.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;So you took it?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;We got into trouble a lot. Stupid stuff mostly.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We were stupid kids. We thought we&#8217;d just hit the jackpot. But the money was stolen from a bank,&#8221; Derrick continued. &#8220;Some of the bills had tracking devices.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I could already see where that was going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He rubbed his hands together slowly. &#8220;The police tracked the money. Right to us. Daniel and I were walking down the street that night when a squad car pulled up. I was carrying the bag.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;What did you do?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I told Daniel to run. I stayed and took the fall.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Some of the bills had tracking devices.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Why?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He shrugged slightly. &#8220;I was the one holding the bag. It made sense. And Daniel got away.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The room remained quiet for a long moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, I asked, &#8220;Did you tell the police about Daniel?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Derrick shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Why not?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Did you tell the police about Daniel?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Because he was my brother. We were adopted. We didn&#8217;t have parents who could hire lawyers or help us out.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;So you went to prison alone.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Yeah. But Daniel came to see me once,&#8221; Derrick continued. &#8220;I told him to forget about me.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;But why?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t want his life ruined because of my mistakes. But he didn&#8217;t listen, not exactly.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Derrick reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I kept every letter he sent me.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;We didn&#8217;t have parents who could hire lawyers or help us out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My heart skipped. &#8220;He wrote to you?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;All the time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Derrick unfolded the paper and held it carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Daniel told me everything. Like how he met you. His nervousness before your first date, your wedding, and when he became&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/amomama.com\/507622-i-saved-a-boy-who-fell-through-the-ice.html\">a father<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I felt tears sting my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;He wrote to you?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Derrick smiled slightly. &#8220;He also told me about the bedtime stories. Daniel also mentioned the costumes, the exaggerated comical voices, and the way Mason would laugh.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Oh, God.&#8221; My grip on the bat slowly loosened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;He said it was the best part of his day.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I asked the question that had been sitting in my chest since the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;If you knew all this&#8230; Why didn&#8217;t you come to the funeral?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His expression darkened. &#8220;I got released two weeks after Daniel died. It was too late by the time I got out.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;He also told me about the bedtime stories.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, I asked quietly, &#8220;So why sneak into my son&#8217;s room?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Derrick looked toward the hallway. &#8220;When I visited the cemetery once, I saw you and Mason. The boy looked lost. So I came here.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;You could have knocked on the door.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I know.&#8221; Derrick sighed. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t think it through.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I folded my arms. &#8220;So you pretended to be Daniel.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;So why sneak into my son&#8217;s room?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;At first, I just wanted to read him a story,&#8221; Derrick said. &#8220;Then Mason called me Daddy. And I didn&#8217;t know how to correct him without confusing him even more.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;So you kept coming.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>He nodded. &#8220;Mason leaves the window open a little each night. He chooses the story I need to read, and even picks out which costume I should wear.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite everything, a small laugh escaped me. That sounded&nbsp;<em>exactly<\/em>&nbsp;like Mason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;Then Mason called me Daddy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then I set the baseball bat on the coffee table. &#8220;You shouldn&#8217;t have done it this way.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I know.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You scared me half to death.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m really sorry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>I studied his face again. The resemblance to Daniel was painful. But the expression was gentler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re not trying to hurt him,&#8221; I said slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;No.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The resemblance to Daniel was painful.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;You were trying to help.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I stood up and walked to the front door. Then I opened it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Derrick looked confused. &#8220;You&#8217;re kicking me out?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;For tonight.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>He nodded sadly and started walking toward the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But before he stepped outside, I spoke again. &#8220;Come back tomorrow. During the day. So you can meet Mason properly. As his uncle.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re kicking me out?&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Derrick&#8217;s eyes widened. For the first time that night, he smiled. &#8220;I&#8217;d like that.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As he stepped outside, I looked down the hallway toward Mason&#8217;s room. There were things about Daniel&#8217;s life that I&#8217;d never known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that night, I realized something important. Even after he was gone, Daniel had left behind a connection. Not just memories. Family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And maybe, Mason wouldn&#8217;t have to grow up without hearing bedtime stories after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Even after he was gone, Daniel had left behind a connection.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amomama.com\/512656-my-4-year-old-son-says-his-father-comes.html?utm_campaign=574_1398977&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook_page_nostalgia&amp;utm_term=page_nostalgia&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawRHYzdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFFQXlpZTJUb1BRYXg4RW9qc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHi5r9sk4lyXxUFMyAIl6mN-eG5MfQY9De-o5MqLGuCOxFlMX4JIt5HmNIvwQ_aem__lJeUcm6aWX7RqjFRo5Uig\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a 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href=\"https:\/\/www.x.com\/share?title=My%204-Year-Old%20Son%20Said%20His%20Father%20Came%20to%20Read%20Him%20Stories%20Every%20Night%20%E2%80%93%20But%20His%20Father%20Had%20Passed%20Away,%20So%20I%20Set%20Up%20a%20Camera%20in%20His%20Room&amp;via=amomama_usa&amp;url=https:\/\/amomama.com\/512656-my-4-year-old-son-says-his-father-comes.html?utm_source=twitter%26utm_medium=social%26utm_campaign=social-share-article\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/amomama.com\/512656-my-4-year-old-son-says-his-father-comes.html?utm_source=facebook.com&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=social-share-article\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AdvertisementThis story is a work of fiction inspired by real events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Related posts<a href=\"https:\/\/amomama.com\/506097-my-husband-died-leaving-me-with-six.html\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure 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That&#8217;s when I decided to find out what was really happening in his&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=594"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":596,"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594\/revisions\/596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chomeo.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}