As I tucked in my two-year-old, the night seemed like any other—until he looked at me and said, “Goodbye, Dad.”
Caught off guard, I gently corrected him, “No, we say good night.” But he repeated calmly, “I know. But this time it’s goodbye.”
Something about his tone struck me, leaving an uneasy feeling I couldn’t explain. It wasn’t just a slip of the tongue—it felt deliberate.
That night, his words lingered in my mind. I found myself getting up repeatedly to check on him, just to reassure myself that he was safe and sound in bed.
It was such a small moment, but it stayed with me. I tried to convince myself it was nothing more than a child’s innocent words, yet the way he said it left an impression I couldn’t shake, as if it meant something more.
