Everything looked perfect.
At least… from the outside.
I stood in the middle of the ceremony, trying to focus, trying to believe this was the start of something good.
But something felt off.
A small detail.
Easy to miss.
But it wouldn’t go away.
My daughter wasn’t there.
Chloe would never miss something like that.
She had hugged me earlier.
She told me she had a surprise for me.
And now…
she was gone.
At first, I thought she was with someone.
An aunt.
A friend.
Anyone.
But time passed.
And nothing.
A quiet discomfort started building.
Heavy.
Unshakable.
I tried to ignore it.
I couldn’t.
I excused myself.
Slipped away quietly.
Walked down the hallway, calling softly:
“Chloe?”
Nothing.
Just silence.
I checked the kitchen.
The backyard.
Nothing.
Then I stopped in front of the upstairs bathroom.
The door was closed.
But something about it felt wrong.
A different kind of silence.
Like someone holding their breath.
My chest tightened.
“Chloe?”
I knocked.
No answer.
I tried the handle.
It wasn’t locked.
I opened the door slowly.
And then…
I saw her.
She was sitting on the floor.
Arms wrapped around her knees.
Eyes red.
Holding a crumpled piece of paper.
When she saw me, she tried to smile.
But couldn’t.
Something inside me broke.