My son came home from school crying today. He told me that some kids were throwing stale cookies at him and said that he was responsible for the recent disappearances in the neighborhood.

I understand that some of Brandon’s facial features are different from that of the rest of his classmates, but that’s no reason to tease him. Everyone is different in their own way.

Besides, he has no control over how he looks. It’s not his fault that he takes after his father.

Oh, how I miss Richard. He died before Brandon was born.

He was the love of my life, and we were inseparable.

We met in high school and started dating within a month. We continued to date throughout college and got married after we graduated.

Our love was truly special, but life wasn’t perfect.

Try as we might, we were unable to have children. Yes, it did take a toll on our marriage, but we communicated our feelings to each other all the time and managed to be a happy couple.

Unfortunately, Richard was taken away from me far too early. He suddenly passed away in his sleep and I went into a deep depression.

My grief was unbearable, and I was so lost without him. We were soulmates, and my soul ached for his.

At the behest of my friends and family, I finally saw a grief counselor and they recommended that I adopt a dog for emotional support. So, I went to the local and found Roofus and I started to feel somewhat whole again.

I still missed Richard, terribly, and one night I had a breakdown. A photo memory of Richard and I popped up on social media, and I started weeping uncontrollably at its sight. I called out for Richard. I just wanted to see him one more time. I missed him so much.

A warm hand gently grasped my shoulder and when I looked up, it was Richard. I jumped into his embrace and allowed myself to get lost in his warmth. I didn’t understand how he was there, but my prayers were answered, and I didn’t care.

We looked into each other’s eyes and shared a passionate kiss.

We made love for the last time that night.

When I woke up, he was gone.

I found out a few weeks later that Richard left me something to remember him by. Against all odds, I was pregnant, and I had Brandon.

Yes, his ears and nose are different from everyone else, but he’s my perfect angel. My miracle baby.

Maybe a change of scenery will help. Yes, a new school. That’s it.

I’ll go tell him to pack up his things and we’ll leave in the morning.

He’ll be excited to try new snacks and I’m looking forward to sourcing new ingredients.