The first thing that hit me was the smell.
It wasn’t the smell of something rotten.
Something older.
Wet cement. Dust. Air that hadn’t moved in years.
Instinctively, I pulled the girls behind me.
“Stay upstairs,” I said quickly.
But Grace shook her head.
“No, Mom loves it when we visit.”
My stomach churned.
The basement stairs creaked under my feet as I slowly descended into the darkness.
A single light bulb glowed dimly in the corner.
And then I saw her.
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It wasn’t human.
A room.
A fully furnished room.
My breath caught in my throat.
There was a neat bed with floral blankets.
A bookcase.
Family photos.
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Children’s drawings carefully taped to the walls.
And at the center of it all…
A large framed portrait of Rebecca, Daniel’s late wife.
Candles surrounded the painting as if it were some kind of altar.
I stared in disbelief.
This wasn’t a storage room.
It was an obsession.
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Behind me, little Emily smiled innocently.
“Dad brings flowers here every week.”
A shiver ran through me.
I walked in more slowly.
Dozens of notebooks were neatly stacked next to the bed.
One was open.
My hands shook as I picked it up.
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At first, I thought it was a diary.
Then I realized what I was reading.
Schedule. Detailed notes.
About me.
January 12: Today I smiled at the girls. Rebecca would have appreciated it.
February 3: Grace accidentally called her “Mom.” Then she cried in the bathroom, where she thought no one had heard her.
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March 18: Maybe I’m finally ready.
I stopped breathing.
Ready for what?
The girls stood silently behind me, watching my face.
Then Grace pointed to the back wall.
“Dad talks to Mom down here every night.”
I turned slowly.
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And then I saw the video camera.
Tucked in the corner.
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