One phone call nearly shattered everything. It was a regular Tuesday. Nick had stepped out for a run, his phone left buzzing on the kitchen counter. Curious, his wife glanced over, intending to ignore it—until she saw the caller ID: “Lincoln Elementary School.” Confused, she answered. “Hi! Just letting you know your daughter isn’t feeling well. Could someone come pick her up?” Her blood ran cold. They didn’t have a daughter. Panic set in like a tidal wave. Had he been living a double life?
Was there another family—another child? Her thoughts spiraled. She tried to stay calm, but the questions kept piling up. Nick returned from his run to find her pale and shaking, phone in hand. “Who’s your daughter, Nick?” His shock was genuine. “What? What are you talking about?” But the doubt lingered. So, a few days later,
she followed him—on what he claimed was a “Saturday morning group run.” She kept her distance, heart pounding. She watched as Nick met up with a handful of sweaty, chatty runners. There were high fives, water bottles, stretching, bad jokes. No lies. No hidden child. Just sneakers and sweat. Finally, she asked. And Nick laughed. It turned out his running buddy had borrowed his phone to call his own daughter’s school when his died. The school’s system,
auto-saved the number—Nick’s number—as the contact. Simple. Silly. A complete misunderstanding. They both laughed until they cried. Now, every time Nick heads out in his running shoes, he calls back, “Off to see my secret family!” She rolls her eyes, but smiles every time. And when he crosses that marathon finish line, she’s always there—cheering the loudest, knowing some trust issues don’t need therapy… just a little jog to clear the air.
