I Trusted My Ex for One Day—He Left Our Son Alone
I’m a single mom in Alabama, working two jobs to keep the lights on and peanut butter sandwiches on the table. My six-year-old son Noah is my whole world—bright-eyed, full of questions, and always watching. His dad, Travis, is… complicated. He left years ago chasing “a life with music and patios,” while I chased rent and working air conditioners.
One afternoon, Travis called and asked to see Noah. Said his mom wanted to visit. I agreed—reluctantly. He picked Noah up at 3:30 sharp, and I went to work my evening shift.
By 6 p.m., I texted Travis to say I was off and heading to pick up Noah. No reply. I called. Straight to voicemail.
Then, at a red light near the bus stop, I saw him—Noah. Sitting alone on the bench, clutching his backpack, cheeks streaked with tears.
I ran to him, heart pounding. “Where’s your daddy?” I asked.
“He left,” Noah whispered. “He said Grandma was coming. But she never did.”
I was furious. I called Travis’s mother, Mrs. Carter. She hadn’t heard a word about babysitting. She hadn’t even left her house.
That’s when she pulled out her phone and checked the tracker she’d secretly installed in Travis’s truck. “He’s at the S-t Motel,” she said, grabbing her keys. “You’re too mad to drive. I’ll take you.”
We found him there—with a young woman and a baby. His other son.
Turns out, Travis had panicked when the baby got sick. He drove straight to the motel, leaving Noah at the bus stop with nothing but a promise and a hope.
Mrs. Carter was livid. I was heartbroken. Travis mumbled apologies, but the damage was done.
I told him, “You do what you need to for this one, but don’t forget the boy who still waits for you.”
As we drove home, Noah asleep in the back seat, Mrs. Carter said, “Maybe this is what it takes for him to finally grow up.”
I looked at the road ahead and whispered, “Let’s just hope his kids don’t pay the price for it.”
