I typed:
*“Yes, I’m still planning to return as scheduled.”*
I stared at the words.
Deleted them.
Then typed them again.
And clicked Send.
My heart raced.
It was such a small decision.
Yet it felt like reclaiming something important.
The next morning, Renee called.
“Maddie! We got your email! We’re so glad you’re coming back.”
I smiled for the first time in days.
“Really?”
“Are you kidding? We’ve been lost without you.”
She began telling me about a warehouse problem in Ohio.
A new client.
A complicated schedule that needed reorganizing.
My team had apparently been waiting for me to return and straighten everything out.
We confirmed my first day back.
The fifteenth of the following month.
When I ended the call, I sat beside Sophie on the nursery floor.
“Well, sweetheart,” I whispered, “apparently your mom is still pretty good at something besides changing diapers.”
