second time he’d ever seen him. Daniel was perfectly alright seven years ago, and Keith couldn’t understand what had happened to him.

His anxiety surged even more when he realized the woman he had insulted for the last half hour was his daughter-in-law. And the baby…his grandson. Keith’s heart cracked again.

“Are you going to drive, old man?” a youngster in the back yelled, snapping Keith out of his reverie.

Keith turned around, trying his best to get his job done. But it wasn’t easy, especially when the vision of his life 22 years ago came flashing back into his mind…

“Honey, I’m home,” Keith gleefully cried out to his girlfriend, Sarah. “Ummm! That tastes delicious!” he exclaimed, gobbling a spoonful of pasta.

“I can’t do it, Keith,” she rose. “I want to have this baby.”

“I thought we agreed. You know we’re not ready for a baby yet,” he sighed.

“I’m already 15 weeks along,” Sarah brushed her belly. “I want this baby. I love him. I…I’m sorry…I can’t.”

Keith was worried now. He tried to explain to Sarah that their one-bedroom flat in the secluded part of town and their minimum wage salaries wouldn’t be enough to raise a baby. But she stood her ground.

“Fine!” Keith eventually agreed. “We’ll figure out something.”

Deep inside, he was haunted by what to do all evening. And that’s when he remembered his best friend, Victor, and left for the pub to meet him.

“Keith! Where the hell have you been, man?” Victor exclaimed as soon as Keith walked through the door of their favorite bar. They often hung out there, but Keith had refrained from nights out after moving in with Sarah.

“And how’s your girl?” Victor said, downing a drink.

“Sarah, this is my chance. I don’t want to return to some stupid low-wage job, okay? This is beyond my control. I used to feel low. But now, I have everything they said I could never have.”

Sarah’s gaze lowered as she clutched her belly tight. “I don’t think this is gonna work out, Keith. You’re not the man I loved,” she sobbed.

“Oh, c’mon! How convenient, Sarah,” Keith lashed out at her expletively. “You enjoyed the money I made…What’s wrong now? Like it or not, I’m not quitting,” he declared, storming out of the room.

It was early morning when Keith returned home from another successful score. “Honey, look…I’m sorry. Things got a bit intense last night…Sarah?” He called out to her over and over.

But still no answer. So Keith hurried to their bedroom, wondering if she was sick or still sleeping, only to find it empty.

Keith grew anxious as he rang Sarah’s number. But all his calls landed in voicemail. He rummaged through the closet and noticed some of her clothes were gone. All the onesies were missing from the nursery. “Sarah?” Keith panicked and ran around the house, but she was nowhere to be found.

They didn’t have many friends, so Keith thought Victor or the rest of his gang could help find her. Just as Keith frantically pressed the call button on Victor’s number, a loud knock on the front door jolted him.

“Police! Open the door, Mr. Griffith. We know you’re in there,” a cop yelled and banged on the door. “We have an arrest warrant.”

“Argh!” Keith held his head, knowing there was no escape now.

Keith was arrested and sentenced to 20 years. However, he was released on parole after 15 years owing to good conduct. He didn’t go back to Victor or Mr. Abraham, and all he wanted was to find Sarah and their baby.

Keith tracked down their address and eagerly raced to a suburban area several miles west of their old neighborhood. The beautiful houses and picturesque landscapes pleased his eyes. This was the kind of place he wanted to live with Sarah and their son.

Finally, Keith made it closer to Sarah’s house, and just as he was about to enter the gate, an SUV drove past him. A well-dressed man got down as Keith stood puzzled. “Did I get the address wrong? But the mailbox shows the same number…”

“DAD!” a boy’s voice startled him. Keith looked up, his heart pounding in his chest, and a smile formed on his face.

“Yeah?” Keith’s forehead wrinkled with unease.

“Sarah and her husband died last year,” the older woman revealed. “Their son Daniel lives with his wife and baby there.”

“WHAT? NO!” Keith’s eyes bulged with shock.

“Car accident. Daniel luckily survived because he was in the backseat. But he can’t walk,” the lady added. “It’s so sad. I saw that boy grow up. They were such a lovely family. And his baby…he won’t ever see his grandparents.”

Keith thanked the woman and regretfully walked past her, heading straight to the front door. He knew it was time to step up and face his son, no matter what. Keith adjusted his voice and sighed deeply before knocking on the door. It creaked open moments later, and Daniel rolled his wheelchair closer.

Yes?” He looked up at Keith.

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