I never thought I’d see my 14-year-old daughter begging me to stop my 17-year-old stepson from coming over.
At first, I thought it was just teenage mood swings. Siblings get annoyed with each other. But this was different. She wouldn’t explain. She just kept whispering, “Please, Mom. Please. I don’t want him here. Just trust me.”
And that terrified me.
My mind went to every dark place imaginable. Had something happened? Was she scared? Was he doing something behind closed doors that I hadn’t seen?
I wanted to believe better of Mateo. He had always been kind, funny, helpful around the house. But the way my daughter shrank every time he walked into the room haunted me.
Then one evening while my husband was at work, I went into Mateo’s room to tidy up before he arrived for the weekend. That’s when I saw it.
A strange little pile of socks shoved awkwardly near the bed. Something about it felt off — like it was covering something.
I bent down and gently moved them aside. My heart was pounding.Read More Below
