Because the next day, before I could ask my son anything, his boss called me.

Chapter 12 — His Boss Calls

I was at work when an unfamiliar number lit up my phone.

I almost let it go to voicemail.

I have thought many times since about how different things might have been if I had.

“Hello?” I said.

“Is this Caleb’s mother?” The voice was a man’s, older, gravelly.

“Yes,” I said, and I felt my stomach tighten before I even knew why.