On the First Day of School, the Teacher Called My Son by a Different Name, and He Acted Like It Was Completely Normal

Lucas had been asking for weeks if Daddy would be there to see him off, and I had promised — with every ounce of sincerity I had — that Travis wouldn’t miss it. So when we arrived at the school, I kept looking toward the parking lot, hoping to spot him. He finally showed up, but late, disheveled, and with that same distracted air that told me he wasn’t really present.

I left for a short errand, but when I returned to the classroom, I stopped in the doorway. Lucas’s new teacher, Jenna, smiled warmly at him and called out, “Jamie.” To my shock, Lucas turned his head and responded immediately, as though that had always been his name. I froze, trying to make sense of it. When I asked Travis about it later, he just brushed it off, saying it must have been a mix-up.

After class ended, Travis told Lucas they were going on a “father-son trip” to Grandma’s house. The suddenness of it didn’t sit right with me, and my instincts wouldn’t let it go. I decided to follow them from a distance. Instead of heading toward his mother’s home, they drove into a quiet, upscale neighborhood. Travis pulled into the driveway of a house I’d never seen before.

Lucas jumped out of the car and ran straight to the backyard, where I could see a sparkling pool. On the front porch stood Jenna, the teacher, smiling. Then, without hesitation, Travis walked up to her and kissed her. My stomach dropped. Continue reading…