Veronica softly hummed the lullaby that always lulled her daughter to sleep, her voice low and soothing as she folded the tiny clothes with care. With the bundle neatly stacked in her arms, she made her way toward Esther’s bedroom.
Just as her hand grazed the doorknob, a sudden clattering noise broke the stillness, echoing from the bathroom. She froze, her heart skipping a beat. Veronica moved toward the bathroom, her steps slow and deliberate. She didn’t want to alarm her little girl—or perhaps, she didn’t want to alarm herself.
With a soft creak, she nudged the door open just enough to peek inside, her pulse quickening in anticipation. She expected to see Esther splashing water. But what she saw instead made her stomach drop. Veronica’s breath caught in her throat and her heart started hammering wildly. The sight before Veronica’s eyes was the beginning of the unraveling of a scary truth.