At the VIP clinic, I was helping my nine-month pregnant daughter change for her final ultrasound. The moment her shirt slipped off, I felt my breath catch in my throat.

lapped softly against the dock. Crickets began their evening chorus.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, no one in our family feared the sound of footsteps in the dark.

Note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher continue reading …