Greg believed he and Natalie had finally mastered co-parenting—until a late-night call shattered that illusion with news he never expected.
Five years. That’s how long Natalie and I were together before we finally decided to end things.
Deep down, I think we both knew it was coming, even if we never admitted it aloud. We met when we were young—perhaps too young.
By the time the initial thrill faded and reality set in, we just… stopped making the effort. It wasn’t dramatic. No explosive fights. Just the slow recognition that we weren’t meant for forever.
Now, we live in different states. Separate lives. The only thing connecting us is Oliver—our three-year-old son. He means everything to me. I get to see him on holidays, which is something, but it’s never enough. It never feels like enough.
But I didn’t want things to turn ugly. We didn’t need lawyers or a bitter custody battle. Natalie and I agreed on that. Oliver didn’t deserve a home filled with fighting and tension.
That’s why we kept things civil. Every night without fail, she’d video call so I could say goodnight to Oliver. It became a cherished ritual. Just seeing his little face light up and hearing “Night, Daddy” before bed—it made everything feel a bit more whole.
Everything was… fine. We were making it work until I got that call.
“Greg!” Natalie’s voice came through the phone, but it wasn’t her usual steady tone. No, she was crying. No—screaming. “Greg, our son is gone!”
I froze. “What do you mean, gone?”
“Oliver is dead!” she shouted, her words cutting through me like a knife.
I couldn’t comprehend it. “What? What are you talking about? How?”
Natalie was sobbing so hard it was difficult to make out her words. “He’s—he’s just gone. Oh my God, Greg…”
I collapsed to the floor, her words crushing me. This couldn’t be happening. Not Oliver. Not my son.
“I’m coming. I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I said, forcing myself to stand, my voice unsteady.
“No,” she gasped. “Don’t. We’ve already had the service. He’s… been buried.”
“Buried?” I whispered, struggling to breathe.
I hung up, stunned. Staring at my phone, my fingers itched to call Natalie back and demand an explanation. My heart pounded as questions whirled. I hit the call button before I could think twice.
The phone rang once, twice, and then—
“Greg,” Natalie answered, her voice hoarse, barely audible.
“What the hell, Natalie?” I said, my voice cracking. “Why didn’t you tell me? If something happened to Oliver, if he was hurt or sick, you should have called me!”
“I—I couldn’t,” she stuttered, her breathing uneven.
“You couldn’t?” I shouted, pacing the room. “I’m his father, Natalie! I should have known, should have been there! What even happened? He was fine yesterday!”
“It happened so fast,” she wept, her words broken and rushed. “I didn’t know how to—”
“How to what, Natalie? How to tell me our son is gone?” My voice faltered, anger and grief washing over me. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to hear that news this way?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I couldn’t… I didn’t want to tell you over the phone.”
I tried to steady my voice. “So when were you planning to tell me?”
“I’m sorry,” she said again, as though that could somehow make it better.
“Sorry isn’t enough, Natalie. Not now.” I clenched my jaw, holding back the scream I felt rising. “Why didn’t anyone else tell me? Not even your parents? Or Mike?”
Mike, her new husband, could have reached out. Despite how I felt about him stepping into Oliver’s life, he should have told me.
The next day, while I packed, my phone rang. Mike’s name flashed on the screen. My jaw tightened as I answered.
“Mike,” I said, zipping up my suitcase. “I’m coming. I’ll be there tonight.”
“Wait, Greg,” Mike said, his voice strained. Something about the way he spoke made me pause.
“What is it?” I asked, bracing myself.
There was a brief silence, and then he said something that left me reeling.
“Natalie… she made it up. Oliver’s alive.”
My heart raced. “What?” I whispered, unable to process it.
“Natalie lied,” Mike repeated, disbelief in his voice. “Oliver is safe. He’s with her parents.”
For a moment, I was speechless. My mind spun with conflicting emotions: relief, anger, confusion. My son was alive. I had mourned him all night, and now—now Mike was saying it was all a lie.
“She… she lied?” I finally managed.
“Yes,” Mike exhaled. “She didn’t want you around anymore. I never thought she’d go this far, but she admitted it. She thought if you believed Oliver was gone, you’d stay away.”
Anger boiled within me. How could she do this to me? To Oliver?