911 Dispatcher: “This is 911, what’s your emergency?”
Little Boy: “Hi, I’m Sam. I’m calling to tell you about my mom.”
911 Dispatcher: “Why? What’s wrong with her, Sam?”
Little Boy: “Well… she hasn’t been home for days. I’m getting worried. My daddy is crying all the time. I’m afraid Mommy got lost on her way. Daddy says she went to—”

The call abruptly cut off. The dispatcher tried to call back, but there was no answer. Concerned, officers were dispatched to the address linked to the phone number. When they arrived, they found a small, dimly lit house with toys scattered across the yard. The front door was slightly open.

Inside, the living room was eerily silent, except for the faint sound of a television playing cartoons. A man sat on the couch, staring blankly at the screen, his eyes red from crying. A little boy—Sam—stood by the window, clutching a stuffed bear.

“Sir, we received a call from this address. Your son called 911 about his mother,” one of the officers said gently.

The man looked up slowly. “She’s gone,” he whispered.

The officers exchanged glances. “Sir, can you tell us what happened?”

Tears streamed down the man’s face. “She… she went out three nights ago to pick up some groceries. She never came back. At first, I thought she got stuck at work, but then her phone went straight to voicemail. I called the store, the hospital, even the police… no one knows where she is.”

One officer knelt beside Sam. “You were very brave to call us, buddy. Can you tell us anything else about your mommy?”

Sam looked up with wide, innocent eyes. “Daddy says she went to heaven… but I don’t understand. Heaven is far away, right? How will she find her way back?”

The officers felt a lump in their throats. Something wasn’t right.

“Sir,” one officer asked carefully, “have you reported her missing?”

The man nodded weakly. “Yes, but… no one has found anything.”

As the officers continued questioning, a radio call came in from dispatch. A body had been found near a wooded area outside town. The description matched the missing woman.

The officers’ expressions darkened. They had to confirm it, but deep down, they knew.

One officer placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Sir… we need you to come with us.”

Sam tugged at the officer’s sleeve. “Is Mommy coming home now?”

The officer forced a small smile, hiding the ache in his heart. “We’ll do everything we can to bring her home, buddy.”

As Sam watched the officers lead his father away, he clutched his teddy bear tighter. He didn’t understand everything that was happening, but deep down, he knew—Mommy wasn’t coming home.