Reagan gripped the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white as Caleb’s cautious hello filled the silence between them. Neither spoke for several seconds. Finally, she whispered that she had found every letter, every money order, every desperate attempt he had made to reach her and Theo. Caleb’s voice broke. He admitted he had almost stopped writing after years without a reply, believing she truly hated him. Instead, he had kept sending birthday cards anyway, hoping one day someone would tell his son they had never been forgotten. Tears streamed down Reagan’s face as she apologized for believing the lies that had stolen five irreplaceable years.

Caleb quietly asked if Theo was healthy and happy. Reagan smiled through her tears and described their curious little boy, who loved dinosaurs, fishing, and asking impossible questions before bedtime. Caleb laughed softly, recognizing pieces of himself in the stories. Before either of them could say anything more, Reagan heard another voice on Caleb’s end. Someone shouted, “Caleb, don’t answer that—it could be her mother!” Then the line suddenly went silent.