The object was a small photograph showing Lily standing beside a stranger outside our house. On the back, someone had written, “Your daddy’s friend.” I asked Lily who the man was. She explained that he had visited several times while Derek was away. Sometimes he brought groceries, but other times he argued with Daddy. She remembered hearing them discussing money and something called a secret account. I showed the photograph to the hospital social worker, who contacted the appropriate authorities. I couldn’t believe that strangers knew what was happening in my home while I had been thousands of miles away.

Later, Lily told me that Derek had promised her a special surprise if she stayed quiet about the visits. He had also told her that Mommy was too busy to come home. Those words broke my heart. I showed her photographs from my deployment, including pictures of the letters I had written every week. She began crying when she recognized them. “Daddy put your letters in his office,” she whispered. “He said I wasn’t allowed to open them.” I suddenly understood why our video calls had always been so short. Derek had been controlling what Lily could see and hear.