01/01/2025
MY HUSBAND'S BEST FRIEND CAME TO OUR FAMILY DINNER — AFTER HE LEFT, OUR 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER STOPPED TALKING FOR MONTHS.
My husband Tom has this best friend, Brian. They've been close since middle school. They're practically brothers. He was always around, helping out, joining us for dinners, and Emily, our daughter, absolutely adored him. He'd bring her little gifts, play with her at the park — she even seemed to like him more than some of her uncles.
One evening, we invited Brian over for a casual dinner. Tom was running late, so I asked Brian to pick up the food. When he arrived, everything seemed normal. Emily was thrilled, bouncing around him as usual. After some laughs, I realized we'd forgotten drinks, so I asked Brian to stay with Emily for a few minutes while I ran out.
But when I got back, Brian seemed… off. He left so fast it felt like he was escaping. And that's when everything changed.
"Uncle Brian told me something about you..." After that, Emily grew silent. At first, I thought she was just tired or playing. But by the third day, it was clear something was wrong. She wouldn't talk. Not a single word.
Weeks passed. We took her to doctors, therapists — no one could explain it. Brian stopped answering our calls. Every time, he had some excuse — busy, out of town.
Then, after months of silence, it was time to take Emily back to school. We were hoping being around other kids might help. As I was buckling her into her car seat, she finally spoke.