I went to pick up my wife and newborn twins—But she was gone, keaving only a note

The drive home was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life. Instead, my fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

The twins were asleep in the back, their tiny breaths soft and steady, oblivious to the chaos unraveling around them. I kept glancing at them through the rearview mirror, my mind screaming the same question over and over: "Where is Suzie?"

I pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine, but I didn’t move. The weight of everything pressed down on me. I still had the crumpled note in my hand, my wife’s words burning into my skin like a brand.

"Goodbye. Take care of them. Ask your mother WHY she did this to me."

A chill crawled up my spine. I had no idea what it meant. Suzie and my mom had always been polite to each other—maybe a little distant, but never hostile. At least, I thought so. Now, doubt gnawed at me.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. The twins stirred but didn’t wake as I unbuckled their carriers. Just as I reached the front door, it swung open.

“There you are!” My mother’s voice was bright, cheerful. She stepped forward, arms outstretched. “Oh, let me see my grandbabies!”

I pulled back instinctively.

“Not yet, Mom,” I said, my voice harsher than I intended. “What did you do to Suzie?”

She blinked, her smile fading. “What do you mean?”

I clenched my jaw, holding up the note. “She left. This is all she wrote. She said I should ask you why.”

For a moment, my mother just stared at the note. Then she sighed, shaking her head as if she was exhausted by the accusation. “Oh, darling,” she murmured, stepping aside. “Come inside. Let’s talk about this.”

I hesitated but carried the twins inside. My mother led me to the living room, where a casserole sat on the table, still warm. It smelled like home, like comfort. But all I felt was unease.

She motioned for me to sit, but I remained standing, my heart pounding.

“Tell me the truth, Mom,” I demanded. “What did you say to her?”

She sighed again, slower this time. “I was only trying to protect you.”

A cold dread slithered through me. “Protect me from what?”

She hesitated. “Suzie… she wasn’t right for you.”

My stomach clenched. “Excuse me?”

“She came from nothing,” my mother continued, her voice soft but firm. “She was using you, sweetheart. I could see it from the beginning. I only told her the truth.”

“What truth?” I whispered, my voice shaking.

“That if she really loved you, she’d leave.”

A sharp, unbearable silence filled the room.

I couldn’t breathe. My hands curled into fists at my sides. “You told my wife—the mother of my children—that if she really loved me, she should leave?”

“She wasn’t strong enough for this family,” my mother said, crossing her arms. “You deserve better. You’ll see that one day.”

My vision blurred with rage. My mother had driven Suzie away—pushed her out of our lives at the most vulnerable moment of her life. She had just given birth. She had been alone in that hospital, making a decision she should have never had to make.

I felt sick.

“I need to find her,” I said abruptly, turning toward the door.

My mother’s voice sharpened. “Find her? Where do you think she went?”

I turned back, my breathing ragged. “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”

She let out a frustrated sigh. “Be reasonable, dear. She’s already made her choice.”

“No, Mom. You made it for her.”

I walked out, slamming the door behind me.

The search for Suzie felt endless. I drove aimlessly at first, dialing her number over and over, but it went straight to voicemail. I texted, begged her to respond. Nothing.

Then, a thought hit me—her best friend, Leah.

I called her, my hands trembling. It rang three times before she picked up.

“Hello?” she said hesitantly.

“Leah, it’s me. Please. Do you know where Suzie is?”

Silence.

“Leah, please,” I choked out. “She left the hospital. I don’t know where she is, and I need to find her.”

A pause, then a sigh. “She’s here.”

Relief crashed over me so hard that I nearly collapsed.

“I need to see her,” I said.

“She doesn’t want to see you,” Leah said gently. “She’s heartbroken, Jake. Your mother—” she exhaled sharply. “Your mother crushed her.”

Pain shot through my chest. “Please, Leah. Just let me talk to her. Let me fix this.”

Another silence. Then, finally: “Come over.”

When I arrived, my heart was in my throat. Leah opened the door, arms crossed, eyes wary. “She’s in the guest room. But don’t push her, okay?”

I nodded, stepping inside.

The moment I saw Suzie, my heart broke all over again. She was sitting on the bed, knees to her chest, looking so small, so fragile. Her face was pale, her eyes swollen from crying.

“Suzie,” I breathed.

She looked up, her expression unreadable. “What are you doing here?”

I knelt in front of her. “I had no idea what my mother said to you. If I had known—” My voice cracked. “Suzie, I love you. I love you so much. And I need you to come home.”

Her lips trembled. “Your mother made it clear I don’t belong.”

“She was wrong,” I said fiercely. “You are my home, Suzie. You and our daughters. I don’t care what she thinks—I never did. Please. Please, come home.”

Tears welled in her eyes.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. “Look,” I whispered, showing her the twins’ sleeping faces. “They need you. I need you.”

For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, slowly, she reached out, her fingers brushing over the screen. A sob broke from her lips.

I took her hand in mine. “Let’s go home.”

Suzie let out a shaky breath, then nodded.

And in that moment, I knew—I would never let anyone, not even my own mother, tear my family apart again.