My Son's New Mother
On the third day of my business trip out of state, someone new joined the group chat formed for my son's class. It had been quiet for weeks when she suddenly sent a voice message.
I tapped it, and an unfamiliar woman's voice played through my phone.
"Hello, everyone. I'm the new language teacher at the school, and I'm also Tony Gardner's mother. Looking forward to getting to know you all!"
My whole body went cold. I opened the group member list and checked it over and over.
My son's name was Tony Gardner, and she said she was Tony Gardner's mother. Then, who the hell was I?
I immediately called my husband.
"Did someone get added to the parent group by mistake?"
He paused on the other end before he laughed it off like it was nothing. "Oh, probably just a mix-up. The school has so many kids. It's not unusual for kids to have the same names. What's the matter? Did something happen?"
I kept my voice light and told him everything was fine. The second I hung up, I booked the next flight home and headed straight to my son's school.