Part 2: Turn It Up
That evening, we held Kaylee’s birthday party at the house.
My sister Joanne came, and Amy’s parents drove in from Lubbock. Tara cheerfully covered the house in balloons, making sure everyone heard her sweetly call Kaylee “sweetheart.”
Kaylee sat beside me at the dining table.
She hadn’t said a single word all day.
Once the birthday candles were lit, Tara and Rick slipped off to the garage, saying they needed “to grab more ice.”
Kaylee reached into the pocket of her hoodie.
She took out the baby monitor and slid it carefully across the table to me.
“Now, Dad,” she whispered. “Turn it up.”
I twisted the volume knob as far as it would go.
At first, there was only static.
Then a woman’s voice came through the speaker, so clear it sounded as if she were standing right behind my chair.
It was Tara.
And the very first words out of her mouth made my sister grab her cellphone and start recording.
Note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. All images are for illustration purposes only.
