I woke up around 3 a.m. needing a glass of water.<\/p>\n
The house was wrapped in that deep, muffled silence that only happens in the middle of the night. As I walked down the hallway, I suddenly heard my son\u2019s voice coming from his room.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, can you turn off the light?\u201d<\/p>\n
It sounded groggy, completely normal\u2014like he was half asleep and slightly annoyed.<\/p>\n
Without thinking, I walked over, switched off the lamp, and said, \u201cGoodnight.\u201d Then I went back to bed.<\/p>\n
But a moment later, it struck me.<\/p>\n
My son wasn\u2019t even home.<\/p>\n
He had left earlier that morning for a weekend camping trip with his scout group. I had helped him pack and watched the bus drive away.<\/p>\n
My chest tightened as panic set in. I rushed to his room and opened the door.<\/p>\n
It was dark. Quiet. Empty.<\/p>\n
His bed was perfectly made, just as I had left it.<\/p>\n
Yet the lamp on his nightstand still felt warm when I touched it.<\/p>\n
I backed out of the room, my mind racing with worst-case thoughts\u2014had someone been in the house? Had I imagined it? Was I dreaming?<\/p>\n
I called my sister, who lives nearby, my hands shaking as I explained everything.<\/p>\n
She paused, then gently asked if I had taken anything to help me sleep.<\/p>\n
I realized I had taken a new prescription for insomnia before bed.<\/p>\n
She explained that some medications can cause vivid auditory hallucinations, especially at the beginning.<\/p>\n
The relief was there, but it didn\u2019t fully erase my fear.<\/p>\n
She stayed on the phone with me while I checked the entire house\u2014every room, closet, and corner. Nothing was out of place. No signs of anyone.<\/p>\n
Just silence.<\/p>\n
By the end, my breathing had steadied.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounded exactly like him,\u201d I said quietly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d she replied. \u201cYour mind can do powerful things when you\u2019re tired and missing someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next day, my doctor confirmed it was likely a side effect and adjusted my medication.<\/p>\n
That afternoon, my son called from camp, excitedly telling me he\u2019d caught a fish. His voice was bright, real, and full of life.<\/p>\n
Standing in his room as sunlight filled it, everything felt normal again.<\/p>\n
That night, I left his lamp on\u2014not out of fear anymore, but because sometimes a parent still listens for their child even when they\u2019re far away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"