Liam left almost as soon as the call came in. He promised he’d be back, but I could see in his eyes that nothing mattered more in that moment than finding Cassie.

The silence he left behind was heavy, pressing into every corner of the house. I filled the hours editing my pre-recorded cooking videos, forcing myself to focus on frame cuts and voiceovers instead of the swirl of worry.

My mom called to check on me and the baby, fussing the way only she could. I smiled through it, but when the ...