
At My Father-in-Law’s Funeral, My 4-Year-Old Was Crawling Under the Table β What He Saw There Turned Our Lives Upside Down
My husband and I were at his fatherβs funeral. The reception afterward was held in an upscale restaurant reserved entirely for the occasion, fitting for a man who had been a powerful businessman.
I excused myself to the restroom, asking my husband Arthur to keep an eye on our 4-year-old, Ben.
I slipped through clusters of people, splashed cold water on my face, and took a moment to breathe away from the suffocating atmosphere of formal grief.
When I returned, Arthur was still deep in conversation with the same group. But Ben was nowhere in sight.
βArthur,β I hissed, stepping up beside him. βWhereβs Ben?β
His eyes widened. βHe was just hereβ¦β
Panic surged in my chestβuntil I heard a familiar giggle from under one of the long white tablecloths. Ben was crawling beneath the tables as though they were part of some giant fort.
I crouched down, lifted the cloth, and found him grinning back at me.
βCome out, sweetheart,β I said, trying to mask my relief with firmness. βThatβs not appropriate here.β
I gently pulled him out and settled him on my lap at a quiet corner table. He wriggled restlessly, still buzzing with energy despite the heavy mood around us.
βYou canβt disappear like that,β I told him softly. βYou scared Mommy.β
He leaned in close, his little voice dropping to a whisper.
βMOMMY,β he said, eyes wide, βTHAT LADY HAD SPIDERS UNDER HER DRESS.β
My breath caught. βWhat do you mean, sweetheart?β
His expression was deadly serious. βI crawl underββ β¬οΈ Watch: [in comment] – Made with AI
