When Daniel, Sarah, and their seven-year-old son, Derril, moved to a new city, they knew it would take some time to adjust. Everything was different—the neighborhood, the people, even the way the air smelled. But they had high hopes, especially since Sarah had just landed a promising new job.
“We need this, Daniel,” Sarah said one night as they packed their things into boxes. “We need to plan for our future. Living here has felt… stale.”
Daniel nodded. “I agree. And this will be better for Derril too.”
Derril was thrilled about the move for one reason: his new school had a strong soccer program, his absolute favorite sport. His old school focused mostly on baseball and basketball, but here, soccer was a big deal.
“I’m happy about the move, Dad!” Derril said excitedly one afternoon as they shopped for a new pair of soccer cleats. “I get to play soccer all the time!”
“I’m glad you’re excited,” Daniel said, ruffling his son’s hair. “This move isn’t just about Mom’s job. We want this to be a fresh start for all of us.”
For the first few months, everything seemed to be going well. Daniel, who worked in cybersecurity, was grateful he could continue working remotely. Sarah was busy with her job but seemed happy. And Derril? He was thriving on the soccer field, always coming home excited to talk about his coach, Mr. Sanders.
Then things changed.
One day, Derril came home from practice looking upset. His usual spark was gone. He became quieter, withdrawn. At first, Daniel and Sarah thought it was just part of adjusting to a new place. Making friends wasn’t always easy.
“Something’s bothering him,” Daniel said as he flipped pancakes one morning. “He’s not himself.”
“I’ve noticed too,” Sarah admitted. “When I ask him about it, he just looks away.”
“He’s still eating and sleeping fine,” Daniel reasoned. “Maybe it’s just part of settling in?”
But then, Daniel walked into his son’s room one afternoon and found him crying.
“Derril, what’s wrong?” Daniel asked, sitting beside him. “I need you to talk to me. Enough time has passed—I know something is bothering you.”
Derril hesitated, his little fists clenched. Then, with a deep breath, he blurted out, “I don’t want Mr. Sanders to be my new dad!”
Daniel felt his stomach drop. “What? Why would you say that?”
“Yesterday, when Mom picked me up, I saw them! Mr. Sanders hugged her, Dad. And she didn’t push him away!”
A chill ran down Daniel’s spine. He had noticed Sarah being more distant lately, but he assumed it was stress from her new job. Now, a seed of doubt planted itself in his mind.
The next day, Daniel finished work early and drove to Derril’s soccer practice. He parked at a distance, watching.
Practice ended. Kids scattered. Sarah arrived.
Then, Mr. Sanders walked up to her. They talked. And then—
Daniel’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as he saw it. Mr. Sanders put his hand on Sarah’s shoulder. He leaned in close. Sarah smiled but quickly stepped back, looking around, almost as if she sensed someone was watching.
That night, Daniel couldn’t hold it in any longer. As they sat down for dinner, he looked at Sarah and asked, “What’s going on between you and Mr. Sanders?”
Sarah froze, her fork halfway to her mouth. “What? Nothing! Why would you ask that?”
“Derril saw you two. And I did too,” Daniel said, his voice low and steady. “Tell me the truth.”
Sarah’s face paled. She put her fork down, hands trembling. “Daniel, it’s not what you think. I swear. He’s been helping me with something… something I haven’t told you yet.”
“Helping with what?”
Sarah took a shaky breath. “Mr. Sanders recognized someone. A man from his past. Someone dangerous. He’s been watching me, Daniel. He’s been watching our family.”
Daniel’s chest tightened. “What do you mean?”
“He’s a stalker,” Sarah whispered. “A man with a history of violence. Mr. Sanders noticed him hanging around soccer practice, watching me. He told me not to react too obviously. We didn’t want to tip him off.”
Daniel put his head in his hands. “Why didn’t you tell me? This is something for the police!”
“I know,” Sarah said, her voice thick with emotion. “But Mr. Sanders said the police can’t do anything until something actually happens. He’s been keeping an eye on things. He was trying to protect us.”
Daniel wasn’t satisfied. He needed to hear it from Mr. Sanders himself. The next day, they met with him.
“Everything Sarah told you is true,” Mr. Sanders confirmed. “This guy is dangerous. I’ve seen men like him before.”
“How do you know him?” Daniel asked.
Mr. Sanders hesitated. “I had a rough past. Ran with the wrong crowd for a while. But I turned my life around. And when I saw him near your family, I knew something was off.”
That night, as Daniel and Sarah sat in the living room, planning their next steps, Derril came running in, his face pale with fear.
“There’s someone outside my window!” he shrieked.
Sarah grabbed her phone. “I’m calling the police!”
Daniel rushed to Derril’s room, grabbing the baseball bat from the hallway. Outside, he saw a dark figure lurking near the tree outside the window.
Sirens blared in the distance. Flashing lights flooded the yard. Police officers stormed in, surrounding the man and tackling him to the ground.
“We’ve been looking for this guy,” one officer told Daniel. “He’s been on our radar for a while. You’re lucky your coach noticed him.”
The next day, Mr. Sanders came by with a box of pastries. “I’m sorry for the confusion,” he said. “But I couldn’t let him get near Sarah and Derril.”
Daniel nodded, appreciating his efforts. But deep inside, he still felt uneasy.
The stalker was gone, but the fear remained.
As much as he was grateful, something about Mr. Sanders still didn’t sit right.
And Daniel couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, their family still wasn’t safe.
