A Strange Dog Sat at My Son's Grave Every Day – One Day, I Decided to Follow It

She nodded slowly.

I almost laughed from sheer confusion.

"He's been sitting at Caleb's grave."

Sadie's face went pale.

For a second, she said nothing.

"You should come inside."

Every instinct told me something was wrong.

Still, I stepped onto the porch.

The front room was small but clean. A worn couch sat against one wall. Children's books were stacked inside a plastic crate near the television.

I noticed them immediately.

My chest tightened.

"Do you have a child?"

Sadie froze.

Jasper walked toward the hallway and disappeared around the corner.

Before she could answer, a small voice called from another room.

I looked at Sadie.

She closed her eyes briefly.

Then a little boy came around the corner.

He looked about three years old.

He wore dinosaur pajamas even though it was the middle of the afternoon. His brown hair stuck up on one side.

I forgot how to breathe.

There was something about his face.

Something painfully familiar.

His eyes.

The shape of his mouth.

Caleb used to make that exact expression when he was confused.

The boy pointed at me.

"Who's that?"

Sadie's voice shook.

"This is Diane."

The little boy smiled.

I couldn't answer.

I looked at Sadie.

"No."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Diane."

"No."

My hands began trembling.

"Tell me what?"

She looked at the little boy.

"Beau, sweetheart, can you go play with Jasper?"

He hesitated.

"Yes."

"Two?"

Sadie gave a weak smile.

"Two."

He disappeared toward the kitchen with Jasper following behind him.

I waited until he was gone.

"Tell me."

Sadie sat down slowly.

I remained standing.

"Beau is Caleb's son."

The room seemed to tilt.

"What?"

Sadie wiped her face.

"I found out I was pregnant after Caleb died."

I stared at her.

Every sound around me became distant.

A refrigerator hummed.