I’m a single mom to a five-year-old girl, Lily. She hadn’t been feeling well, so I hired Jessica, a kind college student with great references, to babysit while I worked.

That Friday, I came home to silence.

No laughter. No cartoons. No Lily. No Jessica.

Panic hit fast. I searched the house, called Jessica — no answer. Then I noticed Lily’s favorite pink backpack was gone. Thankfully, I had secretly placed an AirTag inside it.

I checked the tracker. My heart dropped: the airport.

I raced there, scanning the crowd. Then I spotted them — Lily, Jessica… and my ex-husband with his overbearing mother. They were about to board a plane with my daughter.

“What are you doing?!” I shouted.

Turns out, they had secretly planned a “getaway” for Lily, claiming it was for fresh air. Jessica, completely unaware, thought I knew and would join them.

Airport security got involved. My ex stepped back quietly. Brenda tried to explain it away, but I wasn’t buying it.

I hugged Lily tightly. Jessica apologized, clearly tricked by them too. I told her we’d talk later.

But one thing was clear:
They thought they could decide for me. They were dead wrong.