Notes.
Voice recordings.
And one unfinished audio message.
Diane pressed play.
Caleb’s voice filled the room.
“Hey, Mom.”
Diane immediately covered her mouth.
His voice.
After three years.
It was as if the room had disappeared.
“I’m probably going to get yelled at for not calling enough.”
A faint laugh.
“I know.”
Diane began crying.
Caleb continued.
“I just wanted to say something before I come over tomorrow.”
There was a pause.
“I’ve been doing okay.”
Another pause.
“Actually…”
He laughed.
“I’ve been doing really good.”
Diane closed her eyes.
“I met some people I care about.”
A pause.
“And I think I finally figured out what I want to do.”
His voice became softer.
“I want to build something.”
The recording ended.
There was no goodbye.
No dramatic final words.
Just a young man planning tomorrow.
A tomorrow he never got.
The Truth About Buddy
The next morning, Diane woke to a strange realization.
