“Dad, please help,” she whispered — and then the line went silent. I immediately headed toward her in-laws’ residence without hesitation.

The clock on my phone glowed 9:17 p.m. I had just finished wiping down the porch railing after a long day in the garden when the screen lit up. Emily’s name flashed, but the vibration was irregular, as if she had grabbed my phone in a panic and hit call before thinking. “Dad?” Her voice was a ghost of itself, fragile and trembling, barely audible over the hum of the night. Something deep in me froze. Emily, my… CONTINUE READING…