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That Time We Lost Our Toddler in the Fourth Largest City in the U.S.
Panic doesn’t describe the nauseating terror of a missing two-year-old
For this story to make sense, there are a few things you need to know. My father-in-law had experienced a heart attack, and he was in Houston having open-heart surgery. My husband worked the graveyard shift at the time, and when he got off work, we loaded our two toddlers into the car and drove from our small-town home to the city to be with his parents for his dad’s operation.
After a brief visit with his dad before the surgery, we went to the Marriott located downtown and connected to the hospital. I took the boys to the pool to ensure they were ready for a good nap so that my husband could get some much-needed rest.
I stayed at the hotel long enough to get both boys down for a nap and then walked back across the sky bridge to sit with my mother-in-law during the surgery. My plan was to come back before the toddlers woke up, bring them to the waiting room, and let my husband get at least a few hours of much-needed sleep.
As planned, I returned to the room after about an hour. My husband and youngest toddler were both sleeping peacefully, but the two-year-old was nowhere to be found. It’s a hotel room, so there are only so many places…
