I Take My Toddler On Long Hauls—But Last Week He Said Something That Stopped Me Cold
But outside Amarillo, things shifted. While checking the trailer, Micah asked, “Mama, when is he coming back?” “Who?” I asked. “The man who gave me the paper,” he said. “He was here yesterday.” We’d been alone. Always were.
That night, I found a folded note in the glove box—Micah’s name on the front. Inside was a sketch of us in the cab, and the words: “Keep going. He’s proud of you.” A few days later, near Flagstaff, an older man directed me to a diner. The woman inside, Dottie, said she’d seen a tall man talking to someone in my truck. We hadn’t been in it. She handed me another note. Another sketch. Same style. Same message:
“You’re not alone. You never were.” That’s when I knew—it was my brother Jordan’s handwriting. He died six years ago. Never met Micah. But somehow, Micah knew him. Since then, there’ve been more notes, more sketches—each one appearing exactly when I need it most. One said:
“He’ll remember this—your strength, your love. Not the miles.” So if you’ve ever felt like someone you lost is still riding beside you, maybe they are. Love doesn’t always leave. Sometimes, it just changes seats.
