Her son shook his head. “No, these are different. They move, Mom. They move like… like they’re alive. And in the morning, they’re gone, but they always come back.”

The mother sat back on her heels, unsure of what to say. How could she reassure her son when she couldn’t see what he saw? She realized she needed to approach this carefully, to understand his fears without dismissing them outright.

“How long have you been seeing these shadows?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Her son thought for a moment. “Since the baby came home,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to scare you or Dad. But they keep coming, and I have to make sure he’s safe.