When Sarah, our son Derril, and I moved to a new city for Sarah’s job, Derril was excited about joining a school with a strong soccer program, his favorite sport. However, his excitement soon turned to distress.

Derril started coming home from school visibly upset. His usually bright demeanor was overshadowed by sadness, and he became withdrawn. Sarah and I noticed the change but hoped it was just part of adjusting to the new city.

One day, I found Derril crying in his room. Through his sobs, he revealed, “I don’t want Mr. Sanders to be my father!” Mr. Sanders was his soccer coach, and Derril was distressed because he had seen Mr. Sanders hugging Sarah after practice and believed something inappropriate was happening.

Worried and confused, I decided to investigate. I watched from a distance as Mr. Sanders and Sarah spoke after practice. They appeared close, and Mr. Sanders touched Sarah’s shoulder, which made me uneasy. I confronted Sarah that evening, demanding to know what was going on.

Sarah revealed that Mr. Sanders had recognized a dangerous man from his past who had been stalking her. Mr. Sanders had been trying to protect Sarah and Derril from this threat. He had advised Sarah not to push him away to avoid alerting the stalker.

Shocked and worried, I demanded to speak with Mr. Sanders directly. He confirmed Sarah’s story, showing us evidence of the stalker’s criminal activities. The next night, Derril spotted someone outside his window. The police were called, and they apprehended the stalker, confirming Mr. Sanders’ warnings.

Mr. Sanders visited us the next day with pastries, apologizing for the distress caused. He explained his past involvement with dangerous individuals, though he denied any wrongdoing himself.

Despite the immediate threat being resolved, I remained uneasy. The whole situation felt unsettling, and I wasn’t sure if staying was the right choice for our family. I was grateful for Mr. Sanders’ help but worried about our safety moving forward. What should I do?