I’m Carrie, a 32-year-old mom from Portland. I’ve been raising my daughter, Emma, alone since my divorce. Then I met Evan — he was calm, patient, and treated Emma kindly.
Emma has trouble at night. She wakes up crying, sometimes wets the bed, and sometimes just stares at the wall. I hoped Evan could help, but nothing changed.
A few months ago, I noticed Evan leaving our bed every night around midnight. He told me he slept on the couch because his back hurt, and I believed him. But one night, I got up and saw the couch was empty.
Emma’s door was slightly open, lit by her night-light. I saw Evan lying next to her with his arm around her. I asked him what he was doing there.
Evan said he heard Emma crying, went to check on her, and accidentally fell asleep there. I didn’t question him anymore, but something still felt wrong. I couldn’t sleep the whole night.
Even though I knew it might cause problems, I put a small camera in Emma’s room. I told Evan it was for our home security, but really, I just needed answers.
A few nights later, I checked the video. Around 2 a.m., Emma sat up with blank eyes and started walking slowly around the room, even bumping into the wall. Then Evan came in. He whispered to her, guided her back to bed, and tucked her in. He seemed used to it, like this wasn’t the first time he had helped her.
The next morning, I showed the video to a doctor. He said Emma was sleepwalking, and that it could be caused by stress from the separation she had gone through.
Years ago, after my divorce, I left Emma with my mom for a month while I looked for a job. She was very young, so I thought she didn’t notice or miss me.
When I told Evan about this, he didn’t get upset. He just said, “She needs to feel safe.”
It turns out he already knew Emma was sleepwalking, so he stayed close to make sure she didn’t get hurt. He only pretended to sleep on the couch so I wouldn’t worry, hoping the problem would go away on its own.
I felt grateful to have Evan in our lives. He made our family feel whole, and I knew Emma was lucky to have someone who cared for her like a real father.