It was supposed to be a quiet night out, just me and my partner. We hadn’t had a break in months, and the idea of an evening away from the constant demands of parenting sounded like a luxury. After hours of debating, we finally hired a babysitter for our son, Jake, who was eight years old. He was generally well-behaved, and I trusted him to be responsible enough for a few hours on his own with someone to watch over him.

The babysitter, Lily, came highly recommended by a friend, and I had spoken to her on the phone several times before. She seemed sweet, reliable, and I felt at ease leaving her in charge. I told Jake to be on his best behavior, gave Lily a quick rundown of his bedtime routine, and assured myself everything would be fine.

As we drove off, I couldn’t help but feel a tiny pang of guilt. Was I being too indulgent? Would Jake be okay with someone else in charge? But I pushed the thoughts aside and reminded myself that we needed this break. We deserved it.