When I found Ellie locked in a cage, my heart stopped. Kelsie, our babysitter, shrugged it off as a game—Ellie was “pretending to be a tiger.” I quickly freed Ellie, who clung to me, trembling, while her brother stood silently nearby.
Kelsie’s face shifted from confusion to guilt as I explained that safety always comes first. She apologized, but the trust was gone. I asked her to leave.
After she left, I turned to my kids and suggested building a blanket fort instead—no cages, just fun. Their smiles returned, and I felt relief. We’d move past this, but I’d be more careful who I trusted with them in the future.
