A week before Christmas, I was stunned when I heard my daughter say over the phone: ‘Just send all 8 kids over for Mom to watch, we’ll go on vacation and enjoy ourselves.’ On the morning of the 23rd, I packed my things into the car and drove straight to the sea.

A week before Christmas, I was in the kitchen making coffee when I heard voices coming from the living room.   It was Amanda, my daughter, on the phone. Her tone was casual, carefree, as if she were planning a vacation or picking out a new dress. I approached slowly without making a sound, because…