Going Their Separate Ways
Many parents dream of giving their children a 'traditional' family unit, but sometimes this just isn't possible. And when Dorothy and Michael welcomed their son Aiden into the world, they quickly realized that their marriage wasn't going to work. They argued non-stop, their words stung each other, and they struggled to parent their baby together. So, they decided to go their separate ways just a few months after Aiden was born.
After a huge amount of to-ing and fro-ing, they managed to come to a co-parenting agreement that worked for both of them. But then something happened that made Dorothy question Michael's parenting skills.
An Agreement
Both Dorothy and Michael wanted to keep things as normal as possible for their son, so they agreed to a co-parenting schedule. Dorothy would look after him for one week, and then Aiden would go to his dad's for the next week. They wanted to ensure that they got an equal amount of time with him so that it didn't cause any more tension between the formerly married couple. For a while, this worked.
As a devoted mom, Dorothy could see that her baby was acting strangely. His behavior changes were bizarre, and her mind instantly started to question her ex's parenting skills and his motives.
Strange Behavior Changes
When Dorothy sent Aiden to stay with his father, she spent her days wishing that time would go faster and that she could have Aiden back in her arms again. But when her baby returned to her after a week at his dad's, she was confused. At around lunchtime, Aiden did something incredibly strange. He walked into the living room, pulled at the waistband of his pants, and simply stared right into them.
As a fun-loving child with an active imagination, Dorothy was used to Aiden doing weird and wonderful things. And while she figured that he would stop staring after a few seconds, he continued to do so for a whole thirty minutes.
Trying to Brush It off
Dorothy was certainly intrigued by this strange behavior change, but she decided to give her son the benefit of the doubt. She wasn't a strict mom, and she didn't want to punish him for what seemed like an innocent action. And while she tried to brush the situation off, she was taken aback when the same thing happened the next day. In fact, it happened every day for the whole week.
Every single day, Aiden would pull at his pants and stare into them for half an hour, and she began to worry. His behavior was way too strange for her to simply ignore it.
A Curious Young Boy?
A whole host of possibilities racked Dorothy's brain. Perhaps he was just a curious young boy? After all, he wasn't a baby anymore and was now turning into a curious toddler who wanted to learn more about the world. But the more she witnessed this strange behavior, the more she realized that he wasn't curious. After all, he wasn't exploring his pants. He was just staring, and he seemed transfixed.
In the end, Dorothy knew that her baby acting strangely for a reason. And she told herself that if the same thing happened when he stayed with her next, she would check his legs and give his whole body a once-over.
Checking Him Over
After a week at his dad's, Aiden returned back to Dorothy's home. Like clockwork, he began staring into his pants once again - and so his mom knew that she had no choice but to investigate further. So, she laid her son down on the floor and checked the lower half of his body. At the back of her mind, she was fully expecting to find something unusual down there.
But what confused her more than anything was the fact that there was nothing to see. Dorothy just didn't understand. What was going on? Why was her baby acting strangely? Why was he staring into his pants?
The Same Time
A day later, Dorothy knew it was going to happen again, and it did. But what she quickly realized was that her baby was like clockwork. Aiden would walk into the room, pull at his pants, and stare into them at lunchtime. And when Dorothy took a closer look at the clock, she realized that it was also at the exact same time. At 12:13 pm every single day, Aiden would showcase his strange behavior changes.
Dorothy knew that this made the situation even stranger, which is why she decided to take note of the time for the next week. And much to her surprise, Aiden continued his behaviors at exactly 12:13 pm.
Friendly Advice
By this point, Dorothy was really confused. She couldn't see any reason why her son would be staring into his pants, and what made the situation even more confusing was the fact that he did it at the exact same time each week. She just couldn't understand. So, when Aiden went to his dad's at the end of her week, she decided to reach out to her friend Olivia for some advice.
When Dorothy explained her son's behavior changes to her friend, Olivia seemed more concerned than anything else. And then she said something that put Dorothy's ex-husband in the firing line.
Using Threatening Words
Olivia began to suspect that Michael was behind Aiden's strange behavior, and Dorothy wondered if she was right. After all, Michael had proven himself to be untrustworthy and nasty since they separated. When he learned that Dorothy was seeing a new boyfriend, he even sent her a threatening letter in the mail. This letter used threatening words, and she felt scared and uncomfortable after reading it. He even told her that he'd make her life miserable.
With this in the back of her mind, Dorothy began to wonder whether her son's strange behavior was the result of Michael's interference. He'd already taken steps to hurt her, so maybe this was the next stage of his plan?
Spying on Her?
At first, Dorothy wondered whether Michael had taught their toddler this strange behavior in an effort to play mind games. He probably knew that Dorothy would worry about his actions, and so Michael could have wanted his ex-wife to be in a permanent state of worry. But then she thought more about it, and she wondered whether Michael was staging a plan that was much more serious. Was he spying on her?
Michael had made it very clear that he wasn't happy about Dorothy's new boyfriend, so maybe he was using their son to spy on them? It was terrible to think, but something about it made sense in Dorothy's mind.
The Timing Made Sense
To many, the idea of their ex-husband spying on them would seem far-fetched. But it didn't seem that way to Dorothy. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she thought that all of the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. For example, the timings just made sense. Her ex-husband knew that she only worked in the mornings and that she got home just before lunchtime. She actually got home just before 12:13 pm.
If Michael had indeed hidden a recording device or a chip down their son's pants, getting him to walk and stare into his pants at 12:13 pm would have been the best way to spy on her. So, she needed to check.
Searching His Clothes
With the spying thoughts in the back of her mind, Dorothy knew that she needed confirmation before approaching her ex-husband. So, she picked Aiden up and took him into his bedroom. She checked all of the clothes that he was wearing for any signs of a chip or a recording device and then searched through all of the clothes in his closet for anything untoward. She was convinced that she was going to find something.
But the more she looked, the more she realized that she wasn't going to find anything. She didn't come across any chips or devices, and her clothes were clean. However, her search wasn't over.
Looking Everywhere
Although Dorothy checked all of Aiden's clothes, she realized that she hadn't checked everywhere. She opened up his diaper and even looked in his shoes, but once again, her efforts were fruitless. She couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary, and it didn't look as though there were any obvious chips or recording devices hidden on or near their toddler. But she still couldn't shake the fact that something wasn't quite right.
She could sense that her son's behavior changes were the result of outside influence, and she was convinced that her ex had something to do with it. So, she plucked up the courage to do something there was no coming back from.
Calling the Cops
As a doting mom, Dorothy was concerned about the safety of her son. She would do everything she could to protect him from harm, and she hated the idea that her ex was using him as a pawn in his games. Because of this, she knew that she needed to do something that would stop him in his tracks and take their son out of harm's way. So, she called the cops.
Dorothy knew it was an extreme reaction, but she wouldn't stand for her son being used to get back at her. And she knew that the police were the only ones who could give her answers.
Asking Questions
While she was on the phone to the cops, she explained everything. She explained her concerns, she explained her theory, and she explained how the whole situation was making her feel. And as there was a toddler involved, the police knew that they had to investigate the situation as soon as possible. Of course, they immediately made their way over to Michael's house and arrested him so that they could question him further.
Dorothy felt relieved. She had faith that the cops would be able to get to the bottom of what was happening, and she knew that they were the right people to call. But then something completely unexpected happened.
Waiting for Answers
When Dorothy learned that Michael had been arrested and taken to the police station, she felt relieved. She believed that the cops would be able to get the truth out of him and that he would admit to using their son to spy on her once and for all. She was hoping that the police would call her back with good news and a reason behind her son's behavior changes.
However, that didn't happen, and before too long, Dorothy was startled by a knock on the door. And she soon realized that the police officers had come for her too.
What Was Going on?
When Dorothy saw the cops standing on the other side of the door, her first thought was that they had come round to tell her their findings in person. At first, she was impressed with their attention to detail and the attention they were giving her and her case. But she could tell from the look on their faces that this wasn't a friendly house call. They were there on a mission.
When Dorothy opened the door for the police officers, her blood ran cold. She could tell that something wasn't right. Had they come to arrest her? What had her ex-husband told them?
Letting Them in
Dorothy knew that the only way to understand what was going on would be to let the cops in and let them explain. But she was scared. She could tell that they weren't there for a social visit, and the serious looks on their faces suggested that something had gone seriously wrong. Thankfully, one of the officers at least gave her a smile when she opened up the door for him.
This put her at ease slightly. But when she asked, "What can I do for you, officer?" she wasn't expecting the response that came out of his mouth. In fact, it made her blood run cold.
Didn't Know What Was Going on
The cops asked her to sit down so that they could explain what they had learned from Michael. They told Dorothy that they had arrested him and taken him down to the station and quizzed him about their son's strange behavior changes. They also asked him whether he had been spying on Dorothy. But much to Dorothy's surprise, they told her that Michael denied everything and vehemently denied spying on her.
As you can imagine, Dorothy was taken aback. She couldn't believe that her ex would lie to the cops like that. But before too long, the truth found its way out of the woodwork.
Caught off Guard
As the cops explained the situation to Dorothy, they confirmed that Michael denied everything. In fact, he seemed shocked by the allegations and had no idea what they were talking about. For starters, he couldn't understand why they had arrested him and had been caught off guard when they turned up at his door. Then, he couldn't understand why they were asking questions about his son and recording devices and chips.
In Michael's eyes, the whole thing was completely new information, and he claimed that he had played no part in any of it. But was he really telling the truth? Or was he lying?
Didn't Make Sense
As Dorothy looked at the police officers sitting in front of her, she didn't know what to say. She had expected them to confirm all of her suspicions, and she had expected them to confirm that Michael had been arrested and charged with their son's strange behavior. The whole thing just didn't make sense to her, and she didn't know what to make of the situation. After all, if he had been spying on her, he would have know that the police were coming.
Did this mean that Michael really was in the clear? Had her claims been unfounded? Thankfully, it didn't take her long to realize what her ex-husband was really capable of.
Searching Their Son
When the cops explained Michael's defence, Dorothy could tell that they weren't finished. They looked shifty, and they looked as though they had something else to say. So Dorothy questioned them and asked them what was going on, and, to her surprise, they confirmed that they were at her home before they wanted to investigate the case further. Dorothy wondered whether they had come to arrest her, but they instead confirmed that they wanted to investigate Aiden himself.
One of the officers then pulled out a device that would detect any hidden recording equipment. And with Dorothy's permission, he scanned the toddler and tried to find the hidden chip.
Scanning for Secrets
At first, Aiden was confused and didn't know what was going on. But the police officer assured him that he wasn't going to hurt him and that he wouldn't feel a thing. Giggling, Aiden agreed to let the cop scan him - and he found the whole process extremely funny. But while Aiden was laughing, the cops were taking the whole situation very seriously, and they wanted to make sure that they scanned his whole body.
Dorothy watched impatiently as the cops scanned her son, and she waited on tenterhooks for news that would confirm her suspicions. And after the longest five minutes of her life, the cops made a devastating discovery.
Good News and Bad News
When the cop had finally finished his scan, he looked at Dorothy and told her that he had good news and bad news. The good news was that there were no signs of a recording device on her son's body. When she heard this news, Dorothy was flooded with relief. She was thankful that her son had not been used as a pawn in her ex-husband's games, and she was thankful for the cops' help.
But something still didn't sit right with her. The bad news was that her son's strange behavioral changes were still shrouded in question marks, and she began to question how her ex had been able to evade the cops like that.
Then, the Phone Rang
With confirmation that Aiden was free from any recording devices or chips, the cops left Dorothy's house, confident that her son was free from harm. They told the mom that they would keep in touch and update her if they learned anything else about the case, and then they went on their way. However, this didn't sit well with Dorothy. As she stewed on this new information, she just didn't know what to think.
But just as she was about to settle down for the night, she noticed her phone start to ring. She assumed that it would be from the cops, but one look at the screen told her that it was someone else entirely.
Michael Was Calling
As Dorothy stared at her phone, she didn't know what to do. Why was Michael calling her? Her ex-husband had just been arrested and questioned about his part to play in their son's strange behavioral changes, so why was he reaching out to her? Dorothy was scared, and the last thing she wanted to do was talk to the man she had accused of wrongdoing. In fact, she was worried that he had rung her to threaten her once more.
But in the end, Dorothy decided to pick up the phone and talk to him. She had expected to have an argument with him, which is why their subsequent conversation shocked her so much.
A Calm Conversation
Much to her surprise, Michael was coming to her with questions. He confirmed that he had just been arrested, questioned, and released and that the cops had asked him about their son. Dorothy was surprised by the tone of his voice, as he seemed both calm and confused rather than confused and angry. And it soon became clear that he had no idea that Dorothy was behind his arrest and questioning.
In fact, Michael asked Dorothy whether she had received the same treatment from the police. And that's when Dorothy decided to tell her ex-husband the truth about the whole situation.
Telling the Truth
Dorothy told Michael that she had been the one to call the cops and that she had been the one with concerns about his parenting. She explained that their son had been acting strangely and that his threatening letter had shaken her to her core, and that she wanted to protect their son from harm or wrongdoing. As you can imagine, Michael was taken aback and had no idea what to do with the information he had been given.
He was hurt and confused by his ex-wife's actions, and for a while, he was deadly silent. Then, he did something that Dorothy had never in a million years expected from him.
Saying Sorry
In a bizarre turn of events, Michael used the next few minutes of their phone call to apologize to Dorothy. He was mostly sorry for sending the threatening letter and scaring his ex-wife. He had been hurt by the breakup and the fact that she had moved on so quickly and reacted in the heat of the moment. He wished he could take it back, and he wished that he had never sent it in the first place.
Alongside his apology, Michael also denied any wrongdoing when it came to Aiden's strange behavior. He would never put a recording device on their son, and he couldn't believe she would think such a thing.
Doing the Same Thing?
Confused, Dorothy simply asked her ex, "Is he doing the same thing when he's with you?" Michael didn't need any further explanation or to ask any other questions because he knew exactly what Dorothy was asking him. He told her that at exactly 12:13 pm, their son would pull at his pants and stare into them - and this was all of the confirmation Dorothy needed to know that her ex was just as clueless as she was.
But, if anything, this just made her worry even more. If their son was exhibiting the same strange behavior at her house and at his dad's face, what was going on with him?
Back to Square One
Dorothy felt exhausted. She had been convinced that her ex-husband had been behind her son's bizarre behavior, but this new information put her back to square one. She had no idea what was causing her son to act in such a strange way, and she just didn't understand why he was staring into his pants on a daily basis. Not only that, but he was doing this like clockwork no matter where he was staying.
Dorothy knew that she was simply grasping at straws, so she decided to take a step back and ask Michael what he thought was going on. Together, they came up with a rational solution.
Seeing the Doctor
Both Dorothy and Michael agreed that the only way to find out what was really going on with their son was to take him to the doctor. There was obviously something not quite right with him, and they wanted to get to the bottom of it. However, Aiden hated going to the doctor's office - and when he realized that his parents were taking him to see the doctor, he refused to get in the car.
It took a lot of coaxing, but Dorothy eventually encouraged her son into the car, and they sat down in the waiting room, waiting to be seen. It felt like they were waiting for hours.
Distracting Him
When they sat down in the doctor's office, the doctor could see that Aiden didn't want to be there. But when he heard Dorothy's explanation of his strange behavior, he knew that he needed to take a closer look at the child. So, he distracted Aiden with a lollipop - and it worked! With the young boy distracted, the doctor was able to take a thorough look at him, to check for anything strange.
At first glance, the doctor couldn't see anything that troubled him. But he knew that appearances can be deceiving, so he decided to do some more thorough checks. Then, he looked at Dorothy with a strange look on his face.
Leaving the Office
Dorothy was concerned that the doctor would share some bad news, but it was, in fact, the opposite. He told the doting mom that he couldn't see anything wrong with Aiden and that he looked perfectly fit and healthy. Because of this, he simply brushed off Aiden's strange behavioral changes as childlike antics. But this didn't sit well with Dorothy, and she left the doctor's office very confused and upset.
She felt that she had no option but to go home and get on with her day. But on doctor's orders, she decided to keep an eye on Aiden for the next few days to see if anything untoward happened.
Watching Like a Hawk
Over the next few days, Dorothy watched her son like a hawk - but it didn't take Aiden long to fall back into bad habits. Like clockwork at 12:13 pm, he would pull at his pants and stare into them. And while she tried to ask her son why he was doing such a thing, it seemed as though his actions transfixed him. He would stand there for a full thirty minutes and stare.
Dorothy knew that she was missing something, but what? Why was her son acting so strangely at the same time every single day? It just didn't make sense to either Dorothy or Michael.
Doing Some Research
The more she looked at her son, the more Dorothy just didn't understand what was going on. So, she knew that she needed a break from looking at her son and decided to look at some books instead. She wanted to research what was happening with Aiden and see whether old parenting books would shed some light on what his strange behavior meant and what she could do to help him.
After reading countless books, Dorothy finally had some clarity. The words on the page made sense to her, and put the puzzle pieces together, but not in the way she imagined they would.
Just Not Normal
However, Dorothy hadn't read anything about her son's strange actions in the books. She couldn't find a single thing that linked his bizarre behavior to anything else, which made her come to the terrifying conclusion that her son just wasn't normal. She believed that she would have to accept his strange quirk, and simply live with what he was doing in order for them all to get on with their lives in peace.
But just as she was resigning herself to a life of pant-staring, Dorothy's phone started to ring. And as soon as she saw that it was Aiden's doctor, she answered immediately.
Calling Him Back
As the doctor spoke to Dorothy, she could sense a tentative nature to his voice. He told Dorothy that he had found something in regard to Aiden's case and that he wanted to see Aiden back in his office as soon as possible. Of course, Dorothy did everything she could to be seen straight away and was able to book an appointment for the next day. But she was worried, as the doctor sounded strange on the phone.
At the back of her mind, Dorothy wondered whether the doctor had found the cause of her son's strange behavior. But she didn't want to get her hopes up too much.
The Longest Wait
When Dorothy put the phone down, she was both relieved and scared. On the one hand, she wanted the doctor to give her all of the answers and explain how they could solve Aiden's strange behavior. But on the other hand, she was worried about what the doctor had to say. Was something seriously wrong with her son? Would it be a lifelong battle? Would they even be able to work through it?
Waiting almost 24 hours was agony for Dorothy, but she knew that she had to stay strong for her son. Especially as a big bombshell was about to be dropped on their lives.
A Very Specific Time
What was intriguing to Dorothy was the fact that Aiden's doctor had insisted that she turn up at his office for a noon appointment. This didn't suit their schedule very well, but he was insistent and maintained that there was a very important reason why he wanted to see them at noon. So, Dorothy had agreed and she made her way to the doctor's office with her son for that time the next day.
In her eyes, this very specific time didn't mean too much to her. Perhaps he had a full day and could only fit them in at lunchtime? But soon enough she realized why he insisted on such a time.
Waiting for the Clock
When Dorothy and Aiden finally made their way into the doctor's office, they explained the usual pleasantries for a little while. And while Dorothy was eager to hear what he had to say, Dorothy could see that he wasn't really interested in anything that she was saying or doing. Instead, he seemed deep in thought as he looked directly at Aiden, seemingly waiting for something to happen. Then, it clicked.
Dorothy realized that the doctor had planned their noon appointment so that he could be there to see what happened at precisely 12:13 pm. But she was worried. Would Aiden do it?
Acting Totally Normal
The clock ticked, and both Dorothy and the doctor waited for 12:13 pm to see what Aiden would do. After seeing the same actions from her son for the past few months, she was convinced that Aiden would stand up, pull at his pants, and then stare into them. But when the time finally came around, she was astounded to see that he acted totally normal. He didn't pull at his pants in the slightest.
Dorothy just didn't know what to think, but she was even more surprised to see that the doctor was smiling a knowing smile. He then got up and did something that made her raise her eyebrows.
Turning the Radio on
The doctor walked over to the other side of the room and turned an old-style radio on. He then turned to her, raised his own eyebrows, and asked her what station she normally listened to while she was at home. Confused, Dorothy told him - and before too long, they were listening to familiar music that Dorthy enjoyed listening to on a daily basis. Then, the doctor took his seat again.
Aiden's mom didn't know what was going on. What was the purpose of the radio? What was the doctor doing? But within seconds, it became very clear what the doctor was doing.
Back to Bad Habits
Within seconds of the radio being turned on, Aiden went back to bad habits. He immediately jumped out of his chair, pulled at his pants, and started staring at them. Dorothy couldn't has been any more confused if she had tried. Obviously, there was some kind of connection between her son's strange behavior and the radio, but what was that connection? It just didn't make any sense, and she didn't know what to make of it.
As Dorothy looked at the doctor, she could see that his smile had grown wider. He knew exactly what was happening, and he was about to put the concerned mother out of her misery.
Dancing Along
The doctor confirmed that Aiden was not ill or acting strangely in any way. Instead, he was just trying to dance along to the music! He explained that as he was still so young, he still didn't understand the concept of dancing or how to do it. So, he did his own version of dancing instead - and it just so happened that it looked very bizarre to all of those who watched.
The doctor also explained that Aiden would grow out of it if he had the chance to express himself further, so Dorothy made a vow to enrol her son in dance classes. Amazingly, it worked!