Every Night My Daughter Says ‘There’s Someone on the Roof,’ and When I Realized What Happens, My Heart Was Broken Into Pieces

At the start of October, my 10-year-old daughter and I moved into a small rental house. It’s a single-story house with a tiny attic used only for storage—definitely not a place where anyone could live. I rented this house because it’s close to my daughter’s school, making drop-offs and pick-ups more convenient. Once I save up enough money, I plan to rent a larger place.

When we first moved in, my daughter seemed excited about the house. It was small but tidy, and she even had her own little bedroom while I slept in the living room. However, about a month after we settled in, she began to express her discomfort, telling me she didn’t want to live there anymore. After some coaxing, she finally confessed:

“Mom, there’s someone in the attic. I’m scared.”

I brushed it off, trying to reassure her.

“There’s no one up there, sweetheart. It’s just the two of us here. Don’t worry.”

“But there really is, Mom! They keep peeking down at me. I’m really scared.”

I didn’t take her words seriously. I had thoroughly inspected the attic before renting the house—it was clean, and I had stored a few items up there myself. Besides, there’s no staircase to the attic; I’d need to use a ladder to access it. With the house securely locked whenever we’re out, there’s no way anyone could sneak in.

Escalating Fears

Despite my reassurances, my daughter continued to bring up the “person in the attic” in the following days.

“Mom, I really saw someone up there! At night, when I go to get a drink of water, they’re watching me. Please, can we move somewhere else?”

To calm her fears, I decided to take a ladder and check the attic again. As expected, there was nothing—no one hiding, no signs of disturbance. To ease her mind further, I even installed a surveillance camera to monitor the attic. The recordings showed absolutely nothing unusual.

Convinced the problem lay in my daughter’s imagination, I decided to dig deeper into her concerns.

The Truth Revealed

One evening, I sat her down for a serious conversation.

“Sweetheart, I’ve checked the attic, and there’s no one there. Look, here’s the footage from the camera—everything is fine. You don’t need to worry anymore. Once I save up enough money, we’ll move to a different house, okay?”

“Can we move now, Mom? I don’t want to live here anymore.”

“We can’t move right away. I don’t have enough money, and I already paid six months’ rent for this place. We’ll have to wait.”

“Then why don’t we go back to our old house with Dad? That way, we won’t have to pay rent, and we can be with him.”

Her words stopped me in my tracks.

“Is that why you made up the story about someone in the attic?”

She hesitated, then nodded, tears welling in her eyes.

“Yes, Mom. I lied because I don’t want you and Dad to live apart. I want us to be happy together like before. This house has a room for me, but it doesn’t feel warm like our old home. And it doesn’t have Dad.”

I hugged her tightly as she sobbed.

“Why can’t we just live together again, Mom? I’ll tell Dad to leave his girlfriend and love you like before. Please, Mom, don’t get a divorce. I want to live with both of you in our old house, not in any other place.”

Her heartfelt plea broke me. I finally understood why she had fabricated the story—it was her way of expressing her longing for the family life we once had. My heart ached for her, but reconciliation with her father seemed impossible.

The Impact of Separation on Children

No one suffers more from parental separation than the children. Losing the sense of a complete family can rob them of emotional security, leading to feelings of instability and sadness. Many children blame themselves for their parents’ split, believing they are at fault. The absence of one parent can affect their psychological development, leaving lasting scars.

As a mother, I’m deeply torn. I want to protect my daughter from pain, but I also know that staying in a broken marriage is not the answer. For now, I’m left searching for the best way to help her heal and adjust to our new reality.