By: Lori Conway
As a mom, youโre never really โoff duty.โ Even if you pack your bags, head out of town, and tell yourself, โThis is going to be a fun, relaxing tripโ โ life has a way of following you. And for me, it seems like every single time I leave, something happens.
This trip was supposed to be different. I was in Nashville with Kale, celebrating his 21st birthday. But it wasnโt just a birthday โ it was a milestone. A last little getaway before he heads off to college, hours away. I had made a promise to myself to soak in every moment, to focus on him, to make this memory matter before we both step into this next chapter.
We had only just settled into the day when my phone buzzed with a message from Ella that made my stomach drop:
โApollo is missing.โ
Why It Wasnโt โJustโ a Missing Cat
If youโve been around our family, you know Apollo Sky isnโt just a cat. Heโs Lilyโs emotional support animal โ her shadow, her comfort, her healer. We got him for her after we lost Quintin, when her world (and ours) was full of grief and uncertainty. His name means โhealer,โ and every day since, heโs lived up to it.
So to read those words while I was hours awayโฆ my heart instantly sank. My mind went straight to Lily โ her tear-stained cheeks, her panicked voice, her heart breaking in real time. The guilt washed over me like a wave.
Here I was, away with one child, celebrating something joyful, while another child at home was hurting deeply. I felt like I was failing them both in different ways.
The Great Escape
The details started coming in quickly. At 8:30 that morning, our Ring camera caught Apollo in the act โ slipping through the front door during the morning chaos. And to be fair, itโs been easy for him to find his moment lately. With all the construction happening at our house, doors are opening and closing constantly.
It only takes a few seconds, and Apollo saw his chance.
Thankfully, heโs AirTagged, so Ella immediately checked the location. The ping showed him just across the creek behind our house โ in a neighborโs yard. Ella, Lily, and Fisher went right over, knocked on the neighborโs door, and were met with kindness. The neighbor even helped them search. But the AirTag wouldnโt refresh past that first โlast seenโ time of 8:30 a.m., and Apollo was nowhere to be found.
The First Day of Searching
The rest of that day was spent searching high and low. The kids walked the neighborhood. They called his name. They checked every hiding spot they could think of. And as the day faded into evening, they kept hoping that maybe โ just maybe โ heโd wander home on his own.
He didnโt.
That night, I lay in bed in Nashville, my phone within armโs reach, unable to fully rest. Every time it buzzed, my heart leapt, hoping it was news that he was home.
Day Two
The next morning brought more action. Quintinโs mom went door-to-door asking neighbors if theyโd seen him. Ella posted in both our neighborhood and community Facebook pages, hoping someone might have spotted him.
And then there was Fisher.
Now, Fisher is not exactly what youโd call an โanimal lover.โ Heโs not mean to them, but theyโre not his thing. If you gave him a list of jobs to choose from, โsearch for a missing catโ would never make the cut. But he loves his sister more than anything. And seeing Lily so distraught was enough to send him out there โ combing yards, wading through tall grass, and calling for a cat heโd normally just give a casual head nod to in passing.
As a mom, I felt two things at once:
- The ache of guilt for not being there myself.
- And an overwhelming pride at seeing my kids rally for each other.
The Friends Who Showed Up
That afternoon, Ellaโs friends Ainsley and Haley came over to help. They searched for hours โ across yards, through the creek bed, in the woods behind our house.
Finally, the AirTag pinged again. They thought they were getting close, but it still wouldnโt connect well enough to make the AirTag beep. After another hour or two of searching, they went inside, exhausted and discouraged.
Thatโs when Haley realized she had left her keys outside.
Now, this might seem like a small detail, but itโs the reason the story turns here. Ella and Ainsley were both hot, tired, and a little frustrated. Theyโd been searching for hours. But they headed back outside with Haley to look for her keys.
The Meow
While they were outside, Ainsley froze.
โElla, do you hear that?โ
At first, she didnโt. But then, faint and far away, there it was โ a meow.
Ella called out, โApollo!โ and the meow came again, louder this time. She followed the sound toward the creek bed, her heart pounding. Each time she called his name, his cry grew more urgent.
The Discovery
The sound led her into the wooded area by the creek โ a place sheโs highly allergic to, but she didnโt hesitate for a second. She knew he was close.
Finally, she saw him.
Apollo was trapped in an old, unused wooden structure โ part hunting stand, part treehouse โ halfway across the creek on a neighborโs property. It was covered and clearly hadnโt been used in years. Somehow, he had gotten himself inside and couldnโt get out.
Ainsley snapped a photo and started recording as Ella carefully pulled him to safety.
The Reunion
Ella carried him home, and the moment Lily saw him, she lit up. She scooped him into her arms, holding him like she might never let go. Tears filled her eyes, relief washing over her.
Then came the phone call to me in Nashville โ a call Iโll never forget. I could hear the joy in their voices, the relief in their laughter. Apollo Sky was safe.
A Mamaโs Perspective
As I sat there miles away, the emotions of the last day hit me all at once.
I had felt the deep ache of being absent when my children needed me. I had felt the guilt of putting the weight of โholding down the fortโ on Ellaโs shoulders while I was gone. I had felt the helplessness of hearing Lily cry over the phone and not being able to wrap my arms around her.
But I had also felt pride โ the kind that fills you to the brim โ watching my children work together, each stepping into a role they donโt always take on.
Ella became the leader, determined to find her sisterโs best friend. Fisher, the non-animal person, turned into a dedicated cat tracker for the sake of his sister. Lily stayed strong enough to help search even when her heart was breaking.
It was hard. But it was beautiful too.
Gratitude
Iโm grateful for neighbors who welcomed my kids into their yards and helped them look. For friends who gave up their time to join the search. For a grandma who went door-to-door to bring Apollo home.
And most of all, Iโm grateful for the sound of a meow at just the right time.
Apolloโs adventure is over, and our hearts are full again. And while I hope he never pulls another stunt like that, I know that when life throws something unexpected our way, my kids will step up for each other โ no matter how uncomfortable, inconvenient, or out-of-their-element it might be.
That, to me, is the heart of family.
For those of you that want to watch the full story and rescue check out this story below!
