ADVERTISEMENT
When We Were Opening Christmas Gifts, My 5-Year-Old Shouted, “Yes! The Other Mom Kept Her Promise!”
He clutched what was inside and shouted at the top of his lungs, “YES! The other mom kept her promise! I knew she would!”
The words hung in the air, heavy and wrong.
“The other mom?” I repeated, forcing my voice to stay calm.
Simon nodded enthusiastically, still smiling. “Yeah! She said if I behaved really well, she’d make sure I got it for Christmas.”
I turned slowly toward my husband.
Mike wasn’t smiling.
The color drained from his face so quickly it startled me. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.
He hesitated, suddenly sensing the shift in the room. “Dad knows her,” he said. “She comes sometimes. She told me not to worry.”
Not to worry.
Those words echoed in my head.
