Chapter 1

"Julian, do you really have to go right now? Ethan is still waiting to eat his birthday cake with you."

My voice wasn't loud, yet it brought everything in the living room to a dead silence.

Julian stood by the entryway, one hand already resting on the door handle.

His phone screen was still glowing, Helena’s name flashing across it.

On the far end of the dining table sat seven-year-old Ethan, sitting quietly in front of his cake.

The seven candles had burned down to crooked trails of dried wax, and the frosting on the starry-night design had begun to sag.

He had been waiting since six o'clock this evening, all for the chance to celebrate his birthday with his dad.

And Julian had been home for less than ten minutes.

On the other end of the line, Helena was sobbing hysterically.

"Julian, Mason hasn't stopped crying since he fell off the horse. He won't let anyone touch him—he keeps crying out for you! I really don't know what to do on my own..."

Julian’s jaw tightened visibly.

He glanced at Ethan, then back down at his phone, the momentary hesitation in his eyes instantly overwhelmed by sheer panic and urgency.

"I’m on my way," he said into the mic.

"No, you're not," I blocked his path. "You promised Ethan you'd spend tonight with him. We haven't even cut the cake yet. Give him ten minutes. Just ten minutes, and then you can go wherever you want."

"Laura, stop making a scene right now," Julian hissed under his breath, his brow knotting deeper. "Mason is hurt. Helena can't handle this alone."

"Ethan has been waiting for you all day, too!" I pointed at the dining table. "He turns seven today, and you didn't even say Happy Birthday to him when you walked through that door."

Julian’s eyes finally landed on his son.

Ethan wasn't crying; he just sat there with both hands folded neatly on his knees.

Hearing my words, he lifted his head and asked tentatively, "Dad... can you stay and eat cake with Mommy and me before you leave?"

Julian’s throat worked as he swallowed hard.

A second later, however, another flurry of frantic sobs broke through the phone's speaker.

"Julian, Mason says his chest hurts. He’s so scared!"

Julian sidestepped immediately, trying to bypass me.

I grabbed his arm. "Mason has his mother. She can take him to the hospital."

"And Ethan has you." Julian’s tone turned ice-cold. "Mason needs someone to make him feel safe right now. You can't ask me to abandon an injured child over a piece of birthday cake."

"It’s not about the cake." I locked eyes with him, emphasizing every single word. "It’s about your son."

Julian went dead silent for two seconds.

Then, he pried my fingers off his arm, dropped to one knee, and hastily ruffled Ethan’s hair.

"Daddy will be back real soon. Happy birthday, Ethan. You and Mommy go ahead and eat the cake—don't wait up for me."

Ethan didn't nod.

Julian didn't wait for his answer either. He turned around and pulled the door open.

"Julian!" I rushed to the doorway after him.

He didn't turn back once.

The roar of the engine faded into the dark night shortly after.

Silence settled back over the living room, leaving only the steady ticking of the clock's second hand.

I turned around, intending to pull my son into my arms and comfort him, only to see him slide down from his chair and pick up the lacquered tin box on the table.

"Ethan..."

He didn't look at me, merely opening the lid to reveal four tokens left inside.

There used to be thirty-three tokens.

Ethan picked one out, gripping it tight in his palm, and turned to walk toward the backyard.

"Ethan? What are you doing with that, honey?" I asked softly.

He didn't answer.

I followed right behind him, step by step.

Under the shadow of the backyard oak tree, Ethan used a small garden trowel to dig a small hole in the dirt.

He dropped the token—the symbol of the love his father used to hold for him—into the dirt.

Then, he pushed the soil back over and stomped on it firmly with his little foot.

"Number thirty," Ethan whispered.

"Mommy." Ethan turned around to face me, his voice barely above a whisper, yet every word hit my chest like a heavy blow.

"Dad broke his promise again. He didn't even stay for my birthday."

I crouched down and kissed his cheek. I knew exactly what he was feeling.

"Let's go inside, Mommy," Ethan said, taking my icy hand in his. "We'll eat the cake ourselves. None for Dad."

Looking at his small silhouette, a profound sense of sorrow washed over me.

It turned out that every single time Julian broke a promise and abandoned him, Ethan had been keeping score all along.