Chapter 1
Ten minutes before our daughter’s fifth-birthday movie was supposed to begin, I caught my husband replacing her video with a superhero film for his childhood sweetheart’s son.
“Put Rosie’s video back.”
Ethan kept one hand on the projection computer. Beside him stood Megan, the girl he had grown up with, and her six-year-old son, Caleb.
On the screen, the file I had spent three months editing was gone.
In its place was Captain Courage.
Caleb’s favorite movie.
Outside the booth, dozens of families waited in their cars beneath the Arizona night sky. A banner stretched across the concession stand:
HAPPY FIFTH BIRTHDAY, ROSIE.
My daughter believed her father was preparing the biggest screen in town just for her.
“Claire, lower your voice,” Ethan said.
“This is Rosie’s birthday.”
“I know what day it is.”
“Then why did you delete her video?”
“I didn’t delete it. I moved it.”
Megan rested a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. He stared at the floor, clutching a plastic superhero.
“His father promised to call tonight,” she explained. “He never did. Caleb thinks his dad doesn’t want him anymore.”
I looked at the little boy. None of this was his fault.
“I’m sorry he’s hurting,” I said. “I’ll arrange a special screening for him tomorrow.”
Megan’s mouth tightened. “It won’t help him tomorrow.”
“Neither will Rosie’s fifth birthday.”
Ethan sighed as if I were the difficult one.
“It’s one movie, Claire.”
“It’s the movie you promised our daughter.”
For three months, Rosie had collected photographs for her birthday video. She had practiced the exact moment she and Ethan would press the projection button together.
Now he was giving that moment to someone else’s child.
“Caleb needs this tonight,” Ethan said.
“And Rosie needs her father to keep one promise.”
Megan looked away.
“Rosie has both of you,” she said softly. “Caleb has had no one all week.”
As though having a father meant Rosie should be the one expected to surrender him.
I reached for the mouse.
Ethan caught my wrist.
“Stop making this ugly.”
“I’m trying to protect our daughter’s birthday.”
“Rosie is five.” His fingers loosened around my wrist. “She won’t even remember this.”
Paper stars scattered across the floor behind me.
Rosie stood in the doorway in her silver dress. A badge on her chest read:
TONIGHT’S LITTLE STAR.
She had heard him.
“Am I still the birthday girl?” she asked.
Ethan’s face changed, but he still did not restore her video.
“Of course you are, sweetheart. We’re just helping Caleb feel better.”
Rosie looked at the control panel.
“But Daddy and me were going to push the button.”
“We’ll do it another time.”
He held out his hand to Caleb.
That was the moment something inside me stopped defending him.
Caleb walked forward. Ethan bent beside him and showed him which button to press. Megan stood at Ethan’s shoulder, close enough that the three of them looked like a family waiting for their photograph.
Caleb pressed the button.
The giant screen lit up.
Car horns sounded across the theater. Families cheered as the superhero logo appeared beneath the desert sky.
They thought they were watching a birthday surprise.
They did not know they were watching my husband replace his own daughter.
Rosie did not cry. She simply stared at the screen that had been promised to her.
I lifted her into my arms and removed the star badge from her dress.
For months, I had told her Daddy was busy. Megan needed help. Next time would be different.
I had no excuse left.
Rosie buried her face against my neck.
“Mommy,” she whispered, “if Caleb doesn’t have a daddy, does that mean he gets to use mine?”