Chapter 2

We ate the barbecue in complete silence. Afterward, I took Owen straight inside.

Packed our bags.

Booked flights to my sister's place in Chicago.

While I was booking, Vanessa posted a photo on Facebook.

It was shot at her kitchen table. Aaron and Cody taping up a drawing of a family tree. Aaron's name was written in blue crayon right next to Cody's.

At the bottom, Vanessa's usual passive-aggressive caption:

"Biology doesn't lie. A true father's instinct will always pull him to where he's truly needed."

Before, a post like that would have made my blood boil.

Now, I watched Owen carefully placing his favorite team's jersey into a duffel bag. Only one thought echoed in my head:

None of it matters anymore.

I closed the app and booked two tickets. Tomorrow afternoon.

The payment went through just as Aaron walked in. He was holding a Red Velvet cake from an expensive bakery.

Owen and I both stared at it.

Owen absolutely hated Red Velvet. He despised the cream cheese frosting. He only ever ate plain chocolate cake. But Aaron loved Red Velvet. He bought his own favorite flavor for his son's birthday, completely forgetting Owen's preference.

Owen and I exchanged a look. The detachment in my son's eyes deepened.

Aaron walked in slowly, offering a tired smile. Then he saw the open suitcases. His expression faltered.

"Cody finally cried himself to sleep. On the way back, I stopped by the bakery. I got the good cake."

He paused, gesturing to the luggage. "What's all this? Are we donating old clothes?"

First I shook my head. Then I nodded. "Just clearing out space."

Two days left before my lawyer filed. I didn't want a confrontation.

Aaron exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders. He set the cake down.

"Look, I know I messed up the barbecue. But tomorrow is the championship game. I already got us tickets and cleared my entire schedule. I'll be in the stands right next to Owen for every single minute of it. How's that?"

He crouched in front of Owen. Deadly earnest. "I swear it on my life, buddy. My phone is staying in the car."

Owen's hands paused on his zipper. He looked at Aaron. Then at me.

Guarded. Like he was bracing for the inevitable disappointment.

I saw the bone-deep exhaustion in my eight-year-old's eyes. My heart ached.

"Okay," Owen mumbled.

Either way, it was the last time.

Owen didn't smile. He just grabbed his toothbrush and walked into the bathroom.

Once he was gone, I went back to packing. Aaron walked over, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Vivian, you have to talk to him. He can't keep calling me by my first name. It's disrespectful."

My pulse slowed to a calm, icy rhythm.

I raised my eyes. "He isn't disrespecting you, Aaron. He's protecting himself from you."

Aaron crouched down beside me. His voice turned desperate.

"I know how this looks. You think I'm replacing Owen with Cody."

"But you have to understand my position. Cody is my DNA, and he has nothing. No dad, no money, no security. Owen has you. He has a beautiful home. He's safe."

He took my hand, squeezing it tight.

"Just give me a little more time to get Vanessa and Cody settled. Once they are stable, I'll step back. I promise I won't let you or Owen feel like an afterthought."

I stared at him, stunned by the sheer depth of his delusion. He truly believed Owen's emotional stability was a resource he could siphon off to give to someone else.

I turned his words over. I said nothing for a long moment.

Then I made up my mind to tell him about the divorce.

"Aaron, actually..."

"Oh, shoot, I almost forgot," Aaron interrupted, standing up quickly. "That vintage model train set you bought Owen last Christmas. Where is it? The attic? Vanessa mentioned Cody is obsessed with trains right now, and he's been begging for one. I'm just gonna let him borrow it for a few days to cheer him up."

Aaron went to the hallway closet. Pulled out the heavy box. Grabbed his coat. Headed out.

The front door banged shut.

Right. Every apology was just a down payment for the next betrayal.

The Red Velvet cake was just currency to buy Owen's train.

Owen came out of the bathroom and stopped in the hallway, staring at the open closet where the train box had been.

"Did Aaron take my train to Cody?"

I didn't answer.

He looked at the suitcases stacked by the door. "He can keep it. We won't be here when he brings it back."