I dont want to go to Dads Aunt Lily said he doesnt love me anymore. Michael hugged his knees and buried his face in them, curled up on the bed.
Emma stood frozen. The room looked just as it always didhis crumpled pyjamas with little cars printed on them, the rucksack stuffed with toys in the corner, his coat slung over the chair. Everything was painfully familiar, warm, inviting. Except her boy wasnt tearing through the house like a whirlwind. Instead, he was hunched in on himself, small and broken.
Today was meant to be his day with his father, but now he was begging to stay home. If she really thought about it, shed noticed his enthusiasm for these visits fading lately. Shed tried to reassure him, but then Michael had blurted it outLily, Daniels new girlfriend, had been cruel to him.
Michael Emma knelt carefully beside him. Tell me what happened.
He was silent. Then he lifted his head just enough to peer up at her. For a moment, he didnt look like a five-year-old. In his eyes was a weariness, a sorrow too heavy for a childthe kind no one would believe.
I was just playing She got angry because the toy was loud. That robot. Remember? She took it and said Dad was going to have another kid now. That hed forget me. And thathe let out a shaky breathI was in the way. And if I told anyone, theyd think I was lying. Because Aunt Lily would say it wasnt true. And shes a grown-up. Theyd believe her.
His words came in broken whispers, thick with tears. Inside Emma, fury, fear, and guilt twisted together, a knot of rage tightening in her throat. Michael turned away, picking at the bedsheet with his fingernail. She reached for his hand.
I believe you. Know why? Because you never lie. Unless its about where youve hidden the sweets.
He snorted but didnt smile.
Dad chose her over me.
Dad just doesnt know the truth, Emma said, forcing steel into her voice. But hell understand. He has to.
Later, after tucking Michael in, she brewed a cup of tea. In the quiet of the night, she remembered the first time shed met Lilyif you could even call it meeting.
A year ago, an anonymous message had popped up on her phone: *”Good evening! I wont introduce myself, just know I mean well. If youd like to know where your husband spends his evenings, be at The Oak Table on High Street this Monday at seven. Table by the window.”*
Back then, shed wondered who lurked behind the mask of the “well-wisher.” Now she knewLily. A well-wisher who reeked of rot.
That night, Emma had seen everything. Daniel, sitting across from Lily. Their hands on the table, fingers entwined. A kiss on the cheek. Hed mumbled something about a business meeting, an old friend, then”nothing serious.” But Emma wasnt prepared to forgive betrayal.
They divorced. But Michael stayed. So did Lily, who didnt wait long before becoming Daniels soon-to-be wife.
Her image was flawlesspolite, sickeningly sweet, brilliant with children. She even gave Michael gifts at Christmas. Puzzles, dinosaur sets, oncea giant plush frog.
But those presents werent for him. They were for Daniel. Lily wasnt fighting for a childs loveshe was fighting for a mans attention. Her kindness was a tool, her smile bait. And now, with her patience wearing thin and a baby of her own on the way, Lily had dropped the act.
Her only mistake? Emma could walk away from a man. But never from her son.
A to-do list hung on the fridge, but Emma didnt care. She had one last task tonight. The most important one.
She stared at her phone a long moment before pressing call. The ringing felt endless. When Daniel answered, irritation sharpened his voice. It was late.
Something urgent?
Urgent. We need to talk. About Michael.
She heard his breath catch. Even over the phone, she felt him tense.
Whats wrong? Is he hurt?
No. He doesnt want to come over anymore. Says Lilys been saying horrible things. That you dont love him. That youll have another child and forget him.
Silence. Then Daniel spoke, clipped and defensive, as if *he* were the one being accused.
Emma, dont be ridiculous! You honestly expect me to believe that? Here we go againtrying to worm your way into my life by using him!
Im not starting anything. Im his *mother*. And I listen. You clearly dont. Her voice was ice. He was scared to tell you. Seems he was right to be.
Youre using him! he snapped. You want to keep him from us. Make me feel guilty, chase after you. Youre impossible, Emma. Absolutely impossible.
She bit back her first response, afraid the conversation would spiral. Her pulse hammered in her temples.
There he wasDaniel. Not the worst father, but still stuck in the same old habits, convinced the world was against him. He could be gentle with Michael, yes. But when it came to Lily, his brain shut down.
Michael reached for a stuffed bear on the shelf, and for the first time in years, Emma and Daniel shared a looka silent understanding that, no matter what, their love for him would always bind them.
