Chapter 2

The caption was one line.

"Tessa, mind if I borrow your ex tomorrow? You don't mind, right?"

I looked at it for a long time and typed two words.

"Go ahead."

Then I started pulling Graham's clothes out of the closet, one piece at a time.

Maisie's birthday cake sat out until 10 that night. One corner of the frosting had already slumped.

She leaned against the couch with the paper crown in her arms.

"Mom, can the candles wait a little longer?"

I lit them.

"No more waiting."

Her eyes filled.

"But Dad said this year he'd stay for the whole birthday song."

Last year Lydia had a fight with her ex, and Graham drove her out to the coast to cool off.

The year before, Lydia had a stomachache, so he pushed Maisie's daddy-daughter trip back.

The year before that, Maisie had only just started speaking in full sentences.

She sat there holding a cake fork until she fell asleep, and when Graham came in after midnight, all he said was, "Lydia almost did something to herself tonight."

Maisie was too little to understand then.

All she asked was, "Will Dad stay with me next year?"

Graham promised right away.

He never once made good on it.

I blew the candles out.

"Make a wish."

Maisie watched the smoke curl up where the flames had been, and then she took the paper crown off.

"I'm not going to.

"They never come true anyway."

My chest ached. I was reaching for her when the lock turned.

Graham was home.

His suit was rumpled and he reeked of liquor, and Lydia had him by the arm.

She took one look at the balloons and streamers and laughed out loud.

"Oh no. It really is Maisie's birthday today?

"Graham had too much and kept saying he needed to come get a ring. I figured he had the date wrong."

Maisie got up off the couch.

"Dad."

Graham rubbed his forehead. When he registered the cake, guilt crossed his face for half a second.

"Maisie. Dad'll make it up to you tomorrow."

Lydia acted like she hadn't heard him. She bent down, picked up the paper crown, and set it on her own head.

"Cute, right? I still need a flower girl for tomorrow.

"Maisie, want to throw petals for me?"

Maisie's face drained.

"No."

Lydia smiled and reached out to pinch her cheek.

"Don't be a sourpuss. Your dad's just walking me through a ceremony. It's not like he's leaving your mom."

Maisie jerked back and knocked the cake off the table.

Frosting went everywhere.

Graham's face darkened.

"Maisie Bennett. Who taught you to act like that?"

I stepped in front of her.

"She's had a fever all day and waited for you all day, and the first thing out of your mouth is yelling at her?"

Graham frowned.

"I said I'd make it up to her tomorrow.

"Lydia's wedding is a big deal. Her ex is going to be there. She can't look like she's got nobody."

I looked at him.

"You're spending your daughter's birthday making sure she looks good in front of her ex?"

Lydia teared up on cue.

"Tessa, don't put it like that. I was only teasing her.

"I'd never actually make your daughter do it. Look how much she hates me."

Graham's voice went soft immediately.

"Nobody hates you."

Then he turned to Maisie, and it went cold again.

"Apologize to Ms. Harper."

Maisie bit down on her lip, tears dropping one after another.

"I didn't do anything wrong."

Graham reached for her arm.

I knocked his hand away.

"Enough."

The room went quiet.

Graham stared at me like he didn't know who I was.

"Tessa. You're throwing out every standard you have just to take her side?"

I laughed.

"Standards?

"You brought another woman into your ex-wife's house and asked your daughter to be her flower girl, and you want to lecture me about how a child should be raised?"

His face turned ugly.

"Lydia and I have never crossed a line."