One Party Game Proved I Don't Belong Here

At my son's birthday party, someone suggests playing Guess Who. My seven-year-old kid, Max Schofield, draws the card and goes first. "A person. He's old, ugly, and has a terrible temper." My wife, Louise Young, ponders briefly before adding, "And controlling. Being around him is suffocating." My mother-in-law, Elaine Horton, nods along. "He's got no class and always knows how to ruin the mood." I run through every possibility in my head. "Is it a villain from some TV show? Or one of our awful relatives?" Max bursts out laughing and exclaims, "Dad, you're so dumb! We're talking about you!" Everyone erupts in laughter, and I become the first one eliminated. The game moves on to the next round. Max draws another card. His eyes practically light up. "Also a person. He's good-looking and classy. Mom likes him and wants him to be my daddy." Immediately, everyone turns to look at Matthew Parker, who's sitting nearby. He's Louise's ex-boyfriend. The second he hears that, he can barely contain his excitement. That's when it belatedly hits me. His name is on the second card. Looking at the identical looks of approval on Louise and Elaine's faces, I suddenly find it all pointless. I've been Louise's husband for eight years, and Max's father for seven, yet it has taken me until this pathetic moment to realize that there has never been a place for me in this family. If that's the case, there's no point in forcing myself into a family that doesn't welcome me.