The Night Autumn Came

When I pushed open the gate, the backyard was buzzing with noise.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Kiss! Kiss!"

I stopped short and looked over.

Delia Fairbrook stood at the center of the crowd, kissing the man in her arms with deep affection. Calvin Reddick held a glass of wine nearby, smiling as though he could not have been happier for them.

Just then, my daughter, Poppy Wheeler, ran out of the house clutching a toy car, threw herself into the man's arms, and called out sweetly, "Papa!"

The laughter in the yard died at once.

Calvin was the first to notice me, and his face froze.

Delia looked over too, and her expression darkened instantly. She walked up to me and kept her voice low. "What are you doing here?"

I did not answer and only looked at her. "Am I not allowed to be here?"

The man looked at me and asked sternly, "I was about to ask you the same thing. Who are you?"

I had been with Delia for seven years, and our daughter was already five, yet he was asking me who I was.

I stared at Delia. "Who is he?"

She frowned and glanced around before answering. "Go home for now. I'll explain once I'm done here."

I asked again, "Who is he?"

Someone nearby immediately tried to smooth things over. "Simon! When did you get here?"

I looked over and recognized every face there. It turned out that everyone had known, and I was the only one who had been kept completely in the dark.

Calvin walked over and reached for my arm. "Simon, let's talk outside."

I shook him off. "You knew too?"

His hand froze in midair, and he could not bring himself to look at me. "Just hear me out. This really isn't what you think."

I let out a laugh, but my eyes stung.

I had been spending my days washing dishes in a restaurant kitchen and my nights hauling stock at a part-time job. Every winter, my hands cracked until they bled.

Afraid that debt collectors would show up at our door, I would count every cent—even the money for my daughter's formula. Delia had told me her business failed and that she owed a lot of money, and I had believed her.

On the other side of the yard, I spotted my parents and my sister.

Dad spoke first, his voice tight. "There are a lot of people here. Whatever this is, we can talk about it at home. Don't embarrass yourself."

I was stunned. "You knew too?"

Mom's face was stern. "Delia has her reasons. Don't you know what you look like right now, carrying on like this?"

My sister was even more impatient. "Simon, can you grow up a little? The Fairbrooks are finally back on their feet. Do you really have to make everyone look bad?"

I looked at them, and my throat felt choked shut.

At my lowest, Dad had taken 3,000 dollars from me, saying my sister needed a new phone. Mom had told me that a son who married into another family should stay out of his parents' business. Yet now they were standing in someone else's mansion, telling me not to embarrass myself.

Delia grabbed my wrist. "Enough. Come outside with me."

I tried to pull free but could not. "You owe me an explanation."

She stared at me and lowered her voice even further. "If you keep this up, you're the one who's going to get hurt."

In that instant, I went quiet. I had been lied to for so many years, yet standing there, even asking for one explanation made me feel like I was the one out of line.

The man had not heard any of this, but the look in his eyes said he had already figured everything out. He let out a soft sigh. "Sir, plenty of people try to latch onto my fiancée. You're the third one this month."

I turned to him. "And who are you supposed to be?"

His face went pale, and Delia immediately stepped in front of him, her voice full of warning. "Security! Get this lunatic out of here!"

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest.

My daughter shrank back and yelled at me fiercely, "I don't want you! I want Papa!"

I froze. I kept my voice as gentle as I could. "Poppy, come here."

"You're a bad man! You're trying to take me away!"

Out of nowhere, she flew into a rage. She charged at me, snatched the hearing aid from my ear, and stomped it to pieces.

My hand stayed frozen where it was. She was still shouting something, but I could no longer make it out. However, I could clearly see the looks on everyone's faces. It was as if they were all enjoying a show.