Her Heart Left Our Home
It's Family Day at my daughter, Hannah Neel's, preschool, but my wife, Samantha Miller, says she has to work and tells both Hannah and me not to go.
Seeing the disappointment on Hannah's face breaks my heart, so I bring her to school anyway.
As soon as we step through the gates, I see Samantha. She's holding her childhood friend—Oscar Barnett's—hand, with a little boy clutching her other.
The three of them look like a perfect family, laughing and chatting, as if they belong together.
When Samantha sees us, her smile fades, and she lets go of Oscar's hand.
"Zach, it's not what you think. Oscar's raising his son alone. Today's his fifth birthday, and he just wanted to give him a little taste of a mother's love," she says quickly.
I study her for a moment, then kneel and gently take Hannah's hand in mine. "Sweetheart, say hello to the lady."