Chapter 3
After packing up our things, Lucian and I headed home.
On the way, he asked me,
“Mom, do you think Uncle Damien could come to the parent meeting tonight?”
We’d been married seven years.
Not once had Damien ever come to a single parent–teacher night.
But looking into Lucian’s hopeful eyes,
I couldn’t say no.
So I sent Damien a text.
[Lucian has a parent meeting tonight. Any chance you can come?]
Just like always–no response.
Lucian lowered his head, hugging his backpack.
“He doesn’t want to come, does he?”
Then he forced a small smile and added,
“It’s okay. He’s probably busy. I get it.”
Hearing him say that, so grown–up for his age,
my chest felt like it was being crushed by a ten–ton weight.
Just as I was about to respond,
my phone buzzed.
It was Damien.
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[I’m free. I’ll be there.]
Joy surged through me.
I could barely wait to show Lucian the message.
“Lucian, look! Your dad said he’s coming!”
He froze for a second,
then broke out into the biggest grin I’d seen in ages.
In seven years of marriage,
this would be the first time Damien showed up for our son.
With his promise, Lucian was buzzing with excitement the whole way home.
He chattered nonstop about how his teachers praised him,
how many A’s he got this semester,
how many award certificates he’d collected.
Then he said he’d just been elected class president,
and the teacher was going to announce it tonight at the meeting.
“Mom,” he asked me, eyes shining,
“If Dad knows how good I’ve been doing in school…
do you think he’ll like me more?”
I froze, my heart aching all over again.
I prayed silently–please, Damien, don’t back out tonight.
Just this once,
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let Lucian feel like he matters.
Even if we’re only fooling ourselves.
The clock on the wall kept ticking.
The meeting was about to start.
But Damien still hadn’t shown up.
Then I saw it.
Isolde had just posted to her Instagram story.
A photo of Damien sitting next to a boy I didn’t recognize,
teaching him how to build a LEGO set–piece by piece.
The caption read:
“Future Superdad”
I turned toward the living room.
My son also seven–was quietly playing with his own LEGOS.
Same toys.
Same age.
Same need for love.
But he’d never had Damien by his side,
Not once.
Sensing my gaze, Lucian looked up and asked gently,
“Mom… is Dad busy again?”
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Chapter 3
I stared into his eyes,
unable to say what I knew.
That Damien wasn’t working.
He was playing dad to someone else’s kid.
So like always,
I pulled Lucian into my arms and whispered,
“It’s okay, sweetheart.
You still have me.
And I’ll always be here.”
He didn’t ask again.
But his eyes turned red.
On the drive to school,
her of us said a word about Damien.
was like he’d never promised anything.
Like this little family had always just been the two of us.
Damien,
you’re down to one last chance.
We parked the car.
I held Lucian’s hand as we walked into the school.
And the moment we stepped into the classroom-
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Chapter 3
we froze.
“Damien?”
“Dad?”
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