“When Dad gets here, can you give this to him? It’s from us kids.”
Clark glanced toward me before accepting it.
“Sure, Ethan. Whatever you need.”
I almost asked what was inside.
But Ethan disappeared before I could.
At that exact moment, the front gate opened.
Jordan walked in confidently with one hand resting against Percy’s back.
She wore a designer dress that probably cost more than I spent on groceries in a month.
Every conversation nearby softened.
“There she is,” Jordan called with a grin. “The birthday boy’s mother.”
I inhaled slowly.
Clark’s hand rested lightly against my back, grounding me.
“Jordan,” I said calmly. “Percy.”
Percy acknowledged me with a polite nod while casually surveying the backyard.
Then Jordan noticed Clark.
He looked him over once.
Then again.
Suddenly he laughed.
Loudly.
Cruelly.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said, wiping imaginary tears away. “Him? With you?”
“Jordan, please.”
“No, seriously.” He pointed toward Clark. “A man like this. Have you even looked at yourself in the mirror lately? Come on.”
Heat spread across my face.
Percy hid her smile behind her wine glass.
I wished the ground would swallow me.
Clark remained perfectly calm.
Without responding to the insult, he picked up Ethan’s wrapped gift from the table and extended it toward Jordan.
“Funny,” he said quietly. “You spent years judging people by their looks. Your children judged you by something much harder to fake.”
He held out the package.
Jordan’s laughter stopped instantly.
He stared at it.
“Go ahead,” Clark said. “Open it.”
Percy leaned closer.
Nearby conversations faded away.
Jordan accepted the gift with a smirk.
He tore away the wrapping and opened the box.
Immediately, every trace of color disappeared from his face.
His fingers tightened around the cardboard.
“What is this?”
He lifted out an old photograph.
Ethan riding proudly on his shoulders at a county fair years ago.
Then another.
Then a stack of homemade Father’s Day cards.
Bright crayon colors.
Finally came printed screenshots.
“Dad, are you coming to my game?”
“Dad, please answer.”
Month after month of unanswered messages.
At the bottom lay a folded note written by Ethan.
Jordan unfolded it.
Then he exploded.
“You put him up to this?” he shouted, spinning toward me. “You. You did this.”
“I didn’t,” I answered. “This wasn’t me, Jordan.”
Percy tugged gently on his sleeve.
“Jordan, just let it go. People are staring.”
“Shut up, Percy.”
She froze.
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Something changed behind her eyes.
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