Chương 5 - Nỗi Lo Âu Của Người Mẹ

mother yelled, “ just cleaned this floor!”

laughed so hard lean against counter.

People took pictures.

Dozens of .

Both boys were in every frame.

Cake on their faces.

Frosting in their hair.

mother holding .

Me holding other.

No cropped out.

No chose favorite.

phone buzzed on kitchen island.

notification from parenting app.

Ethan.

Happy birthday boys. Tell Dad loves . ’ll see tomorrow.

read it once.

Then turned phone facedown.

Not because wanted punish him.

His scheduled time tomorrow.

Tomorrow, he could show up and be their father within boundaries we built.

Today belonged us.

Owen grabbed sleeve with frosting-covered hand.

Noah banged his spoon against tray.

Mom complained that somebody going have repaint wall.

looked at sons.

year earlier, been lying in hospital bed while husband walked past crying baby reach other.

For months afterward, kept asking myself how missed what happening.

Eventually stopped asking.

Ethan’s deception belonged him.

What belonged me what did after saw it.

picked up Noah.

Then Owen demanded be held too, so somehow got both of balanced against me while they smeared frosting down shirt.

mother reached for her phone.

“Hold still.”

“ am holding thirty pounds of moving baby.”

“Smile.”

did.

She took picture.

Both boys were laughing.

So .