“Wow,” I said, thinking quickly.
“This is… a big surprise. You know what, sweetheart, do you want to play a game? Invite him over for dinner on Sunday. But don’t tell Mom. And don’t tell him I’m home. It’ll be fun, and our little secret.”
“A game?”
“Yes. But it has to be a secret, Mom can’t tell, okay?” I remembered her.
“Okay! I love games!”
I smiled and leaned over to kiss her head, but inside I was breaking down.
I went to work while she prepared her gear that morning. We had pancakes for breakfast. We went to the park. Lily got to choose the centerpiece for dinner at the supermarket—a crooked bouquet of sunflowers. When we got home, Jess was gone.
I told my wife that Lily and I would be out all day, doing something fun to celebrate this special day. I also told her I was going to call the babysitter and leave Lily with her while I visited my parents.
She knew to expect me back much later.
I took a deep breath, opened the door, and almost dropped the serving tray!
It was Adam.
He’d been my best friend since college. He was my best man, my fishing buddy, and my daughter’s “Uncle Adam.”
“Hey… man. Wow, I didn’t even know you were home. What a—what a surprise!”
“Danny?!” she said. “What are you doing—?”
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