It was smarter than that. It slid in quietly, like a cold draft under the frame of a closed door… easy to dismiss until suddenly you’re shivering and can’t remember when the chill started.
I kept waiting for the balance to come.
And then came that Wednesday. The day everything I’d been swallowing got said out loud, just not by me.
Ryan had taken the afternoon off, which was rare, and his dad, Tom, had come along to pick up Susie with us. The school was buzzing with flyers and glittery posters about “Donuts with Dad”, an annual event that made every child buzz like soda bubbles.
The high-pitched excitement and sugar-coated anticipation were loud and addictive.
We walked down the hallway toward her classroom, the three of us chatting about the weather and Tom’s recent fishing trip, when I heard Susie’s voice before I saw her.
It floated out from the classroom like music from a distant speaker. Sweet, familiar, and bright. My heart swelled.
“Are you excited to bring your dad to donuts, sweetheart?” Mrs.
Powell asked cheerfully.Continue reading…
