“Please come. Christy’s doing a haunted maze. Ava says I’ll cry, but I won’t.”
“Mom?” Ava asked from the doorway. “Was that Dad?”
“Yep.”
“Are you coming to our Halloween party?”
Ben, her younger brother, appeared in a pirate hat.
“Please come. Christy’s doing a haunted maze. Ava says I’ll cry, but I won’t.”
Jason and Christy had bought the place that fall.
“You cried when the toaster popped,” Ava said.
“It surprised me!”
They both looked at me.
“Of course I’ll come,” I said.
They cheered. I dreaded entering Jason’s new house.
Jason and Christy had bought the place that fall. Ava and Ben couldn’t stop talking about their new bedrooms.
I ignored the jabs for the kids’ sake.
Christy had a son I’d never met. They still lived near his school until the renovations were finished.
Jason sent renovation photos. Christy once suggested removing my wrinkles so someone might notice me.
I ignored the jabs for the kids’ sake.
Still, I dreaded arriving alone. Then I realized I didn’t have to.
Two days later, my friend Nina arrived with candy and a suggestion.
“We knew each other in college and reconnected recently.”
“Bring a date,” she said.
“From where? The produce aisle?”
Nina glanced at my phone when it buzzed.
“Who’s Daniel?”
“An old friend. We knew each other in college and reconnected recently.”
“He’s single?”
Neither of us liked discussing our exes, and I’d never asked her name.
“Yes.”
“Then ask him.”
I nearly spilled my tea.
Daniel and I talked about books and starting over. Sometimes we met for coffee. He listened without trying to fix things.
He had a son, Oliver, and a difficult divorce behind him. He picked Oliver up from school, but his ex-wife disputed visits.
Neither of us liked discussing our exes, and I’d never asked her name.
“Can I ask you something ridiculous?”
“I don’t want to drag him into this,” I said.
“Let him decide.”
That evening, I called him.
“Can I ask you something ridiculous?”
“Depends. Does it involve moving furniture?”
“Worse. A Halloween party.”
“You’re asking me to pretend we’re dating?”
I said my ex, Jason, had challenged me to show up alone. I didn’t mention Christy.
Daniel was quiet.
“You’re asking me to pretend we’re dating?”
“Just for one night.”
“Actually, it sounds entertaining.”
“Really?”
Jason called again to remind me about the party.
“Oliver talked me into buying a costume.”
“Are you sure?”
“Completely. I’ll pick you up at six.”
He refused to tell me his costume.
Jason called again to remind me about the party, sounding almost disappointed that I still hadn’t backed out.
Ben ran into the room with his pirate sword.
On Halloween afternoon, Ava helped me with my costume. I wore a fitted black dress, boots, and a velvet cape. She drew tiny stars near my eyes.
“You look like a queen,” she said.
“A witch, actually.”
“A queen witch.”
Ben ran into the room with his pirate sword.
Daniel stood outside wearing a dark suit, gloves, and a silver mask that covered most of his face.
“Can you make Dad walk the plank?”
“Not tonight, honey.”
Jason picked up the kids at five. We’d agreed I’d bring them home after the party. An hour later, my doorbell rang.
Daniel stood outside wearing a dark suit, gloves, and a silver mask that covered most of his face.
“Who are you supposed to be?” I asked.
“A mysterious guest.”
Daniel reached for my hand before we entered.
“Very specific.”
He offered me his arm.
“You look wonderful, by the way.”
It was such a simple, yet unexpected compliment that it completely threw me off-guard.
At the party, the driveway was crowded with cars. Music drifted from the backyard. Paper bats covered the windows.
Daniel reached for my hand before we entered.
She hugged me, then studied Daniel’s mask.
“Still comfortable with this?”
“Ask me again in ten minutes.”
We walked inside.
Ava spotted us first.
“Mom! You came!”
She hugged me, then studied Daniel’s mask.
For five minutes, everything was lovely.
“Cool costume.”
“Thank you,” he said.
Ben challenged him to a sword fight and immediately declared victory.
For five minutes, everything was lovely.
Then Jason spotted us and came over with Christy on his arm.
He looked me over.
She only used my name like that when she wanted an audience.
“Well, that’s unexpected.”
“Happy Halloween, Jason.”
Christy’s smile tightened.
“Nice dress, Sarah. Very brave.”
She only used my name like that when she wanted an audience.
“You expect me to believe that? No man would ever date someone like you.”
As they approached, Daniel’s hand briefly stiffened around mine. I thought he was reacting to Jason’s expression.
Jason noticed Daniel holding my hand.
“Wait. What is this? Your boyfriend?”
I nodded uncertainly.
Jason laughed.
“Oh, please. You expect me to believe that? No man would ever date someone like you. What, did you pay him?”
Daniel smiled faintly and lifted his mask.
A few guests turned toward us.
My face burned. I felt the familiar urge to shrink, apologize, and make everyone comfortable.
Daniel squeezed my hand.
“That’s an interesting way to greet the mother of your children.”
Jason frowned.
“Who are you?”
“No… No, this can’t be happening! Not you!”
Daniel smiled faintly and lifted his mask.
“Well, hello, Jason.”
Jason’s eyes darted from Daniel to Christy, then back to me. His laughter died, and he stumbled backward, nearly knocking into the punch table.
Christy’s face went white. Her plastic cup slipped from her hand.
“No… No, this can’t be happening! Not you!”
Christy grabbed Jason’s sleeve.
I couldn’t help smiling. For once, Jason was speechless.
Then I looked at Daniel.
Why did they both recognize him?
Christy grabbed Jason’s sleeve.
“You need to leave.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What are you doing with Sarah?”
“I didn’t know you’d be here, Christy.”
Jason shook his head, still staring at him.
“What are you doing with Sarah?”
“I came with her.”
Daniel’s gaze shifted toward the children playing in the next room.
“Oliver’s here tonight, isn’t he?”
Before I could ask what was happening, a boy dressed as an astronaut came racing around the corner.
Her eyes flashed.
“Don’t bring him into this.”
Before I could ask what was happening, a boy dressed as an astronaut came racing around the corner.
“Dad!”
Oliver threw himself at Daniel so hard they nearly fell over.
Daniel caught him.
“You came! Mom said you were working!”
“Hey, buddy.”
“You came! Mom said you were working!”
Christy moved toward them.
“Oliver, go play with your friends.”
“But Dad’s here!”
“I can see that.”
My smile quickly vanished.
Daniel crouched. “Great costume, buddy. Go play. We’ll talk soon.”
Oliver ran toward a vampire-costumed classmate. His friend’s mother stood beside the dessert table.
My smile quickly vanished.
Oliver’s mother and, coincidentally, Daniel’s ex-wife.
Christy.
I’d never expected Daniel to be her ex, since Daniel hadn’t mentioned her new relationship.
“I should’ve warned you, but Jason started insulting you.”
Daniel leaned toward me.
“I recognized Christy when she approached,” he whispered. “I should’ve warned you, but Jason started insulting you. I wasn’t hiding behind a mask.”
“You didn’t know she was with Jason?”
“Not until I saw them together. She and Oliver still live near his school. I’d never been here.”
He seemed as shocked as I was.
“She told me you walked out on them.”
Jason stared. “Christy showed me photos of you with Oliver.”
Daniel said nothing.
“She told me you walked out on them.”
“I didn’t abandon my son.”
Christy stepped forward.
“Don’t start telling lies in front of my friends.”
We walked toward the children, leaving Jason and Christy beside the punch bowl.
Daniel glanced toward Oliver. “I’m not discussing this while he can hear.”
“Enough,” Christy snapped.
“This isn’t the place,” Daniel agreed. He turned to me. “I’m sorry, Sarah.”
“You don’t have to apologize.”
We walked toward the children, leaving Jason and Christy beside the punch bowl.
The party continued, although the mood had changed.
“Remember my science project?”
I helped Ava with a game while Ben tried to convince another child that his pirate sword was enchanted. Across the room, Oliver kept finding reasons to approach Daniel.
“Remember my science project?”
“I do.”
“I got an A!”
“I knew you would.”
“I wish you’d seen it at the school fair.”
Oliver beamed.
“I wish you’d seen it at the school fair.”
Daniel crouched beside him.
“I wanted to, buddy.”
Oliver frowned.
“Mom said you didn’t want to come.”
“Then why didn’t you come?”
Daniel glanced toward Christy, who was standing nearby.
“I did want to be there,” he said gently.
Oliver’s expression changed.
“Then why didn’t you come?”
Christy stepped forward.
“Oliver, that’s enough.”
“Your father is putting ideas in your head.”
“But you told me Dad didn’t want to see me there.”
Several parents near the dessert table turned.
“Your father is putting ideas in your head,” Christy snapped.
Daniel remained beside Oliver.
“I haven’t told him anything except that I wanted to attend.”
Oliver looked from one parent to the other.
I wasn’t letting another evening turn into something the children felt responsible for fixing.
“I don’t understand.”
I noticed Ava standing in the doorway, watching the adults instead of the game she’d been playing. It was the same anxious look I’d seen whenever Jason and I argued.
I wasn’t letting another evening turn into something the children felt responsible for fixing.
“Hey,” I said, crouching beside Oliver. “Ben needs someone brave enough to help him through the haunted maze. Want to give him a hand?”
Christy was still arguing with Daniel.
Oliver hesitated, then nodded.
I gathered Ava and Ben and took the three of them outside, where another parent was supervising the maze. Once they were occupied, I returned to the adults.
Christy was still arguing with Daniel.
“You have no right to come here and make me look bad!”
“I’m not trying to make you look bad,” he replied. “I’m asking why Oliver thinks I didn’t want to attend his fair.”
“You didn’t even try, according to Christy.”
Jason shook his head.
“You didn’t even try, according to Christy.”
Daniel took out his phone.
“I did. Here.”
He opened their message thread and held the screen toward Jason.
“Those messages don’t show everything!”
“I asked whether I could attend. Christy told me Oliver didn’t want me there. Then she canceled three visits in September and October and refused the dates I suggested to make them up.”
Jason scrolled through the messages.
“You told me he never asked to see Oliver.”
Christy reached toward the phone.
“Those messages don’t show everything!”
The mother of Oliver’s classmate, who had been standing by the dessert table, spoke up.
Jason moved it away.
“Then show me what I’m missing.”
She didn’t answer.
The mother of Oliver’s classmate, who had been standing by the dessert table, spoke up.
“Christy, you told us Daniel refused to attend the fair.”
Christy turned toward her.
Several guests who had been laughing with her earlier were now avoiding her eyes.
“I was protecting my son.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Telling Oliver I don’t want to see him isn’t protecting him.”
Nobody contradicted him.
Christy looked around the room. Several guests who had been laughing with her earlier were now avoiding her eyes.
Jason lowered the phone.
“You said he didn’t care about Oliver.”
“You lied to me about him.”
“Jason, please.”
“You said he didn’t care about Oliver.”
Christy glanced toward the guests.
“Can we not do this here?”
For a moment, I felt the old instinct to apologize.
Jason turned toward me, his face red. Whether it was from shame or outrage, I couldn’t tell.
“You brought him here to humiliate us, didn’t you?”
For a moment, I felt the old instinct to apologize, to explain myself until he stopped looking angry.
Then I remembered Ava watching the adults’ faces, and I recalled how Jason had always looked for someone else to shift the blame to.
“No, Jason. I came because our children wanted me here.”
“You made fun of me for coming alone.”
He opened his mouth, but I continued.
“You made fun of me for coming alone, then you mocked how I looked when I arrived with someone. And now, after all that, you think I’m here for some petty revenge?”
A few guests looked toward Jason.
“I don’t need your approval to attend my children’s party, and I won’t apologize for moving on. Who it’s with is non of your business, you selfish man.”
Jason stared at me.
“The children haven’t done anything wrong. Let them finish Halloween.”
This time, I didn’t look away.
Christy clapped her hands.
“Party’s over. Everybody out.”
“No,” I said. “The children haven’t done anything wrong. Let them finish Halloween.”
Jason glanced toward the backyard, where the kids were laughing inside the maze.
“We’ll handle the missed visits through our lawyers and the parenting coordinator.”
“They can finish the last game,” he said quietly.
Christy stared at him.
“You’re taking her side?”
“I’m thinking about the kids.”
Daniel put his phone away.
“We’ll handle the missed visits through our lawyers and the parenting coordinator,” he told Christy. “Not here.”
On the drive home, Ava asked why everyone had gotten so quiet.
She turned away.
The last game was awkward, but Ava won a bag of candy, and Ben proudly announced that he’d survived the haunted maze without crying.
When it ended, I gathered their things. Oliver hugged Daniel goodbye, already asking when they’d see each other again.
“We’ll talk soon, buddy,” Daniel promised.
On the drive home, my daughter asked why everyone had gotten so quiet.
“Is Daniel coming over again?”
“The grown-ups had a disagreement,” I told her. “But none of you did anything wrong.”
Ben leaned forward.
“Is Daniel coming over again?”
I looked at Daniel, who smiled without taking his eyes off the road.
“I hope so.”
Three weeks later, Daniel told me that both visits he’d arranged through the parenting coordinator had happened.
One evening, after dinner, he kissed me outside my door.
He and I were still seeing each other, too.
One evening, after dinner, he kissed me outside my door.
“So we’re a thing now?” he asked.
I smiled.
“I think it’s about time we both get to have a good relationship.”
