Chapter 06
Buttercup
Colin
I knew I wouldn’t be greeted with open arms. I wasn’t expecting a welcome cocktail or a warm smile waiting for me when I showed up at the door.
But the moment Mark opened it, grinning wide and telling me to come in because Cecily was in the kitchen, I should’ve taken it as a bad sign.
Even now, hours later, I can’t get the sound of her laughter out of my head. God, I can’t even remember the last time I made her laugh like that. A year ago? More?
And who the hell was on the other end of that call? Who was she talking to with that light in her voice… that warmth I’ve been starving for?
Mark called him their friend.
Cecily never used to have friends I didn’t know about. Now... she probably has a dozen. Men who looked at her with that same hunger—even when she belonged to me. Men who, if they ever get the chance, will be smart enough not to throw it all away the way I did.
I run a hand through my hair, still longer than usual, even after the cut I got right after Alicia’s comment about my hair and beard.
I couldn’t bring myself to cut it the way I used to, or shave the beard off completely. Keeping it this way felt like holding on to something new. A safer version of me.
I glance across the yard, trying to focus on anything else—like Ethan, sitting there typing on his phone, a small smile on his lips.
Ethan gave me the cold shoulder all afternoon.
Every time I tried to help, he made sure to be somewhere else.
If I was at the bar with Mark, he was busy with the chairs.
When I moved to the table to help Cecily with the plates, he’d head back to Mark.
Even with the decorations, he stayed on the complete opposite side of wherever I was.
Once the guests arrived, it became even easier for him to avoid me completely.
I feel eyes on me and turn just in time to catch Felicity, Mark, and Ceci glancing my way.
Are they laughing at me? Whispering that I’m getting exactly what I deserve? That maybe this is my punishment?
And maybe it is.
I look away.
The sound of kids laughing, water splashing, music playing. It all blurs together. Maybe I should just leave.
If I go now, they’ll enjoy the rest of the afternoon without the awkwardness of pretending I belong here.
“Mr. Colin,” one of Alicia’s friends calls out. I think her name is Melanie. “Can you take a picture of us? All of us together?”
“Of course,” I say, standing right away and walking toward the group of four boys and eight girls gathered by the pool.
They crowd closer, laughing and bumping shoulders. I take several photos with different phones, switching from one to the next as they hand them over.
When we’re done, Alicia steps forward and touches my arm. “Thanks.”
I smile and lean down to kiss her forehead.
“There’s nothing to thank me for, honey.”
She turns back to her friends, and I step away, giving them space.
My eyes wander around the backyard. It’s smaller than the one at the old house, but it feels warmer. The whole place does. Cozier. Every detail carries Ceci’s touch.
Even after all these years, she never lost that gift. The way she can take an ordinary space and turn it into something that feels like home.
Alicia didn’t want anything fancy, but Ceci made it beautiful anyway.
I take a breath, and the realization hits hard.
All those years. All those birthdays. I’d walk in just in time to shower before the guests arrived, or show up right alongside them. We always hired people to take care of things. Planners, decorators, catering teams. And I told myself that was love. That providing was enough.
But looking around now... watching her do it all—not because she had to, but because she wanted to—I see it.
Everything I missed and dismissed.
The truth is, it wasn’t just the parties I wasn’t there for. It was them. Her. All of it. And now I’m standing here, on the outside looking in, realizing too late how much of my family’s life happened while I wasn’t paying attention.
The pizzas arrive, and soon the air fills with the sound of laughter and the smell of melted cheese and tomato sauce. Everyone’s busy eating, voices overlapping.
I walk over to the bar, where Mark’s alone for once, wiping down the counter. “Mind if I make myself a tonic with lime?” I ask.
“I’ll make it for you,” he says quickly, already reaching for the bottle.
I keep my eyes on him the whole time, not because I doubt his skills, but because I know him.
The last time I let him pour me a drink without supervision, he spiked my brandy with chili just to “teach me not to show up late to my own house.” Back then, I’d cursed him under my breath and forced a laugh for the kids.
Now, the memory tightens something deep inside me.
Mark, annoying as he can be, has shown up for my family in all the ways I didn’t.
My gaze drifts to where Ceci is sitting with Felicity near the pool. She’s laughing, her smile lighting up her entire face.
Mark follows my line of sight, and for once, his voice loses the teasing edge. “You know,” he starts, “I always noticed how you couldn’t keep your hands off her. Years of marriage, and you never lost the need to touch her—her waist, her hand, her ring—just to remind the world she was yours.”
He leans his elbows on the counter. “Must be hell, standing here now, knowing you lost that right. Not even being able to talk to her unless it’s about the kids... or the weather.”
The words hit harder than he knows. I just stand there, keeping my mouth shut, leaning my weight on the counter as I watch the light shift across the backyard.
Even Mark goes quiet for once.
When it’s time to sing Happy Birthday, I move to stand behind Alicia’s friends, on the opposite side of the table. Cecily places the peach cake—Alicia’s favorite—right in the center, positioning the candles with the numbers one and three into the frosting.
Alicia stands in front of the cake with Ethan on one side and their mother on the other.
Cecily reaches for the lighter, but Alicia stops her. “Wait,” she says, scanning her friends gathered around.
When her eyes finally find mine, my heart kicks hard in my chest. She gives me a shy smile and gestures for me to come closer.
My hands clench, trying to hide the tremor. As I start moving, I catch Ethan shifting, stepping to stand closer to his mother. His jaw tightens, and he looks away.
I swallow the lump forming in my throat and take my place beside Alicia, where she asked me to be.
The song begins, laughter filling the gaps between the verses. She closes her eyes, makes a wish, and blows out the candles.
The first slice, of course, goes to Ceci. No one’s surprised. Then she cuts another piece, divides it into two smaller ones, and hands one to me and one to Ethan.
The third slice she gives to Khara and Sophia—her best friends—before moving to step away. I reach for her hand, careful not to startle her, and guide her a few steps back, just enough to give us privacy.
“I want you to know,” I say, my voice thick with emotion, “how proud I am of you. Of the beautiful, brilliant girl you’re becoming.”
My chest tightens. “No matter what’s happened... or what might happen... my love for you will never change. I love you, my little princess. I’ll always love you.”
I close my eyes and press a kiss to her forehead, keeping my lips there, long enough to feel her breath hitch. When I finally pull back, her eyes are glistening, her teeth pressed to her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.
My little girl is growing up. She’s strong, and she’s capable of smiling even after everything I broke. I’m the man who taught her what it means to hurt, when I should’ve been the one teaching her what it means to be loved.
“I’ll head out now,” I murmur. “Keep enjoying your party, okay?” She nods, blinking away the tears in her eyes.
“Thank you for letting me be part of your day,” I add softly. “And... thank your mom for me too.”
I kiss her forehead once more, then pick up my plate with the small slice of cake and start toward the house. Each step feels heavier, like I’m walking away from something I’ll never get back.
By the time I reach the nine steps leading up to the kitchen door, I hear Mark call out. I turn, already bracing myself, seeing him holding something.
“Here,” he says, handing me a small Polaroid. “No need to thank me. It’s for Alicia.”
Then he turns and walks away, leaving me standing there.
I look down at the photo. Alicia’s smiling, eyes closed, as I press a kiss to her forehead.
To anyone else, it looks perfect, a father and daughter caught in a tender snapshot.
But I know better. I know the truth behind it.
That we barely speak anymore. That I broke something sacred between us.
.. something I may never be able to fix.
A tear slips free before I can stop it. I wipe it away quickly and head inside.
In the car, I set the plate gently on the passenger seat. Then I start the engine and pull away from the driveway, leaving behind the sound of laughter coming from the backyard.
Alicia
It’s already night, and everyone’s gone home.
Mom’s in her office, sorting through some papers she said she’ll need tomorrow, and I’m wandering around the house looking for Ethan… because there’s one last birthday wish I need to make.
I find him outside, in the backyard. He’s sitting on the grass by the stairs, leaning back on the wall, his phone in his hands, typing fast with this tiny smile on his face.
I take off my shoes and sneak down the steps. When I’m close enough, I say, “Texting Da-li-la?”
“Damn, Alicia! You scared me.”
I giggle and plop down on the chair across from him. “What are you doing sitting out here in the dark, like a total weirdo?”
We talk over each other, me teasing, him blurting, “Who told you about Dalila?”
I shrug. “Sophia. She said that’s all anyone talks about on your side of the school.”
He sighs and slips his phone into his pocket.
“So, you two are... what?” I ask, leaning forward.