And through all of it, she kept something from me.
I had no idea.
By the twins’ first birthday, I had become good at surviving days I had once believed would destroy me.
I planned a small party at home.
There were blue and yellow balloons, paper plates with little stars, and a cake I had ordered because I had stopped pretending I could bake while chasing two toddlers.
Carol arrived early.
She helped tape decorations to the wall while Owen repeatedly pulled them down.
“He’s helping,” she said.
“He’s committing sabotage.”
Mia sat on the floor, chewing on a ribbon.
“Your granddaughter isn’t innocent either.”
Carol smiled.
“She never is.”
Soon, the apartment was full of relatives, friends, and neighbors.
The same neighbor who had knocked on the wall when Daniel learned I was pregnant looked at the twins and shook his head.
“I still remember their father yelling.”
