Chapter 7

After what felt like an eternity, Ethan nodded. "Alright." Callie smiled. Wiping away her tears, she ran over to the table and grabbed an invitation card for Ethan. "Here's the address and the time of the party. Don't be late," she reminded him. Ethan put away the invitation card and turned to leave. "Mom, Uncle Ethan said yes!" Callie ran over, skipping with excitement. "I heard him." Callie adored Ethan. Even a single word from him could keep her happy for hours. Before going to bed, she retrieved the teddy bear she had previously discarded and placed it next to her Lego car. Faith watched her daughter with deep concern. Would Ethan really show up? She would rather if he had simply turned down the invitation—better than letting Callie's hopes rise, only to be crushed again. … Ethan carried the invitation card on him when he met with Nicole. Daniel spotted it and burst into tears. "What's wrong?" Ethan and Nicole asked in unison. Daniel clutched the invitation card, sobbing. "Callie invited everyone in class except me!" "Stop crying. If she didn't invite you, it's probably because you bullied her. Apologize to her, and she'll invite you next time." Nicole hugged her son and glanced at Ethan. "No! I want to play with my classmates! I want to have my own party that day too! I want it, I want it!" Daniel wailed, burying his face in Nicole's arms, nearly crying himself breathless. "But it's not your birthday." "Then I don't want a birthday at all! Please, Mom, I just want to play with everyone!" "Daniel, be good. Stop crying." But Nicole couldn't console him—she started crying too. "Stop crying. I'll throw you a party," Ethan said, lifting him. "We'll do it on the same day. You can invite the whole class." "Really, Dad?" Daniel wiped his tears and looked at him in excitement. Ethan nodded. Daniel's face lit up instantly, and he threw his arms around Ethan, cheering. … Faith and Callie had no idea about Ethan's decision. They continued preparing for the birthday party. The day before, Faith had submitted Callie's school withdrawal application. After returning home, Callie kept glancing at the clock, eager for time to pass quickly. The closer it got to Callie's birthday, the more anxious Faith felt. She feared Ethan would disappoint Callie once again. That morning, she texted him, "The party starts at 5:00 pm. Don't be late." This time, he responded fast. "Okay." Faith glanced at Callie, who was playing on her tablet nearby, and let out a small sigh of relief. She wondered if she should reconsider leaving if Ethan really showed up to Callie's birthday party. … After lunch, Faith took Callie to the hotel, and they decorated the room together. "Mom, will Uncle Ethan really come?" Callie was starting to worry too, glancing out the window every now and then. Faith pulled up the message from that morning and showed it to her. "He will." Callie smiled and went back to playing with the balloons. When they were done with the decorations, Faith received a call from one of the parents. Their child had a last-minute conflict in schedule and couldn't make it to the party. She made small talk before hanging up; she hadn't expected more calls to follow. "Mom, is no one coming?" Callie had overheard and looked uneasy. Then, she smiled, forcing herself to sound cheerful. "It's okay. As long as Uncle Ethan comes, that's all I want. I just want to celebrate with you and Uncle Ethan." Faith's heart ached at how understanding Callie was. She opened her mouth to comfort Callie but couldn't find the words. She sent Ethan another message. This time, he didn't reply. … The party had started, but not a single classmate showed up. Faith glanced at her phone. Nicole had just posted on Instagram that she had thrown Daniel a "Back-to-School" party and invited the entire class. The photo was a group shot of all the kids and their parents, with Ethan standing in the center. "Thank you, Ethan, for organizing this party. You make Daniel so happy!" Faith's hands trembled. Her phone slipped and fell to the floor. He knew very well today was Callie's birthday. Callie picked up the phone and stared blankly at the photo. This time, she didn't cry. "Mom, let's eat." Callie set the phone on the table and pulled the cake toward her. "Mom, help me light the candles." Faith felt like she was suffocating from heartbreak. She lit the candles and turned off the lights. "I wish Uncle Ethan happiness forever. And I wish Mom and I would always be together." Faith could no longer hold back her tears when she heard the wishes. As the candle flickered out, she quickly wiped her face and forced a smile. "Eat up." "Mom, from now on, I only want to celebrate my birthday with you. Let's finish eating and leave." Callie took a bite of the cake before she finally broke down and started sobbing. Faith pulled her into her arms. "Callie, don't cry. I will take good care of you from now on." Ethan had run out of chances. She and Callie would never look back. That night, Faith and Callie packed their bags and left the villa. They booked the earliest flight to Averna. Before boarding, Faith sent Ethan one last message. "Ethan, I wish you happiness for the rest of your life." Then, she turned off her phone, took Callie's hand, and boarded the plane. From that moment on, they had nothing to do with him anymore.