“She had spent weeks planning the perfect Christmas Eve—only for her husband to leave her and the kids at home to celebrate at his office party. But when another wife’s call revealed the truth, she decided it was time for a surprise visit he’d never forget.”

The Christmas lights twinkled as I adjusted the silver star on top of our tree for the hundredth time. I wanted everything to be perfect—because that’s the kind of mom and wife I was. The kind who believed in magic, tradition, and family.

I stepped back to admire my work, nearly tripping over the train set Michael had insisted on setting up last weekend. That had been a good day—one of his rare moments of being fully present with us.

“Mommy, Mommy! Look at my twirl!” Daisy spun in her sparkly princess dress, her blonde curls bouncing with each turn. She was pure magic, my little girl. The sequins on her dress caught the Christmas lights, casting tiny dancing rainbows on the walls.

“Beautiful, sweetheart! You look just like Cinderella!” I reached out to steady her as she wobbled, dizzy from spinning. “Maybe even prettier.”

“Does Cinderella have a sword?” she asked, eyeing her brother’s plastic cutlass with envy.

“Arrrr!” Max charged through the living room, his sword raised high, the eye patch I’d painted on his face slightly smudged from his afternoon nap. “I’m gonna get all the presents from Santa’s ship!”

I laughed, catching him mid-stride and inhaling the sweet baby shampoo smell of his hair. “Easy there, Captain Max. We don’t want to knock over the tree before Daddy gets home.”

“When’s Daddy coming?” Max’s lower lip trembled. He’d been asking every twenty minutes since breakfast.....