Chapter 9 - The Birthday Redo
Two months after the dark party that shattered our world, the estate grounds were once again filled with music, laughter, and guests.
But this time, there were no country club socialites, no phony politicians, and no manufactured drama.
It was Lily’s real ninth birthday party.
The lawn was decorated with bright pastel balloons, a giant bouncy castle, and a wooden craft station where fifteen of Lily’s school classmates were painting ceramic teacups.
The smell of wood-fired pizza and fresh lemonade drifted through the warm afternoon breeze.
Lily ran past me in a bright yellow summer dress, her cheeks rosy with excitement, her hand clutching a pink balloon. She stopped, wrapping her arms around my waist, burying her face in my hip.
"Thank you, Mommy!" she giggled, looking up at me with sparkling, happy eyes. "This is the best birthday party in the whole wide world!"
"You deserve the best birthday in the whole wide world, my sweet girl," I smiled, leaning down to kiss her nose. "Go play with your friends!"
As she darted back toward the bouncy castle, Thomas walked over, holding two cold glasses of iced tea. He handed one to me, looking out at the children playing.
"She looks completely healed, Victoria," Thomas said softly. "It’s a miracle considering what she went through."
"Children are resilient when they feel safe, Thomas," I replied, taking a sip of tea. "How is Mason doing?"
Thomas smiled faintly—a genuine, hopeful smile. "His therapist called yesterday. He expressed real remorse for the first time last week. He wrote a letter to Lily... apologizing for what he did. He asked if he could send it to her."
May you like
I paused, looking at my daughter’s happy face across the lawn. "When the therapist says he’s ready, he can send it. People can change if they want to, Thomas. Beatrice didn't want to. I hope Mason does."
"He will," Thomas promised. "I’ll make sure of it."
