After Juniper was born, I stopped caring about how close Gavin and Skylar were. I stopped playing the jealous wife, trying to manage his life and control their friendship. I only focused on one thing: locking down the money and the power. That’s why, at Junie's first birthday party, when my daughter wrapped her arms around his best friend's neck and called him 'Daddy,' the initial shock I felt was quickly replaced by something colder. Gavin’s face froze. He forcefully pulled our daughter away. “Daddy is right here, Junie-bug.” 1 The second Juniper was in Gavin’s arms, she started to cry. Tears fell in fat drops down her cheeks, as if she’d been given the world’s worst punishment. I stepped forward. “Give her to me.” Gavin hesitated, a flicker of wounded pride in his eyes. But he handed her over anyway. Skylar, his notorious childhood best friend, stood nearby and laughed, a loud, provocative sound. “Oh, man, look at that! She’s calling Adam Daddy?” “Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were the actual family unit.” Gavin’s face went dark immediately. I shifted Juniper to my hip, giving her a gentle bounce. I smiled—a brittle, challenging smile. “Didn’t you used to make Gavin call you ‘Daddy,’ Skylar?” “What, does that make you part of our family unit too?” Skylar’s laughter died in her throat. She shot me a look of feigned hurt, then intentionally pressed her body closer to Gavin’s side. “Vivian, what are you talking about? I was just kidding around.” “God, lighten up. You’re a mom now. Why are you still so petty?” Gavin frowned, his tone suddenly serious. “Stop making those jokes, Skylar.” “I’ve told you a hundred times, Vivian, Skylar and I are just friends. We’re like brothers.” He softened his expression instantly, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and kissing my temple. “Still so much fire, even as a mother.” “Come on, don’t be mad. How about I take you to pick out that diamond tennis bracelet you wanted?” I didn't pull away. But Gavin had forgotten one thing. I hadn’t been angry, or jealous, for a very long time. Leaning into Gavin’s embrace, I threw a final, barbed glance at Skylar. “Fine. Sorry, Skylar. Mommy was just kidding, too.” “Don’t be so sensitive.” Her face, watching us, was contorted with suppressed rage. 2 The next day, Gavin did take me to the jeweler. I made sure to pick out the most expensive diamond bracelet they had. On the drive back, I sat in the passenger seat, admiring the way the stones sparkled in the afternoon sun. Gavin broke the silence abruptly. “Hey, let’s stop inviting Adam over, okay?” I instinctively pushed back. “Why?” He frowned and coughed awkwardly. “Why? There’s no why.” “Just tell him not to come around anymore.” I raised an eyebrow. I knew this was his male ego acting up—the sting of his daughter preferring another man. A year ago, I’d just had a C-section. I was weak and in constant pain. My mother and mother-in-law had been taking turns caring for me and Junie, but that day, my mom had an emergency and my mother-in-law had gone to a funeral out of town. Before she left, she'd repeatedly told Gavin to take good care of me. Gavin promised he would. But that night, the moment he thought I was asleep, he snuck out. I was woken up by the baby's frantic screaming. I gritted my teeth against the searing pain of my incision just to pick up and soothe the baby. Then I called Gavin. Three calls, back-to-back. No answer. Two minutes later, I saw Skylar’s story pop up on Instagram. A picture of her in a crowded bar, clinking beer bottles on a sticky table. The caption was aggressive: “Come on, you loser!” “Let’s see if Daddy can’t drink you under the table tonight.” Peeking out from under a bottle of cheap beer, I could see the corner of Gavin’s phone. I knew immediately. He wasn’t coming home.
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