Chapter 9

The next day, when Mary came home from work, she pulled me aside and told me in a hushed voice, “Next weekend is Sabrina’s birthday.”

She looked sexier in her waitress outfit than I’d thought possible

“Great! Have you planned anything?”

“Nothing special. A small celebration just the three of us. Pizza and a cake. You know she doesn’t get along with her classmates. I don’t want to disappoint her when no one shows up.”

“Sounds good to me,” I said. But it didn’t.

I thought this was the end of the conversation, but I could see Mary had something else in mind.

“I’m worried about her. She should have friends. She seems lonely.”

“I was a lot like Sabrina,” I said glancing at my hands, which were clenched between my knees. “I couldn’t sit still. I was a problem child. Did a lot of dumb-ass stuff. That’s how I got my ex-wife pregnant.”

Mary nodded, but I could tell her mind was still focused on her daughter.

“What happened with Sabrina’s father if I may ask?”

Mary shook her head to get rid of the painful thoughts and said, “He abandoned us. You were not the only one who did stupid things when you were younger. I was a rebellious teenager. I ran away from home and hung with the wrong crowd. Then I got pregnant. He stuck around for a while, but he didn’t have a regular job and drank a lot. The first time he beat me I went straight to the police. He ran away and I haven’t seen him ever since. I contacted my parents, but when they knew I was pregnant they didn’t want anything to do with me. They donated me this house that belonged to my grandparents to ease their conscience and gave me some pocket money.”

“That was cold.”

I couldn’t help but remember when my own wife and daughter turned their backs to me.

Mary shrugged. “I ran away from home for a reason.”

“Considering what you went through you’re doing pretty well.”

I became fascinated with the slight blush in her cheeks and the way the wind stirred her long hair. When the sun hit it just right, Mary’s hair shone more navy blue than black.

I felt bad knowing that no one would come to Sabrina’s birthday party. No kid deserves to spend her birthday alone. So, I decided to surprise her.

I talked with the firefighters and the Sheriff. I explained the situation to them and they understood perfectly. It wasn’t a real emergency, but they’d still come to the rescue.

I also talked with Mary’s boss, Red Harding. He and his chef, Tony Marino, assured me they would come.

Sabrina had blown the candles, and we were eating chocolate cake while she opened her presents. I had talked with Mary about gifting her daughter a laptop. She said it was too much, but she finally agreed when I explained to her that it would be useful to help her school work.

Mary sewed Sabrina a new dress.

Then, we saw flashing lights and heard sirens and horn-honking. Sabrina rushed outside and found a police car, and a fire truck with a big sign right across the side that said, ‘Happy Birthday, Sabrina’.

Sheriff Bert Thomas and his deputy Nick Wallace walked to the house and greeted Sabrina. They gifted Sabrina a fake sheriff badge and a sheriff hat that read “Deputy.”

The firefighters named Sabrina an Honorary Firefighter. It came with a uniform and a certificate.

“Wow, this is crazy!” exclaimed Sabrina. She was literally jumping up and down and it melted all our hearts. The look on her face was absolutely magical. They let her play with the equipment and she sat behind the wheel of the fire truck.

Then, Red Harding showed up along with his chef. He was carrying two big paper bags full of ingredients. The next thing we knew was that we were all making white chocolate strawberry cookies and singing songs in Italian.

Everyone stayed for cookies and cake, the police, the firefighters, Mary’s boss, and the chef sang “Happy Birthday” to her, and left Sabrina with perhaps the greatest gift of all: a lesson in kindness.

What could have been a crushing disappointment instead turned into a memorable surprise.

Sabrina hugged me and murmured: “Thank you, Daddy,” and my heart stuttered.

Mary smiled at me and mouthed, “Thank you.”

Everyone in town, considered Mary, Sabrina and I were a happy family of three. Maybe it was time to make it official

I never thought I could love again after my heart was shattered. Then Mary and Sabrina came into my life and everything changed.

I realized I was ready to love again. I wanted to be a dad again. I wanted to have a family, a home, a life again.