After weeks of meticulously planning the perfect Christmas Eve celebration, my husband chose to leave our children and me at home to attend his staff-only office party. However, a phone call from another wife revealed that couples were actually invited, prompting me to make an unexpected visit.
As I adjusted the silver star atop our Christmas tree for what felt like the hundredth time, the twinkling lights filled me with a sense of urgency. I wanted everything to be flawless; that was the kind of mother and wife I aspired to be.
Stepping back to admire my handiwork, I nearly stumbled over the train set that Michael had insisted on setting up just last weekend. It had been a rare day when he was fully engaged with the family, and I cherished that memory.
“Mommy, mommy! Look at my twirl!” Daisy exclaimed, spinning in her sparkly princess dress, her blonde curls bouncing with each turn.
She was pure enchantment, my little girl. The sequins on her dress caught the Christmas lights, casting tiny rainbows on the walls.
“Beautiful, sweetheart! You look just like Cinderella!” I reached out to steady her as she wobbled, dizzy from her spinning. “Maybe even prettier.”
“Does Cinderella have a sword?” she asked, eyeing her brother’s plastic cutlass with envy.
“Arrrr!” Max charged into the living room, his plastic sword raised high, the eye patch I had carefully 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 scent of baby shampoo in 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 quivered slightly. He had been asking every twenty minutes since breakfast.
“Soon, baby. Very soon.” I checked my watch again, trying to ignore the knot tightening in my stomach. Michael had been coming home later and later these past few months, always with a different excuse.
But tonight had to be different. It was Christmas Eve.
Just then, the front door swung open, letting in a gust of cold air along with my husband, Michael. He looked handsome in his work attire but distracted, his eyes darting around the room without truly seeing anything.
“Daddy!” The kids launched themselves at him like tiny missiles.
“Hey, munchkins!” He gave them each a quick hug and pecked my cheek as he passed.
His lips felt cold against my skin, the gesture mechanical. “Hey honey, everything looks great! I need a white shirt and my black suit pressed. Can you iron it while I hop in the shower?”
I blinked, confused. The turkey timer chimed in the background, counting down to something I couldn’t yet grasp. “Your suit? I guess the kids aren’t the only ones getting dressed up for Christmas Eve!”
He chuckled absentmindedly, already heading upstairs. The bathroom door clicked shut, and soon the sound of the shower drowned out Daisy’s rendition of “Jingle Bells.”
Like the dutiful wife I was, I pulled out the ironing board and pressed his clothes to perfection, humming “Silent Night” under my breath.
The turkey timer dinged again, and I rushed to baste it one last time, my sock-clad feet sliding slightly on the hardwood floors. Everything was going to be perfect.
“Mommy, can we open just one present?” Max tugged at my sleeve, leaving a sticky candy cane handprint on my festive sweater.
“Not yet, sweetie. We have to wait for dinner first.” I smoothed his unruly hair, making a mental note to trim it after the holidays.
Michael emerged from upstairs looking sharp, every hair in place and smelling of the expensive cologne his mother always gifted him. He adjusted his cufflinks, the platinum ones I had given him last Christmas, and grabbed his keys from the crystal bowl by the door.
“I’m heading to the office Christmas party. It’s just for staff, so I’ll be back later.”
The words hit me like a slap. The room suddenly felt too warm, too bright, too everything. “What? But… it’s Christmas Eve. The turkey… the kids…”
He waved dismissively, already turning toward the door. “Don’t wait up. Save me some leftovers.”
“But Daddy, you promised to read ‘The Night Before Christmas’!” Daisy’s voice wavered, her princess crown slightly askew.
“Tomorrow, princess. Daddy has to work.” And then he was gone, the door clicking shut with devastating finality.
Max’s lower lip trembled. “Is Daddy mad at us?”
“No, baby.” I pulled him close, breathing in his sweet child smell, trying to ground myself. “Daddy just has to…”
My phone buzzed, and Melissa’s name lit up the screen.
I answered automatically, my mind still reeling.
“Hey, Lena! What are you wearing tonight? I can’t decide between my red dress or the green one.”
My stomach lurched. “Wearing… tonight?”
“For the office party! Though I guess you already know what you’re wearing, right? You’re always so put together…”
The staff-only party?” My voice sounded strange, as if it belonged to someone else.
There was an awkward pause. “Oh God, Lena… I thought… I mean, everyone’s bringing their spouses… Oh no, did Michael not…?”
I hung up. The Christmas lights blurred as tears filled my eyes, but I blinked them back furiously. Not tonight. Not in front of my babies.
“Mommy?” Daisy tugged at my sleeve, her princess dress rustling. “Why are you mad? Your face is all red like when Max draws on the walls.”
I forced a smile, though it felt like my face might crack. “I’m not mad, sweetie. In fact, I’ve just decided we’re going on an adventure!”
“Really?” Max’s eyes lit up, his earlier disappointment forgotten. “Like pirates?”
“Exactly like pirates.” I marched upstairs to our bedroom, yanking open the safe with trembling hands.
The metal was cool against my skin as I punched in the code — our anniversary date, of all things. Out came our emergency cash, Michael’s precious watches, and all the cufflinks I’d ever bought him.
“Can I bring Mr. Whiskers?” Daisy clutched her favorite stuffed cat.
“Of course, baby. Get your warmest coat too.”
I helped them bundle up, my hands steady now despite the earthquake in my chest. “Max, grab your pirate hat. Every good adventure needs a pirate.”
Twenty minutes later, we pulled into the office parking lot. The building blazed with festive lights, music thumping through the walls. I could see shadows dancing behind the frosted windows and hear laughter spilling out into the cold night air.
I gripped my children’s hands tightly as we walked in, their small fingers warm and sticky with candy cane residue.
The party was in full swing: couples dancing, champagne flowing, Michael laughing with his arm around some woman I’d never seen before. She wore a red dress that probably cost more than our monthly mortgage payment.
The room fell silent as I approached the DJ’s setup, gently but firmly taking the microphone from his hand. The feedback whine cut through the quiet like a knife.
“Merry Christmas, everyone!” My voice rang out clear and strong, despite my racing heart. “I’m Lena, Michael’s wife.”
I just wanted to introduce myself since I wasn’t invited to this lovely party.”
I saw Michael’s face drain of color. The woman in red stepped away from him like he’d suddenly burst into flames.
“I’m here with our children, who were expecting a family Christmas at home. Instead, their father decided to spend tonight here, without us. I just wanted you all to know what a wonderful family man he is.”
Michael rushed over to his boss.
“She’s confused,” he told Mrs. Cunningham with a nervous laugh. “There’s been a misunderstanding. Lena’s been under a lot of stress lately… the holidays, you know how it is…”
That was all I needed to hear. He didn’t care about making this right with me, only about saving face with his colleagues.
I grabbed my children’s hands and walked out, head held high, the sound of whispered conversations following us like ghost stories. There was one last stop I had to make.
The pawn shop owner didn’t ask questions when I handed over the watches and cufflinks. The cash they brought would be enough.
“Are we going to see Santa?” Daisy asked as we pulled into the airport parking lot, her breath fogging the car window.
“We’re going somewhere even better, baby. We’re going where it’s warm and sunny.” I helped them out of the car, making sure Max didn’t forget his beloved pirate hat. “Where the ocean is as blue as your eyes.”
The airport was chaos, but I didn’t care. Three one-way tickets and a week of freedom in Miami. As we settled into our seats on the plane, I felt something shift inside me.
The perfect Christmas I’d planned lay in ruins back home, but maybe the gift I really needed was the strength to stop being the dutiful wife and start being the strong mother my children deserved.
A week later, Michael was waiting at the airport when we landed, unshaven and hollow-eyed.
“Lena, please… I’m so sorry. I was an idiot. It will never happen again. I promise.”
I studied his face and felt nothing but calm. The Miami sun had burned away more than just my winter pallor. “We’ll see, Michael. I need to think about what’s best for me and the kids.”
His face fell, but I didn’t rush to comfort him. As we walked to the parking lot, Daisy skipped ahead and Max clutched his new pirate hat from Miami. The December air was sharp in my lungs, but for the first time in years, I could breathe freely.