After weeks of planning the perfect Christmas Eve, my husband left the kids and me at home to attend his staff-only office party instead. But when another wife’s call revealed the truth about couples being invited, I decided it was time for a surprise visit.

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.

I stepped back to survey 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 full presence with the family.

“Mommy, mommy!Look at my twirl!” Daisy spun around 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, creating 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 obvious envy.

“Arrrr!” Max charged through the living room, his plastic sword raised high, the eye patch I’d 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 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 slightly. He’d been asking every twenty minutes since breakfast.

“Soon, baby.

Very soon.” I checked my watch again, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach. Michael had been coming home later and later these past few months, always with a different excuse.