Chapter 3: The Name She Tried to Erase
Owen stood motionless.
For a moment, the only sound in the kitchen was the refrigerator humming behind him.
"What did you just say?"" he asked.
Marissa crossed her arms.
"Don't twist my words.""
"Then explain them.""
"I said I had plans for Christmas before you told me Sadie would be here.""
"She's my daughter. She spends Christmas with me every other year.""
"I know that.""
"Then why would you make plans that exclude her?""
Marissa shook her head.
"Because I wanted one holiday that felt like ours.""
Owen stared at her.
"She's been part of our holidays for four years.""
"And every year, everything changes because of her schedule.""
Tyler looked uncomfortable.
"Mom, that's not fair.""
Marissa turned sharply.
"Stay out of this.""
"But Sadie lives here.""
"Tyler!""
He went quiet.
Owen stepped closer.
"Don't speak to him like that.""
Marissa threw her hands up.
"Fine. I'm the only person who isn't allowed to have an opinion in this house.""
She walked out.
Owen didn't follow.
Instead, he went upstairs to Sadie's bedroom.
The little girl was sitting on the carpet, arranging colored pencils into neat rows.
A half-finished drawing lay in front of her.
It showed four people standing beneath a Christmas tree.
Owen recognized himself immediately.
Sadie had drawn his hair too dark and his smile too wide.
Tyler was holding a red present.
Marissa stood beside him in a blue dress.
Sadie had drawn herself at the end of the group.
"That's beautiful," Owen said.
Sadie looked up.
"Do you like it?""
"I love it.""
She picked up a green pencil.
"I was going to give it to Marissa.""
Owen sat beside her.
"Why?""
"Because I thought she might put it on the refrigerator.""
He looked at the drawing again.
"Did she ask you to make it?""
Sadie shook her head.
"No. I wanted to.""
Owen ran a hand over his face.
"Sweetheart, you don't have to make pictures for someone to earn a place in this family.""
Sadie frowned.
"Then why doesn't she want me in the pictures?""
He had no answer that wouldn't hurt her.
He pulled her gently into a hug.
Downstairs, Marissa was already on the phone.
Owen heard her voice as he walked toward the staircase.
"No, I understand. But I specifically requested three people.""
A pause.
"Yes, my husband is being difficult.""
Another pause.
"Because he thinks everything has to be about his daughter.""
Owen stopped.
He looked toward the living room.
Marissa was standing beside the Christmas tree, speaking quietly.
"I don't care what the photographer said. I want the three-person package.""
She listened.
Then her voice dropped.
"Can you remove the additional child from the digital proofs?""
Owen's stomach tightened.
He walked into the room.
"Who are you talking to?""
Marissa turned around so quickly that her phone nearly slipped from her hand.
"I'll call you back.""
She ended the call.
Owen held out his hand.
"Who was that?""
"The studio.""
"Why are you still talking to them?""
"Because I don't want to lose the deposit.""
"You already canceled the session.""
"Not necessarily.""
He stared at her.
"What does that mean?""
Marissa picked up a decorative cushion and straightened it on the sofa.
"It means I found another solution.""
"What solution?""
She hesitated.
Then she said, "We can take the photograph without Sadie.""
Owen let out a disbelieving breath.
"We've already discussed this.""
"Then perhaps you should listen for once.""
"Listen to what?""
"That I want one picture of my husband, my son, and myself.""
"Tyler isn't your husband.""
Marissa's face went pale.
"Don't be ridiculous.""
"You're saying Sadie isn't part of our family because she's not your biological child. But you're perfectly happy including Tyler, even though he's not mine.""
"That's different.""
"How?""
"Because Tyler is my son!""
"And Sadie is mine.""
Marissa looked away.
Owen moved toward the coffee table.
A large white envelope sat beneath a stack of magazines.
He picked it up.
Inside were printed proofs from the studio.
He flipped through them.
The first showed Owen and Sadie standing together.
The second showed Tyler with his arm around Sadie.
The third showed all four of them.
Owen frowned.
These were test photographs from a previous family session.
He looked at the bottom of the envelope.
There was a handwritten instruction.
*Final selection: Remove Sadie from all family layouts.*
Beneath it was another note.
*Use original three-person portrait for holiday card.*
Owen slowly looked up.
"These aren't from today.""
Marissa said nothing.
"When did you order these?""
"Last week.""
"You planned this?""
"I was trying to avoid a scene.""
Owen's fingers tightened around the photographs.
"You knew exactly what you were going to do today.""
"I knew what I wanted.""
"And you let Sadie walk into that studio believing she was going to have a family picture.""
Marissa sighed.
"She doesn't understand how these things work.""
"She's nine.""
"Exactly. She's too young to understand that not every family has to look the same.""
Owen stared at her.
Then he noticed something else.
A small printed card had been tucked behind the photographs.
It was an early Christmas card design.
The front showed Owen, Marissa, and Tyler.
Across the top were the words:
*From Our Family to Yours.*
But the back contained a handwritten message.
Owen read it.
His face changed.
It wasn't the photograph that upset him most.
It was the message.
We're finally celebrating Christmas as a family of three.
He looked at Marissa.
"Finally?""
She reached for the card.
"Give me that.""
Owen moved it out of her reach.
"How long have you been planning to erase my daughter?""
"Don't use that word.""
"What word would you prefer?""
"You're making me sound cruel.""
"Then tell me what I'm supposed to call this.""
Marissa's eyes filled with angry tears.
"I have spent four years trying to build a home with you. Four years of adjusting everything around another woman's child.""
Owen went still.
"Another woman's child?""
"You know what I mean.""
"No. I want you to say it again.""
Marissa looked toward the stairs.
Her voice lowered.
"I don't want Sadie on our Christmas cards. I don't want every holiday to become a reminder that you had another family before me.""
Owen looked at the card again.
Then he folded it slowly.
"She isn't a reminder of my past, Marissa.""
He looked directly at his wife.
"She's my daughter.""
From the staircase came a small sound.
A floorboard creaking.
They both turned.
Sadie was standing there.
She held the drawing she'd made upstairs.
Her eyes were fixed on the Christmas card in Owen's hand.
She had heard enough.
"Am I not supposed to come home for Christmas?"" she whispered.
Marissa opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Owen immediately crossed the room.
"Sadie, sweetheart—"
But the little girl stepped backward.
She looked at the drawing in her hands.
Then at the three-person Christmas card.
Finally, she asked the question that would change everything.
"If I'm not in the family picture...""
Her voice trembled.
"Does that mean I shouldn't draw myself in the family anymore?""
Owen reached for her.
But before he could answer, Tyler appeared behind her on the stairs.
He was holding his phone.
And his face was completely different from the boy who had casually dismissed the photograph earlier.
"Mom," Tyler said quietly.
Marissa turned.
"What?""
Tyler held up his phone.
"I found the original Christmas card file.""
Marissa's expression froze.
Tyler swallowed.
"There's something else you deleted.""
He looked at Owen.
"Something about Sadie's picture.""
Then he turned the screen toward them.
May you like
And Owen saw a message attached to the original photograph.
A message that Marissa had never intended him to read.
