Never Whole Again

Miranda glanced at the phone before looking at Sean with a shy smile.

After only a moment’s hesitation, Sean scooped Kelsey into his arms and lifted her high into the air, drawing a fit of giggles from her.

He did not answer, but his actions spoke clearly enough.

I stared at the three figures on the screen as my heart broke apart, piece by piece.

They were the perfect picture of a happy family. Where did that leave Bonnie and me?

Tonight was supposed to be for Bonnie. He had promised one last birthday with her.

But it seemed he was busy making happy memories with someone else’s child.

I wondered if he even remembered Bonnie at all.

I ended the call and lit the candles on the table.

Maybe the food was too spicy, because I could only swallow each bite through my tears.

At 9 p.m., I set up a fire pit in the yard.

One by one, I began placing Bonnie’s favorite things into the flames: the clothes she wore as a newborn, her baby rattles, the outfits she wore just before she died, and her stuffed dolls.

For five years, I had raised Bonnie with love, devotion, and care, but Sean had ruined it all.

How could I not hate him?

As I watched the flames slowly consume Bonnie’s belongings and turn them into ashes, I could no longer hold back my tears.

“Bonnie, this day marks a week since your death. I was afraid you’d be lonely, so I brought you everything you loved. Please take them with you.

“From now on, I won’t be by your side anymore. Take good care of yourself. You won’t have to get injections or take medicine anymore. You must be happy about that, right?”

Just then, Sean’s voice came from behind me.

“Where’s Bonnie? Kelsey said some of her clothes are too small for her now. She wanted to give them to Bonnie, so I brought them over.”

As he spoke, he pulled out the clothes, one by one, and proudly showed them to me.

“Kelsey knows Bonnie likes frilly dresses, so she picked out all of hers for her…”

I could not take it anymore.

I snatched the dresses from his hands and threw them into the fire pit.

Only then did Sean realize what I had done.

His voice sharpened.

“What are you doing? If you’re angry, take it out on me. Don’t drag the kids into this!”

A cold laugh escaped me.

My child had already paid for it with her life, yet he still had the nerve to say something like that.

I pointed at the flames and looked at him coldly.

“Weren’t these supposed to be for Bonnie? This is the only way she can receive them now.”

Sean stared at the half-burned toys in the fire pit.

His chest tightened as if an invisible hand had seized it, and a flash of panic broke through the usual indifference in his eyes.

As he stood there in shock, I picked up the box from the table and held it out to him.

“Bonnie prepared a gift for you before she passed away…”

Perhaps the words “passed away” struck him like a heavy blow because his hands shook as he reached for the box.

He trembled before finally untying the ribbon with unsteady hands.

Inside were two neatly placed documents.

One was Bonnie’s death certificate, and the other was a divorce agreement already bearing my signature.

I disregarded his shock and looked at him with a faint smile.

“Didn’t you say you’d grant Bonnie’s birthday wish? You can sign it now.”