Off The Record
My 5-Year-Old Asked To Invite ‘The Lady Who Visits Dad While Mom’s At Work’ To Her Birthday Party—My World Collapsed
My world fell apart when my daughter casually mentioned a woman I had never heard of when I asked her who else she wanted to invite to her birthday party. My life would never be the same after meeting the woman a week later.
I’ve been dating my husband, Jake, for ten years, and we’ve been married for seven. Until lately, I had no reason to suspect him, but he’s a lovely guy—kind, diligent, and a little scatterbrained.
Jake lost his job earlier this year. I’ve been working long, full-time hours at work to keep things going smoothly while he’s been looking for a job. We’ve managed, but it’s been difficult. Ellie, our daughter, who is five years old, enjoys spending more time with him.
Jake is her hero in her eyes.
Life appeared to be rather typical. up till last week.
We were busy making plans for Ellie’s upcoming birthday. She took me completely by surprise one evening when I sat with her to finish the guest list.
In addition to her friends and family, I asked her who else she would like to invite.
“Mommy, can I invite the pretty lady who comes to visit Daddy while you’re at work?” she inquired.
I tried to remain composed as I froze in the middle of my coffee. “The attractive woman who comes to see Daddy? What lady, my dear?”
Ellie smiled, utterly unaware of the tempest that was building inside my chest.
“The one with the long hair, indeed! She’s really kind! She claims that Daddy is nice, and before she goes, she always gives him a big embrace. Is she able to attend? Would you please?”
My heart sank, but I tried to maintain a steady voice.
“Yes, honey. The next time she’s here, why don’t you invite her?”
Ellie smiled. “All right! Yes, I will! Thank you, Mommy.”
I didn’t get much sleep that night. Questions, concerns, and a mounting sense of dread raced through my head. I had never had any cause to distrust Jake before, but Ellie’s naive remark made me suspicious. This “pretty lady” was who? A companion? A neighbor? Or worse, a complete stranger to me?
Even if this did seem a little excessive to have been made up, I also considered the possibility that my five-year-old was just dreaming. I wanted to see how things would work out, so I made sure the stranger attended Ellie’s party and refrained from confronting my husband.
I made the decision to find out more the following evening. “Did you invite the pretty lady to your party?” I asked Ellie in passing during dinner as my husband used the restroom.
“Yes! She assured me she would definitely arrive. Ellie chirped while contentedly eating her breakfast.”
I almost spilled my glass of water, but we had already switched topics by the time my husband came back. I didn’t want our encounter to be ruined by his learning about his hidden visitor.
I was quite nervous on the day of the celebration. Like every other party, it began with Ellie ecstatic, kids playing with balloons, and friends and family swarming our living room. I made an effort to concentrate on entertaining, but my gaze kept straying to the front door as I half expected the enigmatic guest to arrive.
The doorbell rang one hour into the celebration. I felt sick to my stomach. I went to answer it since Jake was in the backyard helping Ellie with her cake. A young woman, perhaps in her early twenties, stood on the porch.
She clutched a small gift bag in her hands, smiled shyly, and had long dark hair.
“Hi, I’m Lila,” she murmured quietly. “I’m here for Ellie’s party.”
At that moment, Ellie’s face lit up and she ran to the door.
“That’s her! It’s her, Mommy! A friend of Daddy’s!”
I stammered out, “Oh! as I stood motionless, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. Well, come on in.”
Taking the woman by the hand, Ellie dragged her inside. She pulled Lila near Jake, who paled at the sight of her. Like a man on his way to ruin, he opened his mouth, shut it, and then let out a sigh.
“Lila,” he whispered in a quiet, nervous voice. “I didn’t… I wasn’t expecting you to show up.”
“We need to talk,” I responded, attempting to sound authoritative but composed. With a forlorn gesture, Jake ushered Lila and me into the kitchen and out of the commotion.
After saying, “Lee, please go play with your new toys with your school friends and cousins,” I sent our daughter out into the backyard.
“Chantal, hurry up! Let me show you my latest toys. Ellie commented as she took the hand of a young girl who was nearby and munching on an ice cream cone. The young woman, meantime, followed Jake and me into the kitchen despite her uncomfortable and unnatural appearance.”
As Lila fidgeted anxiously with the gift bag, the anxiety in the air was palpable.
She started by saying, “I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” “I just thought it would be nice to meet everyone, and Ellie invited me.”
“Who are you exactly?” I tried to remain calm, but my voice was shrill as I asked.
Lila looked at Jake, who appeared to be trying to blend in. “I’m… Jake’s daughter.”
I was struck by the words like a freight train. “What?”
My husband appeared to want to vanish into the floor as Lila attempted to explain everything. When he did speak, however, it was no more than a whisper.
“My kid from before I met you is named Lilia. She was unknown to me until a few months ago. Neither she nor I ever heard from her mom. She told Lila about me before she died earlier this year, and a few months ago she followed me down and discovered me. When you were at work, she introduced herself. She desired to meet her father.”
Jake looked guilty as he confessed, “I didn’t believe her at first when she told me who she was.” “I mean, that was unexpected. Thus, I requested a DNA test from her.”
With a nod, Lila presented me a copy of the paternity documents that she had emailed me.
“I recognized his desire for evidence. It was difficult to hear, but when I returned the following time, I carried a test, and yes, he is my father,” she said.
My hands shaking, I scanned the document. There was no denying it. Stunned, I gazed at him. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”
While massaging the back of his neck, he said, “I didn’t know how,” “I was still taking it all in. I wanted to think things through or be certain before telling you this.”
I responded, “Okay,” while attempting to control my breathing. “But why does Ellie know about her?”
Jake had a sheepish expression. While you’re at work, Lilia has been paying you a visit. She wanted to meet Ellie—well, Ellie’s Ellie—and the family. She adores everyone.
“So you were just going to… not tell me? Allow a five-year-old to do it for you.” I raised my voice and asked.
Jake winced. “I understand. I made a mistake. I simply didn’t want to complicate matters for you.”
Lila moved nearer with beseeching eyes.
“I really apologize. I didn’t intend to cause trouble. All I wanted was to get to know my father and his family. What a lovely child your daughter is. She even displayed her sketches to me.”
“Don’t worry, Lila. You are welcome to attend the celebration. I’ll tie things up with Jake.”
Overwhelmed but beginning to comprehend the wider picture, I sighed. This Lila was no “other woman.” After losing her mother, she was a young woman looking for family. And despite his imperfections, Jake was only attempting to make his way through a predicament he had never seen coming.
It seemed like hours had passed during our lengthy conversation between the three of us. Lila talked about how she met Jake, her life, and her mother. My spouse promised to be more forthcoming going forward and apologized frequently and sincerely for withholding it from me. I still had a ton of emotions to work through at the end, but I could see how sincere they were.
Ellie was seated with Lila when my husband and I eventually returned to the party, and she was displaying a drawing she had done of our family. Lila had even been added, with the designation “Big Sister.” An arm was put across my shoulders by my spouse.
“I know this wasn’t how you imagined today would go,” he murmured softly when he spoke. “But I hope we can figure this out together.”
I leaned against him and nodded. “Yes, we will. But Jake, no more secrets.”
When he said, “Never again,”
We started acclimating to our new reality in the weeks that followed. Lila, who had recently arrived in our city for college, started coming often. Slowly, I began to love her as much as Ellie did. I could see how much Lila wanted to be a part of our lives, even though it wasn’t easy.
And truthfully? She was beginning to feel as though she had always been. In the meantime, Jake discovered the hard way that secrets tend to surface, particularly when a five-year-old is involved.
Ellie fulfilled her birthday dream, and in a sense, so did we: a brand-new, unanticipated family member. Life can take you by surprise, and although it’s not always simple, it can sometimes result in something lovely.
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