Photographs.
Schedules.
Language.
One Christmas.
One vacation.
One birthday.
Marcus might never have fully understood how deep it had become if not for Caleb’s eighth birthday.
Caleb wanted a superhero party.
Not superheroes from a specific movie.
All superheroes.
Vanessa turned the house into a miniature comic-book convention.
Red, blue, orange, and yellow balloons filled the living room.
A large HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner hung across the wall.
Capes were placed on chairs.
The cake looked like a city skyline.
Children ran everywhere.
Marcus spent most of the afternoon grilling food in the backyard.
Amara helped Zoe decorate masks at the dining table.
Amara had turned eleven two months earlier.
She was quieter now.
More observant.
Some childhood innocence had disappeared from her face.
Marcus occasionally caught her studying adults instead of simply trusting them.
He wondered whether the divorce had done that.
Danielle thought it was simply growing up.
At three in the afternoon, Vanessa gathered everyone for pictures.
“Caleb, come here!”
Caleb groaned.
“Mom.”
“Two minutes.”
“You said that before.”
“Come here.”
Zoe ran immediately toward her mother.
Marcus came inside carrying a plate.
“Picture time?”
Vanessa nodded.
“You too.”
Amara was standing nearby.
Vanessa handed the phone to her sister, Rachel.
“Get one of us in front of the banner.”
Rachel raised the phone.
Everyone moved into position.
Marcus stood on the left.
Vanessa stood beside him.
Caleb and Zoe moved in front.
Amara joined them naturally.
Rachel took several photos.
“Good.”
Vanessa checked the screen.
“Okay, now one more.”
Rachel lifted the phone again.
Vanessa looked at Amara.
That was when it happened.
“Amara, sweetheart, why don’t you wait over there for a minute?”
Amara hesitated.
“Why?”
Vanessa smiled.
“I just want one with me, Dad, Caleb, and Zoe.”
Rachel lowered the phone slightly.
Marcus turned toward his wife.
“What?”
Vanessa gave him a look.
“Just one picture.”
Amara looked at Marcus.
Then at Vanessa.
Slowly, the girl moved away.
Marcus reached for her hand.
“Hold on.”
Vanessa sighed quietly.
“Marcus.”
“What are we doing?”
“It’s just a picture.”
“You said family picture.”
“I said I wanted one of us.”
“Who is us?”
Vanessa looked around.
Several guests were now watching.
She lowered her voice.
“Can we not make this weird?”
Marcus stared at her.
“You just asked my daughter to step out of a family photo.”
“I asked for one picture with my kids.”
Marcus went still.
Amara looked toward the floor.
Caleb’s smile disappeared.