On Her 7th Birthday, My Daughter’s Wish Left Me Speechless: I Hope Dad Never Leaves Me for His New Baby

On Her 7th Birthday, My Daughter Blew Out the Candles on Her Cake and Said, ‘I Wish Dad Never Leaves Me for His New Baby’

Before she blew out her candles and made a silent wish, my daughter’s seventh birthday was meant to be a day of celebration. We were all in shock when she shared what she had discovered in her father’s suitcase a short while later.

I’m Marilyn, and when our daughter Joyce turned seven, my husband Bruce and I were ecstatic. Our goal was to create a memorable day for everyone.

We were having the party in our backyard, and I worked very hard to plan it. I purchased a big pink cake with seven candles on it, and I used joyful balloons to decorate every available space.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that something wasn’t quite right as I went about the house, saying hello to everyone and making sure the kids had snacks.

All afternoon, Joyce, my darling little child who typically brightened any space, had been uncharacteristically silent. She remained near me despite the excitement and the arrival of her pals.

Her face was muted, but her sparkling princess dress gleamed in the sunlight. I once knelt next to her and brushed a lock of hair off her forehead while the party was in full swing.

“What’s wrong, sweetie? You want to play with your buddies, don’t you?

She looked away and shrugged. “I guess.”

“Are you nervous about all the people?” I inquired. “It’s okay to feel a little shy.”

Mumbling, “I’m fine, Mommy,” she said.

My husband Bruce then showed up with his typical laid-back smile. He clapped his hands together and exclaimed, “Come, Pumpkin, help me get a game of tag going.” “We need the birthday girl to truly have fun!”

Joyce nodded after hesitating. She appeared preoccupied for a time, but her eyes remained serious.

As additional visitors arrived, I made an effort to hide my anxiety.

There were grandparents from both families present. Bruce’s father, Harold, wanted to talk to me while my mother fussed over the meal in the kitchen. Attention was also required for the others. It was a little chaotic, to put it briefly.

I looked for my daughter when I had a chance. She was once again restrained, but her buddies were laughing after finishing a game of tag. Since the game hadn’t improved her mood, I thought of something.

“Joyce, let’s open some presents!” I waved her over and yelled out.

After giving a nod, she moved carefully over to the table with the gifts piled high. As she started to open the first box, the visitors crowded around her, their chatter muted.

My parents had given me a playhouse with little furnishings. She said quietly, “Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa,” and put it down.

Bruce’s parents then presented him with a cuddly unicorn, to which he received a courteous “Thanks,” but no genuine enthusiasm. Her response to each present was the same: kind, taciturn, and nearly robotic.

I continued to smile and support her, but I was beginning to feel anxious on the inside.

I put my hands together and made an effort to seem upbeat when she was done. “Alright, everyone, time for cake!”

When we pulled out the cake, the children cheered. As though this moment was everything she had ever desired, Joyce sat up on a chair at the head of the table and finally grinned at the seven candles that were flickering.

As soon as people began singing “Happy Birthday,” my heart began to relax a little.

After she blew out her candles, I put out my camera to record the moment, and Bruce stood next to me, his arm grazing mine.

I added, “Make it a good one, sweetheart,” as the song was coming to a close.

Before anybody could applaud after my daughter blew out her candles, she boldly declared, “I wish Dad never leaves me for his new baby.”

The entire planet went cold. We wouldn’t have noticed if our town had been jolted by an earthquake.

Bruce’s loud exhale next to me was the only thing that jolted me out of my reverie. I looked up and saw that his face had turned pale and that his smile had vanished. However, my focus returned to my daughter, who offered me something after reaching into her pocket.

She bit her lip and remarked, “I found this in Dad’s briefcase,”

My hands encircled a tiny, pink dummy with a message attached. The words, written in fine handwriting, “You’ll become a dad soon,”

I gazed at the object while my mind attempted to comprehend this circumstance. I slowly glanced back to Bruce, who averted his eyes from mine while his eyes were filled with shame.

“What is this?” I held out the pacifier and asked. “Bruce, what does this mean?”

Bruce’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. He glanced first at Joyce, then back at me. He murmured, “It’s not what you think,” at the end.

“Then explain it,” I yelled, fighting the want to scream. “What makes our daughter believe that you’re abandoning us for a new child? How come this was in your briefcase?

Joyce glanced between us, her bottom lip trembling. She pleaded, “Please Daddy,” her lip trembling. “I wished it, so you can’t leave us now.”

I approached her and gave her a tight hug. I firmly said, “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” while petting her hair. “Daddy won’t abandon us. We’ll work this out, will we?”

Since everyone was still gawking, I pointed to my mom. She acknowledged this and pulled Joyce aside, urging everyone to resume the celebration. Bruce and I, meantime, sneaked off to our room.

Upon entering, he let out a sigh and lowered himself into our bed, his shoulders drooping. He remarked, “I didn’t know Joyce had found that,” and shook his head. “I didn’t want anyone to find it.”

“For heaven’s sake! Tell me what’s happening, please. I paced the room and crossed my arms as I made my demand.

He paused once. “The pacifier belonged to an employee at work,” he said. “A woman by the name of Claire. It appears that she was pregnant when she passed away recently.

I scowled. “Oh my god. However, why do you possess this? Once more, I held out the pacifier.

A knot formed in my stomach as Bruce turned away. However, he turned back to me right away.

“I had to empty her desk and pack her belongings into a box after she passed away. I located the note and the pacifier. “I assume it was intended for her husband,” he said, massaging his neck. “I suppose she intended to give him the news as a surprise. However, I was unsure of what to do when I saw it. Later that day, he came in to retrieve the box. He was very heartbroken, honey. To make matters worse, I simply couldn’t bring myself to give it to him. Thus, I retained it.

I let out a big sigh and sagged on the bed beside him. “Are you serious? Why would you—” I stopped and rubbed my eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bruce gave my face a quick look. “I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea. I didn’t want you to believe that Claire and I were having an improper relationship. Days have passed, and I feel terrible for taking it, even though I thought I could figure out when to give it to him.

I nodded, my comprehension improved. We were silent for a few minutes while I reached up to put my arm around him.

“I handled everything wrong, but the last thing I expected was Joyce finding it and misinterpreting it like she did,” Bruce stated. “She’s smarter than I gave her credit for.”

“She is,” I said as I stood up. Actually, all kids are. Let’s go out there and give a detailed explanation.

After snagging my daughter in the backyard for a while, I said, “Sweetheart, Daddy’s not going anywhere,” “He made a mistake, but he was only attempting to assist someone. We’ll be all right.”

Joyce’s expression remained anxious. She questioned, “He’s not leaving us for another baby?” “Charlie’s dad left for another baby.”

We looked at each other, Bruce and I now better understanding her wish. When Charlie was a student at her school, his parents divorced due to an affair, so he went away.

Bruce said, “No, kiddo,” with emphasis. “I shouldn’t have kept the pacifier in my briefcase, and there isn’t another infant. I’ll be returning it shortly.

After I added a few of my own reassurances, our daughter finally appeared to comprehend.

“Now, will you enjoy the rest of your party?” With hope, I inquired.

As she nodded, a timid but genuinely sincere smile appeared on her face. She hurried to her companions a moment later, who fortunately didn’t appear to mind the pacifier problem.

We had to subtly explain the problem to everyone since the adults were a very different matter. Even his father reprimanded Bruce for stealing the pacifier after he apologized.

Harold scowled and stated, “Son, that man needs to know about this, even if it hurts him more,” “It’s simply not your secret to keep.”

My spouse gave me a solemn nod and said he would make amends on Monday.

The celebration went on after all the grownups had been informed. Fortunately, everything was improved by my daughter’s happier disposition, so her birthday didn’t become a total scandal. But that is something we will never forget.

I was exhausted by the time everyone had departed.

With her gifts all around her, Joyce dozed off in her dress. As I got her into jammies, I considered talking to her about going through our belongings the following day. I wasn’t concerned, though. She picked things up quickly.

However, when I returned to our bedroom, I saw Bruce gazing at the pink pacifier he was holding. It dawned on me then that it was he who had learned a lesson about searching through and stealing people’s belongings.

I knew he blamed himself for maybe making things worse, and I felt awful for the family that had lost their future. So, when he apologized and returned the pacifier later that evening, I held him close and assured him that everything would be fine.