Chapter 2 — Vanessa Was Trying to Remove Something
Vanessa sat down at the kitchen table.
Sophie remained beside Daniel.
“I didn’t mean to ruin the cake.”
Daniel looked toward her.
“That isn’t the part I’m asking about.”
Vanessa closed her eyes.
“I know.”
Daniel replayed the footage.
This time he watched more carefully.
Vanessa did not simply reach randomly across the cake.
She appeared to be grabbing something near the back.
“What were you trying to remove?” he asked.
Vanessa didn’t answer.
Daniel walked toward the cake.
The damaged frosting covered one corner.
Behind a collapsed sugar flower, something small and white was still visible.
A rectangular piece of edible decoration.
Daniel lifted it carefully.
It was part of a printed message.
Only several words remained readable.
WELCOME HOME, AUNT CLAIRE.
Daniel stared.
“Claire?”
Sophie looked toward him.
“Aunt Claire is coming?”
Vanessa immediately looked at Sophie.
“Sweetheart—”
Daniel interrupted.
“Your sister Claire?”
Vanessa nodded slowly.
Daniel looked back at the cake.
“Why is a message about Claire on Sophie’s birthday cake?”
Vanessa took a breath.
Because the cake had originally been ordered for two things.
Sophie’s birthday.
And Claire’s return home.
Claire had been living in another state for almost two years.
She and Vanessa had barely spoken for the last seven months.
Not because of one dramatic family betrayal.
Because of dozens of smaller arguments.
Calls not returned.
Plans changed.
Misunderstood comments.
Then one final disagreement that neither woman handled well.
Claire stopped visiting.
Sophie missed her.
A lot.
“She asks about Claire constantly,” Vanessa said.
Daniel nodded.
“I know.”
Vanessa had secretly contacted her sister three weeks earlier.
She invited Claire to Sophie’s birthday.
Claire agreed.
They planned to surprise Sophie.
Vanessa became excited.
Too excited.
When she ordered the cake, she told the bakery to add a small removable plaque on the back:
WELCOME HOME, AUNT CLAIRE.
It was supposed to be revealed only after Claire entered.
“Then what happened?” Daniel asked.
Vanessa looked toward the damaged cake.
“Claire called this morning.”
“She’s not coming.”
Sophie’s expression dropped.
“Why?”
Vanessa immediately shook her head.
“Nothing bad happened.”
Claire’s flight had been canceled after a mechanical issue.
The next available flight would not arrive until late that night.
She would miss the party.
Vanessa looked toward Sophie.
“I didn’t want you to see the message and get disappointed before your party even started.”
So she tried to remove the plaque.
The bakery had attached it more firmly than Vanessa expected.
She pulled.
The frosting tore.
Sugar flowers collapsed.
Then Vanessa panicked.
Daniel stared at her.
“And your solution was to blame Sophie?”
Vanessa lowered her head.
“No.”
Then quietly:
“My reaction was to blame Sophie.”
Daniel shook his head.
“That’s not better.”