Ever since we divorced, my ex-husband, Kyle, has made a show of being Father of the Year — at least online.
Birthday posts, family selfies with our daughter Emma, and captions like “Forever proud to be your dad.”
The truth? He hasn’t paid child support in six months, cancels every other weekend visit, and hasn’t called Emma in three weeks.
So when he texted me, “Thinking of stopping by Sunday to see Emma for Father’s Day,” I was more than a little surprised.
But I played it cool. “Sure,” I replied. “Come by at 3.”
At 2:58 p.m., he pulled into the driveway — he was not alone.
Out stepped Kyle in his freshest cologne, holding a gift bag. And beside him… some blonde in a sundress and high heels, holding her phone up like she was documenting a red carpet entrance.
“This is Ava, my new girlfriend,” he said, barely meeting my eyes. “She really wanted to meet Emma. And you, of course.”
Kyle handed Emma a wrapped box.
“Thought you’d love this, sweetie. Picked it out just for you,” he said — as Ava started filming.
I watched from the kitchen.
He wanted content. A stage. Father’s Day likes.
So I gave him one.
I allowed him to pretend… just to later hit him hard with a “surprise” and teach him a lesson.
“Emma,” I called sweetly. “Why don’t you show your dad what we made for him?”
Emma handed him THE GIFT.
When Kyle opened it, he went pale.
“What the hell is this?!”
When Kyle opened the gift, he went pale.
“What the hell is this?!” he barked, staring at the stack of papers inside.
Ava stopped recording. Her smile faltered.
Emma looked up at him, innocent and proud. “It’s all the letters I wrote you… the ones Mom said you were too busy to answer.”
Kyle rifled through the bundle — construction paper drawings, crayon-covered cards, and folded notebook pages.
One read:
“Dear Daddy, I miss you. Why don’t you love me anymore?”
Another said:
“It’s okay if you’re busy. I still made you a Father’s Day coupon book.”
And taped to the last one? A copy of the overdue child support statement — bold red numbers under the heading: PAST DUE – SIX MONTHS.
Ava’s eyes widened.
“Wait… what is this?”
I walked into the room then, calm and collected.
“Just a little Father’s Day scrapbook. Thought it would help him catch up on the time — and responsibilities — he’s missed.”
Kyle looked like he wanted to disappear.
He turned to Ava.
“Let’s go.”
But Ava held her phone down now.
“You said you were a great dad,” she whispered.
He didn’t respond. He couldn’t.
As they left, Emma tugged my sleeve.
“Is Daddy mad?”
I knelt beside her and kissed her forehead.
“No, sweetheart. He just got something he wasn’t expecting. But you? You gave him the truth. And that’s the best gift of all.”
