Dad’s with a new family now! The New Year came with tears in our eyes…
I hardly ever saw my dad, and even then, only by chance…
My parents used to be deeply in love. Their feelings were genuine and strong, and they spent almost 15 years together. They had me, their only child.
When I was eight, Mum sat across from me one day. She was silent for a long while before letting out a heavy sigh:
— Darling, your dad has fallen in love with someone else. It will be just the two of us from now on…
I didn’t grasp what that meant. How could someone just leave like that? It seemed impossible that parents could stop loving each other because to me, family was supposed to be forever. I hoped Dad might reconsider and come back… But he never did.
Mum worked tirelessly to make sure we had everything we needed. She took on two jobs because her pride wouldn’t let her accept money from Dad. She always said she’d manage, but I noticed how she often sat by the window late into the night, lost in her thoughts. Maybe she was reminiscing about the past. Or thinking about our future.
And Dad… He had a new life. There was another woman and her daughter, who was my age. I guess he loved them. Maybe they laughed together, went on walks, took vacations, and celebrated holidays at a beautifully set table. As for me, I was left with occasional meetings that felt like mere shadows of a life that once was.
It happened again at the end of last year.
After a dull and gloomy Christmas, Mum and I decided to take a walk around the city. She smiled, mentioning how the air felt different, festive even. But I saw the sadness in her eyes. We looked into shop windows but didn’t buy anything. Money was tight, and Mum pretended that we didn’t need anything.
We stopped by a jewelry shop. I was gazing at the sparkling displays when I recognized a familiar figure.
Dad.
He was standing by the counter, smiling, carefully choosing from boxes of gold rings and bracelets. I wanted to call out to him but froze when I saw the woman next to him. Her daughter was excitedly admiring a new ring while Dad paid for it.
He was buying them gifts… In that moment, I realized: he truly had a new family. He was happy with them, and it seemed like he had forgotten about us.
I tugged at Mum’s hand, silently gesturing towards the shop.
Mum noticed them. I felt her fingers tensing up. She quickly turned away and walked on, as if nothing had happened.
We went home. The fridge was nearly empty, so Mum took out some minced meat and a few potatoes, and made a cottage pie. I sat at the table in silence.
We welcomed the New Year together. Outside, the city was alive with fireworks, and people were wishing each other well, while we just sat there. Each lost in our own thoughts.
Once, holidays were different. Once, we were a family.
But why did we both have tears in our eyes?
