You hadn’t expected the day to turn into a psychological battlefield.

It started simple—just a Saturday afternoon outing with your dad. A few errands. Some light window shopping. An iced coffee. You were mid-sentence, joking about the fact that your dad always forgot where he parked, when you saw her.

Your mom.

Your mom… and her new husband. And their picture-perfect toddler.

You froze.

They looked like a catalog ad: her hair blown out, the kid in overalls, him with his hand casually on her lower back. They didn’t see you at first, but then she turned. Her eyes widened. And then she smiled—like everything was fine.

The moment you got back in the car, your hands started shaking.