Hannah took a slow breath.
“No, Daniel. Not this time.”
Margaret gave a sharp laugh.
“Listen to her. She thinks she can give orders in my family.”
Hannah looked at her.
“This is my home.”
Margaret’s smile disappeared.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. This is my home. You are a guest here, and you just threw my daughter’s birthday cake into the garbage.”
Daniel stepped between them.
“Hannah, please.”
She turned to him.
“Move.”
He blinked.
“What?”
“Move, Daniel. I’m talking to your mother.”
For the first time in their marriage, Daniel actually stepped aside.
Margaret stared at Hannah with open disbelief.
“You have some nerve.”
“No,” Hannah replied. “I’ve had enough.”
Then she did something that made the entire kitchen fall silent.
She picked up the trash can, carried it to the counter, and carefully lifted the cake onto a clean baking tray.
The frosting was smeared on one side. A pink rose had broken off, and the white chocolate butterflies were scattered across the icing.
But most of the cake remained intact.
Hannah set it on the counter.
She brushed away the crumbs and gently repaired one of the frosting roses with a small spatula.
Lily watched her mother with wide, tearful eyes.
“Mommy, can we still eat it?”
Hannah knelt beside her.
“Of course, sweetheart.”
