Theo and I were married for seven years. I was thirty-four, a graphic artist who worked from home, and until recently, I thought our marriage was perfect and solid. Everything turned bad on the night of his promotion party.

Theo and I were “that” couple — the kind others liked to measure themselves against at lunch. The ones who seemed easy. He’d grab my hand while I reached for the sauce, holding hands like new lovers at the store!

We’d chuckle at the same jokes often, finish each other’s ideas, and never run out of things to say! And even during tough times, we found our groove again like it was natural! The first two years we tried for a baby were the only time our marriage felt shaky.

Each failed test pulled me further from happiness, like a quiet wave. There were months when I wondered if I was the reason we weren’t growing our family. We spent month after month on various doctor visits, where we got silent letdowns.

My heart broke as we watched our pals share baby scan photos while I stared at empty test strips. I thought I was doomed never to give birth naturally, so when I finally got pregnant, it felt like a wonder! When Mira came along, everything clicked!

She was the string that tied all the loose bits back together! I finally had a perfect little girl for what I believed was a perfect little life. But I couldn’t have guessed what happened next.

Our daughter was four then, bright, curious, and honest to a fault! She liked apple juice without bits and always announced when she needed to pee, even in the middle of church! Life was feeling great!

Besides finally having a child and welcoming the joy of my life, things were looking good financially! Theo had just become partner at his firm! So, to celebrate this big win after he spent years working hard, the company threw a fancy party at some city event space.

The place was all rustic with bare brick and lit with string lights. Mira and I came along, dressed up for the event. She wore a fluffy pink dress with dragon clips, and I looked great in a simple blue dress.

Knowing how well-behaved my daughter was, I didn’t think twice about bringing her to the event. We got to see how the whole office was practically fawning over Theo! Waiters passed by with wine glasses, while the music band played softly in the background.

Every third person seemed to be praising my husband! And I couldn’t have been prouder! I held Mira’s hand as we stood near the treat table while her dad moved from one admirer to the next, shaking hands and soaking up the attention!

I was standing and talking with a senior coworker’s wife about preschools when Mira tugged on my sleeve and said the most confusing words. “Mommy, Look! That’s the Lady with the Worms!”

Her voice rang louder than I’d like, causing a few people and the coworker’s wife to glance our way.

I turned to Mira quickly, bending to her level. “Shh, baby, please use your soft voice and speak quietly. What worms, sweetheart?”

Seeing that I was busy with my daughter, the woman I was talking to smiled kindly and excused herself, giving us some space