**Diary Entry 15th October**
*”Youre the one who ruined him!”* My husbands ex-wife spat the words at me like an accusation.
*”Mum, why does Theo have a different surname?”* Max asked, flipping through his stepbrothers school diary.
Natalie froze over the pot of beef stew, the ladle hovering mid-air. The question hung between them, tense as a drawn bowstring. Max sat at the kitchen table, hunched over his homework, not even looking up as he waited for an answer.
*”Because he has a different dad,”* she replied softly, stirring the stew again.
*”Wheres his dad?”*
*”He lives separately.”*
Max finally lifted his head from his notebook, studying his mother with knowing eyes. At eleven, he understood far more than Natalie wished he did.
*”Why does Theo cry at night sometimes?”*
Her chest tightened. She knew, of course. Seven-year-old Theo often sobbed into his pillow, muffling the sound. The child psychologist had called it adjustment stressdivorce, a new stepfather, a reshaped family.
*”Hes still getting used to us,”* Natalie said, turning off the hob.
*”I liked David straight away,”* Max remarked. *”Hes brilliant, isnt he?”*
Natalie smiled. David *was* brillianta loving husband and stepfather. After her first divorce, shed raised Max alone for three years, juggling two jobs, collapsing into bed exhausted each night. Then shed met David at a parents eveningdivorced too, raising his son Theo.
Theyd taken it slow, both wary of another mistake, of hurting the boys. But love had outweighed the fear.
*”Nat, Im home!”* Davids voice echoed from the hallway.
*”Dads back!”* Max grinned, darting off to greet him.
Natalie watched him go. Max had embraced David effortlessly. Theo, thoughTheo was another story.
David strode into the kitchen, kissed her temple, and squeezed her shoulder. *”Hows it going? Wheres Theo?”*
*”In his room. David, we need to talk.”* She lowered her voice. *”Emily rang today.”*
His expression darkened. Emilyhis ex-wife, Theos mother. Every call from her was a storm.
*”What now?”*
*”She wants Theo this weekend. Says hes changedwithdrawn, struggling at school.”*
*”And you said?”*
*”What could I say? Of course she can have him. But she implied…”* Natalie hesitated.
*”Implied what?”*
*”That its my fault. That Im not good to him.”*
David sighed heavily and dropped into a chair. *”Nat, you know thats rubbish. Youve been nothing but kind to him.”*
*”I try. But is it enough?”* Her voice cracked. *”Max accepted you straight away. Theo still flinches when I reach for him.”*
*”Give him time. His situations different. Max remembers how hard you had it alonehes glad youve got support. Theo had both parents until everything shattered. And Emily… she poisons him against you.”*
She knew it. After their wedding, Emily had declared war. She couldnt bear that David had moved on.
*”Remember her turning up at the registry office?”*
David grimaced. Oh, he remembered. Emily had stormed in mid-vows, demanding Theo back, screeching that Natalie had stolen her familynever mind that David had been divorced six months when theyd met.
*”Shell never stop,”* David muttered. *”But well handle it. We cant let her twist the boys.”*
Theo appeared in the doorwaysmall, fair-haired, eyes downcast.
*”Theo, love, come eat,”* Natalie coaxed.
He shuffled in, sitting as far from her as possible. The familiar sting pricked her heart. *What am I doing wrong?*
*”How was school?”* David asked.
*”Fine,”* Theo mumbled.
*”Your teacher said youve been distracted.”*
Theo shrugged.
*”Is something bothering you?”* Natalie ventured.
He shot her a fleeting glance, then looked away. *”Nothin.”*
*”Theo, Nats just trying to help,”* David said gently.
*”Shes not my mum!”* Theo burst out. *”Ive got a mum! A proper one!”*
Natalie paled. Davids fists clenched.
*”Theo, apologise. Now.”*
*”Wont! Shes not family! I wanna live with Mum!”* He bolted from the table, his bedroom door slamming behind him.
Natalie pressed her hands to her face. David wrapped an arm around her.
*”He doesnt mean it.”*
*”He does. And hes right. I *am* a stranger. No matter what I do, Im the one who broke his home.”*
*”Nat, dont be daft. Emily and I split long before you. You know why.”*
She did. Emily had cheated, flaunted her affairs, claimed marriage suffocated heruntil David filed for divorce. Then suddenly, shed fought to save it. Too late.
*”Theo doesnt know that. To him, everything went wrong when I showed up.”*
*”Hell understand when hes older.”*
*”Till then, Im the villain who stole his dad.”*
Max peeked in. *”Mum… Theos crying.”*
Natalie met Davids gazehis eyes mirrored her helpless pain.
*”Ill talk to him,”* he said.
*”No. Let me.”*
She knocked on Theos door. *”Theo? Can I come in?”*
*”Go away!”*
*”Please. Theres something I want to tell you.”*
Silence. Then a quiet, *”Kay.”*
Theo was curled on his bed, facing the wall. She perched on the edge.
*”Want to hear about my dad?”*
No reply, but she felt him listening.
*”My parents divorced when I was eighta bit older than you. Dad left for another woman. Mum remarriedUncle John. Know what I did?”*
Theo turned slightly.
*”I hated him. Properly hated him. Thought if I was awful enough, hed leave and Dad would come back. I broke his things, shouted, threw tantrums. Poor Uncle John put up with it. Mum cried every night.”*
Theo rolled over. *”What happened?”*
*”I grew up. Realised Dad didnt leave because of Uncle John. He left because he fell out of love. Uncle John just wanted us to be happy. But by the time I understood…”*
*”…it was too late?”*
*”He died when I was sixteen. I never thanked him. Never said I loved him. And hed been more of a father than my own.”* Her throat closed.
*”Aunt Nat…”* Theo whispered. *”Dyou want me to forget my mum?”*
*”No, love. Never. Youve only one mum, and you should love her. I just… want us to be all right. Im not replacing her. I just want to be your friend.”*
Theo chewed his lip, thinking. *”You wont make me call you Mum?”*
*”Never.”*
*”If I miss her… you wont be mad?”*
*”Course not. Thats normal.”*
He sat up. *”Can I tell you about her? How pretty she is? How nice?”*
*”Any time.”*
*”Will you tell me more about Uncle John?”*
She smiled through tears. *”Whenever you like.”*
Emily collected Theo that weekend. Natalie watched from the window as hertall, polished, in a designer coatbundled Theo into her sleek car. Theo waved eagerly. Natalie waved back, forcing a smile.
David hugged her from behind. *”Hell come home.”*
*”I know. Its just… shes so glamorous. And Im”*
*”Youre *everything.* Theoll see that.”*
On Sunday evening, Emily brought him backbut this time, she marched upstairs with him.
Natalie opened the door and knew instantly: trouble. Emilys face was twisted with fury.
*”We need to talk,”* she hissed.
*”Theo, go to your room,”* Natalie said gently.
*”No!”* Emily snapped. *”He stays. He needs to hear this.”*
David appeared from the living room. *”Em, whats going on?”*
