“There is no emergency meeting. I’m at the airport right now, about to get on a plane to Miami. I was going to surprise you with a long weekend trip. I even booked a beautiful hotel on the beach. I had a whole plan, Anna. And now… now I have to figure out how to get to your house and then to the airport to catch our flight, so we can celebrate for real.”
I looked at the cake on the counter. The cruel message now seemed absurdly funny. It was a testament to the chaotic, silly, and wonderful first year we had together.
“Don’t worry,” I said, a laugh finally escaping me. “Just get home safely.”
About an hour later, Thomas burst through the door, his face a mix of exhaustion and relief. He was clutching a small, pristine red velvet cake. “The real one,” he said, out of breath. He set it on the table next to the divorce cake.
We didn’t end up flying to Miami that night. We stayed home, ordered takeout, and ate both cakes, laughing until we cried about the anniversary we’d never forget. The divorce cake became our favorite part of the story, a reminder that even when things seem to fall apart, our love is strong enough to handle any surprise.
