I tried. Until the day she shut my daughter out of a birthday party.
It was a sunny Saturday. Michael’s brother, David, was throwing a Pokémon-themed party for his son, Ryan’s, seventh birthday.
Sophie was buzzing with excitement. All week she’d been asking about Ryan’s favorite things. When she saw a limited-edition Pokémon card set online, her eyes lit up.
“That one! He’s going to freak out!” she exclaimed. Michael and I split the cost but told her it was from her. She helped wrap it in shiny gold paper, smoothing each corner carefully.
“Do you think he’ll love it?” she asked for the hundredth time.
“Almost as much as we love you,” I told her.
