Seven Days Until Forever EndsChapter 3

Francine didn't return until that evening.

Oscar followed behind her, clutching the space shuttle model I'd given him. I'd spent two months making it by hand, but his name had already been removed from the base.

Francine flipped through the divorce papers before tossing them back onto the table.

"Ian Baxter, you're already 38—can you stop acting so childish? Dale just lost Zachary, and you're threatening to divorce me over one meal?"

I looked at the space shuttle model. "What happened to the name on the base?"

Oscar instinctively hid it behind his back.

"Zachary loved aerospace too, and Dale got very emotional when he saw the space shuttle model," Francine explained. "So, Oscar agreed to let him keep it for a few days."

"But I gave Oscar that as his birthday gift," I argued.

"Oscar has the right to decide what to do with his own things," Francine said calmly. "Besides, he's only lending it to Dale. It's not like he's giving it away."

"Is that what you wanted?" I asked Oscar.

He lowered his head. "Mom said Mr. Stratton needs it more right now."

"I see," I said with a nod.

Francine rubbed her forehead. "What exactly are you making such a fuss about? Nothing is going on between me and Dale. Do I really need your permission to help a friend who's lost his child?"

"You can help Dale." I pushed the divorce papers toward her again. "But you can't sacrifice yourself, Oscar, and my place in this family just to save him."

Francine's expression turned cold. "What do you mean, your place? It's not like Oscar is calling Dale 'Dad.'"

The moment those words left her mouth, I saw Oscar's expression change.

"Have you called him that?" I asked.

"No." Oscar immediately denied it, yet he couldn't bring himself to look me in the eye.

I took out my phone and opened Dale's Instagram.

Two hours ago, he posted a group photo. Francine stood on the left, Oscar on the right, and Dale sat between them. In his hands was the space shuttle model I'd given Oscar.

The caption simply read, "Thank you for giving me a family again."

Beneath it, Oscar had commented, "Dad, don't be sad."

The living room fell silent for a long time.

Eventually, Francine said, "It was just a way of addressing Dale. He was inconsolable at the time, and Oscar only called him that to comfort him."

I looked at Oscar. "So, you've lied to me again."

Hurt flickered in Oscar's eyes. "Mom said you wouldn't understand."

"She's right." I suddenly laughed. "I really don't."

I couldn't understand how the son I'd raised could so casually call another man "Dad" just to comfort him, much less why Francine thought any of this was perfectly justified.

The countdown had dwindled to just five days.

I gathered the divorce papers and sent a message to my lawyer, Kurt Miller.

"There's no point negotiating the divorce settlement anymore. Just prepare the papers to file for divorce."