Mom said it belonged to a woman from his office. We expected the worst. We burst through the door… “SURPRISE!” Balloons. Confetti. A banner: “Baby Detective Arriving Soon!” Turns out, the whole thing was an elaborate baby shower—mystery-themed, because I’ve loved detective stories since I was a kid. Dad had been the “red herring,” adding drama with fake divorce claims and secretive behavior. No affair. No breakdown. Just a room full of friends,
decorations marked like a crime scene, and the most creative baby celebration I could’ve imagined. I was mad. Then I laughed. Then I cried. And in that moment, I realized the greatest mystery was how my family managed to pull this off—and how lucky I am to be surrounded by so much love.
