My 5 Year Old Wants to Invite The Lady Who Visits Dad

MY 5-YEAR-OLD WANTS TO INVITE “THE PRETTY LADY WHO VISITS DAD WHILE MOM’S AT WORK” TO HER BIRTHDAY PARTY My husband, Jake, was laid off earlier this year, so while he’s been job hunting, I’ve been working full-time to support us. He’s been home with our 5-year-old daughter, Ellie, and life seemed normal — until last week. We were planning Ellie’s upcoming birthday party, and I asked who she wanted to invite. That’s when she said: “I want to invite the pretty lady who visits Daddy while you’re at work.” I froze. “The pretty lady?” I asked, trying to stay calm. “Yeah! The one with long hair. She’s really nice. She says Daddy’s so kind and always hugs him goodbye. Can she come? Please?” My heart sank. “Of course, sweetheart. Why don’t you invite her next time you see her?” That night, I barely slept. Who was this “pretty lady?” Was Jake cheating? Or was Ellie imagining things? I didn’t confront him. I wanted to see what would happen next. The next day, I casually asked, “Did you invite the pretty lady?” “Yep! She said she’d come for sure!” Ellie cheerfully said. I almost dropped my coffee. On the day of the party, I was a nervous wreck. The party started like any other — kids running around, chaos everywhere. Then, about an hour in, the doorbell rang.

When my daughter casually mentioned inviting someone I’d never heard of to her birthday party, I had no idea how much my life was about to change. That conversation marked the beginning of a revelation I never saw coming.
My husband, Jake, and I have been together for a decade, married for seven years. He’s always been a kind and hardworking man—though a bit scatterbrained at times—and I never had any reason to doubt him. But recently, things shifted.
Earlier this year, Jake lost his job. While he’s been job hunting, I’ve taken on extra hours to keep everything afloat. It’s been tough, but we’ve managed. Our five-year-old daughter, Ellie, has loved having extra time with her dad. To her, Jake is a superhero. Life seemed normal—until Ellie unknowingly upended that belief.

One evening, as we were finalizing her birthday guest list, she asked a question that stopped me cold.

“Mommy, can I invite the pretty lady who comes to visit Daddy while you’re at work?”