A few months ago, my ex-husband Willie gave our daughter Lily a tablet for her birthday.
She was thrilled.
It wasn’t just some random present—he’d been promising her this for months.
And for a second, I actually thought, “Maybe he’s finally stepping up as a dad.”
How naïve of me.
Last week, he called out of nowhere.
“Hey, Judy… I need the tablet back.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Uh, Sarah”—his new wife—“thinks it’s too expensive for a kid. She’s not comfortable with Lily having it.”
Lily overheard him. She clutched the tablet to her chest and started crying.
And that’s when it hit me.
If he wanted to take it back, he’d have to earn it.
“Fine,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “You can come get it—but only if you look your daughter in the eyes and tell her why you’re taking away the birthday present you promised her.”
Silence.
Then: “Judy, don’t make this difficult. Just put it in a bag, I’ll come pick it up.”
“Nope,” I said. “You want it? You come take it yourself.”
An hour later, he showed up, stiff and uncomfortable.
Lily stood in the living room, tears brimming, clutching the tablet like it was a lifeline.
“Lily, sweetheart,” he began, “Daddy just needs to take the tablet back, okay?”
She sniffled. “But… why, Daddy? You said it was mine.”
He hesitated. “Well… Sarah thinks—”
“I don’t know Sarah!” Lily cried. “You promised.”
And for a second—I saw it. Guilt. Real guilt. But then he hardened again.
“It’s just a tablet, sweetheart. You’ll be fine.”
Lily looked down, hands trembling. She held it out. “Fine. Take it. But I don’t want to see you for a long time.”
He blinked. But he took it. And he left.
Here’s where it gets interesting.
That night, I shared what happened in a local parenting group—not for drama, but to ask for advice. How do I comfort Lily when her own father chose someone else’s feelings over hers?
The response? Overwhelming.
Hundreds of comments. Outrage. Support.
Some even offered to buy her a new tablet.
But one comment stood out:
“Check the receipt. If YOU bought it, and he took it, that’s theft.”
Lightbulb moment.
I dug through my emails—and there it was.
I had bought the tablet. Under my name. With my credit card.
Why? Because his was maxed out at the time.
So technically? It was mine.
The next day, I went to the store. Showed them the receipt. Explained the situation.
They flagged the device.
If anyone tried to log in again, it’d be locked permanently.
Three days later, I got a call.
“JUDY, WHAT DID YOU DO? The tablet won’t work!”
I took a sip of my coffee. “Oh, you mean my tablet? The one I paid for?”
I paused. “You really thought you could take something from your daughter and walk away without consequences?”
He started shouting—I hung up.
And then?
A package arrived for Lily. No return address.
Inside: A brand-new tablet. And a note.
“From people who care about you more than he does. Never forget how loved you are.”
I cried. Right there in the kitchen.
Because strangers had done what her own father wouldn’t—made her feel loved.
So here’s what I learned:
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A gift isn’t a gift if you take it back—it’s a loan.
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If someone shows you where their loyalty lies, believe them.
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Your community may be stronger than you ever imagined.
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And no child should ever feel like they come second to someone else’s insecurities.
If this touched you, share it.
Because no kid deserves to be the casualty of someone else’s cowardice. 💔💪📱