She had once told him that forgetting a parent's birthday should be a criminal offense.
Daniel smiled at the memory.
Then his smile disappeared.
He put the phone down.
"Happy birthday, Daniel," he whispered to himself.
The words sounded strange.
He made another cup of coffee.
At 8:17 a.m., there was a knock on his door.
Daniel froze.
Another knock followed.
He wasn't expecting anyone.
He walked cautiously to the door and looked through the peephole.
Two uniformed officers stood outside.
Daniel's heart began to race.
He opened the door.
"Mr. Carter?"
"Yes?"
"Good morning."
Daniel looked from one officer to the other.
"Is something wrong?"
The older officer smiled.
"No, sir. Nothing is wrong."
"Then why are you here?"
The younger officer glanced at his partner.
"We've been asked to escort you somewhere."
Daniel frowned.
"Where?"
The older officer's smile grew wider.
"You'll find out soon."
Daniel almost refused.
But something about the officers' expressions made him pause.
For the first time that morning, he wondered if perhaps this birthday might not be as lonely as he had expected.
He just didn't know how much his life was about to change.
The People Behind the Glass
The officers drove Daniel across town.
He sat in the back seat, watching familiar streets pass by.
Neither officer explained where they were going.
Daniel tried asking twice.
Both times, they gave him the same answer.
"It's a surprise."
That word made him nervous.
Daniel hadn't had a surprise in years.
Eventually, the car stopped outside a government facility.
Daniel recognized the building immediately.
His stomach tightened.
It was the place where he had his supervised family visits.
The same building where he had spent months sitting across from Emily and Sophie through glass.
He stared at it.
"Why are we here?"
The older officer turned around.
"Just trust us."
Daniel stepped out of the vehicle.
His hands were trembling.
He followed the officers through the entrance.
The familiar hallway smelled like disinfectant and old coffee.
Every step brought back memories.
He remembered Sophie sitting on the other side of the glass, holding drawings she had made at school.
He remembered Emily trying to smile when Daniel knew she wanted to cry.
He remembered the first time Sophie had pressed her palm against the glass.
He had placed his hand against the other side.
Neither of them spoke.
They didn't need to.
The officer opened a door.
Daniel stopped.
Inside was the visitation room.
But something was different.
The lights were off.
The room was dark.
"What's going on?"
The officer smiled.
"Go inside."
Daniel hesitated.
Then he stepped through the doorway.
The lights suddenly came on.
"Surprise!"
Daniel nearly fell backward.
A long table stood in the center of the room.
There were balloons.
Birthday decorations.
Photographs.
And in the middle of everything was an enormous birthday cake.
But Daniel didn't look at the cake.
He couldn't.
Because standing on the other side of the glass was Emily.
And beside her was Sophie.
His daughter was holding a small sign.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD.
Daniel's mouth opened.
No words came out.
Sophie pressed both hands against the glass.
Tears filled her eyes.
Daniel walked toward her.
Slowly.
One step at a time.
He lifted his hand.
She lifted hers.
Their palms touched through the glass.
Daniel closed his eyes.
For months, this was the closest they had been allowed to come.