At my niece’s birthday party, my sister teasingly asked, “Still playing house with your cats?” as everyone around us laughed. But then, the front door opened, and a man walked in, gently carrying my toddler who had just woken from her nap. He looked at her and said, “Go to Mama.” My daughter immediately ran into my arms, shouting, “Mommy!” The room went completely silent. The Thanksgiving tablescape was a masterpiece. Twelve place settings, my best china, and a centerpiece I’d spent hours arrang