Until she wasn’t.
A camera shutter clicked somewhere behind us. I winced. Travis muttered under his breath.
And then Lily turned around, saw the phone pointed in our direction… and
waved.
Full. Arm. Wiggle. “Hiiiiiii!”
I groaned and covered my face. “Oh my God.”
Travis snorted. “She’s your kid.”
“Don’t remind me.”
I looked up just in time to see the woman smile awkwardly and lower her phone, probably realizing that legally she couldn’t post a clear picture of either of our girls anyway. Thank God for privacy laws. Their faces had to be blurred in anything public. I clung to that like a lifeline.
We reached the swings and I helped Lily up, pushing her gently as her legs kicked out, face glowing with pure joy. The wind tangled in her hair, and I caught myself smiling, the tension in my shoulders slowly melting away.
“You know,” I said as I kept a steady rhythm, “we really need to sign her up for preschool soon.”
Travis looked over from where he was bouncing Mira gently in the carrier. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. Has she even toured any?”
I shook my head. “Nope. And she’s ready, Trav. She needs kids her age. And art time. And snack time that I don’t have to make.”
“She’ll be running that place by the second week,” he said with a soft grin.
I laughed. “You’re not wrong.”
Lily craned her head back mid-swing, her hair flying. “I’m gonna go to school?!”
I winced. “Maybe! We have to look at some places first, lovebug.”
She giggled. “I want a pink backpack.”
“Noted.”
Behind us, another phone lifted, and Travis instinctively stepped to block the view of Mira’s face. I felt my phone buzz in my back pocket—probably Gracie checking in or Tree sending some random meme—but I didn’t check it.
Instead, I kept pushing the swing, let Lily squeal with every lift, and reminded myself: they can take pictures. But they can’t take this.
This moment? This peace? This little slice of normal?
It was ours.
---
We made the call the next morning.
I was sipping my second cup of coffee while Mira napped on my chest in the wrap carrier and Travis was upstairs brushing Lily’s teeth. I pulled up the bookmarked tab I’d saved weeks ago—just hadn’t had the energy to act on until now.
Private. Small class sizes. Strong security. A quiet building tucked between a brownstone and a clinic in the West Village. It looked more like a charming little art studio than a school, which, honestly, I loved.
The director picked up on the second ring.
"Hello, Sprout Early Learning! This is Miss Kendra."
“Hi,” I said softly, not using my full name. “My husband and I are looking into preschools for our three-year-old daughter, and we were wondering if you had any openings for a private tour?”
Miss Kendra’s voice lit up. “We sure do! We like to keep those quiet and personal. When were you thinking?”
“Soon,” I said, glancing at the calendar. “Tomorrow morning?”
YOU ARE READING
Invisible String
FanfictionWe always thought it would be easy - or at least, easier than this. Starting a family was the next chapter we were so ready for. After years of tour buses, locker rooms, sold-out stadiums, and quiet nights tangled up on the couch, we finally looked...
