“But what if I miss you?” she asked, her little lip wobbling.
Oh, my heart.
“You probably will,” I admitted gently. “And that’s okay. That just means we love each other a lot. But you’ll also be having fun, making friends, and learning cool things. And when we pick you up, we’ll want to hear all about your day.”
She thought for a second. “Can I bring my bunny?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “Bunny can go in your backpack.”
Travis grinned. “And we’ll put your name on it with glitter pens if you want.”
That earned a giggle. “GLITTER?!”
“Of course,” I said. “Only the best for preschoolers.”
She hesitated one more beat. “Will you still be here when I get home?”
“Always,” I said, my voice a little thick.
I watched as she looked at Mira, then back at me. “Okay… but only if I get glitter. And muffins.”
Travis laughed. “Deal.”
I pulled them both into me, careful not to squish Mira. Preschool would be a big change. But she was ready. And maybe, just maybe, I was too.
---
After the preschool talk, Lily seemed content again — curled back up between Travis and me, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger while *Bluey* played on. Mira had finally settled for her nap in the bassinet across the room, and the house was quiet in that rare, golden way it only got around this time of day.
I reached for my laptop and opened it up, settling it on my knees.
“What’re you doing, babe?” Travis asked, stretching his arm behind my shoulders.
“School supplies,” I said with a little grin, clicking into a colorful website with cartoon owls and sparkles everywhere. “It hit me just now — we’ve gotta get her a backpack, lunchbox, all the little stuff.”
Lily’s eyes lit up. “Can I pick it?”
I turned the screen a little toward her. “Absolutely. Look — do you like this one with the rainbows, or this one with the dinosaurs?”
She leaned forward, pointing. “Dinosaurs!”
Of course.
Travis raised his eyebrows at me and grinned. “Our little rebel.”
“Okay, dinosaurs it is,” I said, adding it to the cart. “Now let’s pick out a water bottle… sparkly or color-changing?”
“Sparkly!” Lily shouted, bouncing where she sat. “And a pink lunchbox! With bunnies!”
I typed quickly as Travis whispered to her like it was a secret mission, “You think your bunny would fit inside the lunchbox?”
She giggled uncontrollably. “No, Daddy, she’d get all crumpled!”
“I’m just checking, Miss Serious,” he teased, tickling her side.
It hit me in that moment — how normal it all felt. We were a family of four now. One kid heading to preschool, one baby napping in the corner, and here we were choosing glitter water bottles and dinosaur backpacks like we’d been doing it our whole lives.
Mira stirred slightly, letting out a sigh. I glanced over to make sure she was still asleep — she was.
I clicked “checkout,” and said softly, “There. Your first ever school supplies, kiddo.”
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...
