Invisible String

25

The morning sun poured through the villa’s big kitchen windows, casting a warm glow over the breakfast table. We were all gathered—me, Travis, Kylie, Jason, and a chorus of little voices chattering over bowls of fruit, scrambled eggs, and pancakes.

Mira was in her high chair, happily smacking the tray with a piece of banana, while Lily sat between me and Travis, legs swinging under the bench as she spooned syrup onto her pancakes like she was painting a masterpiece.

Jason leaned back in his chair and tapped his mug against Kylie’s. “Alright,” he said, glancing around the table. “What do you guys say? Should we let the kids pick what we do today?”

Kylie raised an eyebrow, smirking. “You sure you wanna open that can of worms?”

Jason chuckled. “Why not? We’re on vacation.”

Travis grinned and nudged Lily. “Okay, kiddo. If you got to pick, what would we do today?”

Lily's eyes lit up. She dropped her fork and gasped like this was the best thing she’d heard all week. “Beach day! And I wanna build the biggest sandcastle ever. With a moat! And seashells! And a dragon.”

Wyatt chimed in from across the table. “I wanna go snorkeling again!”

Elliott wrinkled her nose. “I still say we should go shopping. Like, real shopping. Clothes and shoes.”

“Pool day!” Bennett shouted, holding up both hands like a vote.

“I want ice cream,” said Finley, like it was a full itinerary.

We all laughed. Kylie glanced over at me. “So... sandcastles, snorkeling, shopping, pool, and ice cream?”

Travis raised his brows. “Sounds doable… if we had four clones.”

I smiled and took a sip of my coffee. “Let’s hit the beach in the morning and do a little bit of everything. Rotate groups. Divide and conquer. Reward ourselves with ice cream.”

Jason pointed his fork. “Smart. Classic Mom move.”

“Classic Super Mom move,” Travis added, kissing the top of my head.

The table buzzed again with little cheers and excited voices, and I looked around—at the chaos, the mess of half-eaten pancakes, the sunlit faces, the sound of Mira’s happy babbles—and I thought to myself: this is the good stuff.

---

After breakfast, the grownups huddled in the kitchen like we were forming a game plan for the Super Bowl.

“Okay,” I said, hands on my hips while balancing Mira on one. “Lily and Bennett are dead set on beach day. That’s doable first thing, before it gets too hot.”

“Wyatt and Jason want snorkeling,” Kylie added, sipping her third cup of coffee. “I can take them once everyone’s settled at the beach.”

“I’ll stay with Finley and Elliott if they still want the pool,” Travis offered. “That way, we’re covered.”

“And the shopping?” Jason asked, raising a brow.

I smirked. “That’s an after-nap activity.”

We high-fived like tired champions and got to work loading up bags, wrangling kids into swimsuits, and slathering everyone in sunscreen. Mira wore a sunhat the size of her whole body, and Lily insisted on bringing her shovel and bucket set—plus one stuffed animal “in case the sand gets lonely.”

---

Lily, Bennett, and I were immediately knee-deep in the sand, digging trenches and piling up towers that barely stayed upright. Mira snoozed in a pop-up shade tent nearby, occasionally kicking her feet like she was dreaming about the ocean.