Invisible String

25

I didn’t know what to say, so I just smiled softly, reaching out to grab Travis’s hand and interlace our fingers.

“I think we all keep each other going,” I said quietly. “That’s the beauty of it.”

A hush settled in. Comfortable. Familiar. The fire crackled. Jason yawned. Travis leaned in and kissed the side of my head.

“I vote we never leave,” Kylie mumbled, eyes closing, clearly half-asleep.

“Seconded,” I whispered, tucking Finnley in a little tighter.

Because in that moment—under the stars, with the waves in the background and people I loved all around me—I honestly felt like we didn’t need anything else.

---

Later that night, once the embers died and the laughter turned to sleepy murmurs, we all trickled inside the villa, one by one. I carried Finnley upstairs, her little arms wrapped loosely around my neck, her breaths deep and warm against my collarbone. I paused for a second at the top of the stairs, just watching everyone shuffle off to their rooms—Jason whispering something to Kylie that made her giggle, Travis gently waking Lily from where she’d dozed off in his lap to carry her up.

I didn’t realize how much I needed this—being surrounded by people I loved, our kids running wild and safe, and the constant hum of chaos that somehow still felt like peace.

After we laid Lily down, I tiptoed into our room to find Travis already in bed, shirtless, scrolling through his phone. He looked up as I came in, a lazy smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

“You looked really hot holding Finnley earlier,” he said, like it was a simple observation.

I raised an eyebrow as I pulled my hair down from its messy bun. “Did I?”

He nodded, tossing his phone on the nightstand and patting the space beside him. “The whole mom thing really does it for me.”

I laughed as I crawled into bed beside him, resting my head on his chest. “Weird kink, but okay.”

His fingers drew soft circles against my arm. “You’re glowing. You know that, right? Not just from the sun. Just… you.”

That brought a little lump to my throat. “I think it’s just the wine. And the vacation. And being around people who love us.”

“I love you,” he said, voice low and steady. “Like… stupid amounts.”

I tilted my head up to look at him, brushing my nose against his. “Good thing I’m obsessed with you too.”

He kissed me softly then, slow and deep. Not rushed, not frantic—just full of that quiet kind of love that settles into your bones. The kind that feels like home.

Afterward, we curled into each other, limbs tangled, breaths syncing. The villa was quiet now, save for the gentle whir of the fan overhead and the sound of the ocean waves beyond the balcony doors.

“You think we’ll remember this night?” I whispered.

Travis’s hand slid across my hip, anchoring me to him. “I’ll remember everything. Every single second.”

And somehow, I knew he would.

---

The villa buzzed with the kind of quiet chaos only a travel day can bring. Suitcases were zipped shut, last-minute outfits were being stuffed into carry-ons, and someone—probably Jason—kept yelling about chargers being left behind.

I stood in the bedroom, folding Mira’s onesies one by one into her diaper bag, her soft baby chatter coming from the bed where she was kicking her feet into the air like she had no idea today wasn’t just another beach day. Lily sat beside her, still in her pajamas, brushing a Barbie’s hair and very much unbothered by the ticking clock.