Invisible String

28

Lily peeked over from the table. “She likes you best,” she said with quiet certainty.

I sat down with Mira in my lap, bouncing her gently. “Maybe. But I like you best right now because you haven’t bitten me today.”

She grinned. “Can I help feed Mira later?”

“Only if she promises not to bite you too.”

Travis brought over a plate of pancakes and set it in front of Lily, then another for me. “You’re gonna need energy,” he whispered, tapping the back of my chair.

“Oh, you think I’m gonna get a break today?” I asked with a raised eyebrow.

He grinned and nodded toward Mira. “She likes me too, you know. I’ll give you a break after breakfast.”

I smiled and leaned back in my chair, Mira finally quiet in my arms. “Deal. But if she bites you, I get to laugh.”

“Fair,” he said, stealing a strawberry off my plate.

It was chaotic. It was exhausting. It was kind of perfect.

Since the fall breeze made it too chilly to hang outside for long, Travis suggested we take advantage of the indoor pool. And honestly, I wasn’t about to argue. The kids had energy to burn, and I was clinging to the hope that a swim would wear them out just enough to guarantee a solid nap later.

“Let’s hit the pool!” Travis announced, already pulling his hoodie over his head with Mira on his hip.

Lily let out a squeal, her tiny feet hopping in place on the hardwood. “Mommy! I want my rainbow swimsuit!”

“You got it, babe,” I smiled, taking her hand and leading her toward her room. “Let’s get changed.”

While Lily stripped down and started tugging on her swimsuit backwards, I helped her fix it and changed into my own suit—nothing too flashy, just something I could comfortably nurse in if Mira got fussy. Which, let’s be real, she definitely would.

By the time we walked into the pool room, the air was thick with humidity and Travis already had the towels lined up, floaties ready, and snacks stationed nearby like he’d been planning this for a week.

Mira was in her little float, chubby arms flailing in the water, squealing at the top of her lungs. Travis, already wet from head to toe, grinned over at me.

“You’re late,” he teased. “Mira’s been asking for you.”

“Oh, I bet she has,” I muttered with a laugh, slipping off my cover-up and stepping into the warm water. “She’s not asking for me, she’s asking for her favorite snack.”

He chuckled. “Guilty.”

Lily flopped into the water with her floaties, goggles crooked over her forehead, and paddled toward Mira. “Look, Mommy! I’m a fishy!”

“You’re the best fishy I’ve ever seen,” I told her, beaming.

It was chaotic and loud, but in the best kind of way. Mira kept trying to bite the edge of her float like she was teething on it, and Lily made sure to narrate every single move she made. Travis floated lazily near us, tossing a rubber duck between his hands.

“You know,” he said, drifting closer to me with that mischievous smirk of his, “this wasn’t a bad idea.”

“You’re not going to hear me say that out loud,” I teased, leaning into him. “But you might get a kiss later.”

His eyes lit up. “That’s what I like to hear.”

Honestly? This was the kind of simple, beautiful chaos I wouldn’t trade for anything.