“I thought you guys could use some food,” he says, placing the platter of hot dogs on a side table my mom has sitting right next to her.
“That’s so sweet of you, Liam,” my mom says.
His thoughtfulness touches me. We all agreed to take turns with things, but from the look on everyone’s faces, it looks like no one even asked for it. He went out of his way to feed everyone.
I lean in and kiss him on the lips. “Thank you.”
He nods his head slightly, pulling me into his arms.
As he hugs me, I catch a glimpse of Kai looking up at us. The pain in his eyes makes me turn away quickly and look over at Amari.
"Sweetie, come eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” she says. Amari and Kevin are now building sandcastles on top of Kai.
Suddenly, I hear Kai say, "Amari, go eat really quick.”
Then, Liam says, "Amari, come eat.”
I look between Kai and Liam. Kai is looking up at both of us. Liam takes a step back, clears his throat, and says, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. You don’t need to say sorry,” I say, looking back down at Kai, who now is looking away from us.
That was awkward. But honestly, there was no real reason for Liam to apologize. He’s never overstepped his boundaries before, and I know, without a doubt, that he didn’t do it on purpose. Liam has always been respectful and mindful of our parenting. Sometimes he has stepped in and asked Amari to listen to me, especially when I’ve repeated myself. Which has always been helpful when I need it.
“Mom. Can you put on your matching swimsuit?” Amari says, her mouth full of food.
“Of course.” I look ridiculous in a polka-dot swimsuit, but when Amari saw that H&M had a matching swimsuit, she asked me to get it. I couldn’t turn her down. I guess she has me wrapped around her finger as well.
As the day is ending,we all sit around the fire and watch the sky turn shades of purple, pink, and orange. The fire pops while the logs burn to coals.
Kai and Amari are sitting across from me. I’ve been watching Kai make Amari s’mores.
“Here is your starburst,” Liam says, handing me a pink Starburst—my favorite.
“Thank you.” I bite down on the Starburst, and the gooey center bursts into my mouth, oozing onto my tongue. Roasting Starbursts in a campfire has always been my go-to.
The day was filled with so much laughter. As the hours passed, I got a little carried away and drank a bit too much. Now I can definitely feel the effects of it settling in. There’s a slight haze in my mind, but honestly, it’s not too bad. Watching everyone enjoying themselves around the crackling fire makes me happy. I’m so glad we could all come together like this. I sink down into my chair, letting the relaxation take over. Everything feels perfect right now. This is one night I’ll remember forever.
"Hey, I’m going to head inside,” Liam whispers to me.
I glance over at him. “So soon?”
“I have some emails I need to answer, and then I’ll probably call it a night,” he says, kissing my forehead.
“Okay. I’ll probably call it a night soon, too.”
Liam tells everyone goodnight and heads inside, and my mom, Bryn, and Amari follow soon after.
Once they’re out of sight, Kai catches my attention through the fire. We hold each other’s gaze, and I bite down on my bottom lip. Kai sees me, and a small grin forms on his face. It’s a habit I’ve had since I was young. A habit that I forgot Kai liked. Until now. I remember when he told me about it when we were young.
“You need to stop doing that.”
I raise my brows. “Doing what?”
“Biting your lip.”
“Why?”
