By afternoon, they were all nicely exhausted and sun-warmed. Once home, Sandra gathered their damp suits to rinse out the chlorine, then called both kids over. "Aloe time. I want to put some on your shoulders just in case."
Toby submitted with minimal grumbling. "This smells good. Like vacation."
Emma practically purred as Sandra smoothed gel across her shoulders. "Oh, that feels amazing."
"See? Told you it smelled good," Toby said, then wrinkled his nose. "Wait, does this mean I smell like a girl now?"
"You smell like someone smart enough to take care of their skin," Sandra said firmly. "When you're older, you'll thank me for teaching you about moisturizer."
"If you say so," Toby said doubtfully.
They ordered pizza for dinner, then settled in for another movie night with popcorn. When bedtime came, Toby hugged Sandra good night with unconscious affection.
"I had such a great day," he said, arms tight around her waist. "I can't wait till Dad gets home so we can do everything again, but with all four of us together."
Sandra's throat tightened. "That sounds perfect."
After Toby was settled, Sandra knocked on Emma's door. The girl sat on her bed in pajamas, brushing her hair.
"Need anything before I turn in?"
Emma hesitated, then set down her brush. "Can you sit for a minute?"
Sandra perched on the bed's edge. "What's on your mind?"
"I had a really good day today." Emma spoke slowly, carefully. "And I was thinking about how different this feels from time with my mom. Not bad different. Just... easier, I guess."
Sandra's heart ached for the girl. "That makes sense."
"With Mom, everything feels like it has to be special or planned perfectly. Like she's trying to fit a whole relationship into one weekend." Emma's voice grew stronger, more confident. "But with you, it's just... normal. Like you actually want to be here."
"I do want to be here, Emma."
"I know. And that's what makes it different." Emma looked directly at Sandra. "Can I tell you something kind of personal?"
"Of course."
"I used to worry that if Dad found someone, she might not like me and Toby. Or that she'd try to replace Mom." Emma twisted her hands in her lap. "But you're not trying to be our mom. You're just... Sandra. And that's exactly what we needed."
Sandra felt tears prick her eyes. "That means everything to me." She thought back to seeing Emma glancing several times at the mother braiding her daughter’s hair. She hesitated, then plunged ahead. “Can I tell you about my mom… well, my parents?”
Emma’s eyes immediately widened, but she nodded. “Yeah… um… sure.”
“Well, it’s just that I understand a little about how you feel. My parents were older when they discovered they were having an oops baby?—”
Emma’s mouth flew open, and a little laugh slipped out. “Oh my God, Sandra… you too?”
“Yep… I was very unplanned. Now, like your parents, they loved me dearly, and even though they didn’t always show it the way other parents did, I knew I was loved.”
“How did they show it… or didn’t show it?”
“My parents were very scholarly. University professors. They loved reading ancient law texts, attending lectures, and hosting other ancient history and law professors, along with a few students for dinner. My mom couldn’t have made a chocolate chip cookie if her life depended on it…” Sandra stopped and laughed. “Well, maybe she could have, if the recipe was written in Latin or ancient Greek.”
Emma laughed, her eyes twinkling. She settled back, now seeming to enjoy Sandra’s story.
“I was encouraged to read, but my parents didn’t sit with me and read stories together. I was encouraged to play, but my parents didn’t toss a ball or go swimming with me. I was encouraged to have friends, but I didn’t have sleepovers.” She placed her hand over Emma’s. “My mother never braided my hair.”
Emma sucked in a quick breath through her nose as her lips pressed together. “You… you saw? At the pool?”
