NATALIE
After a busy week of shuttling the kids to ballet, baseball practice, and helping with homework assignments, Friday arrived as a relief. It was my weekend with the kids, and I couldn’t have been more grateful for some down time at home. Jason and I had managed to find a good rhythm with our co-parenting schedule. We were both flexible when it came to each other’s work commitments, and our sitter, Emily, was a godsend. She’d been with us long enough that the kids adored her, and her new role as a student teacher meant her afternoons were free when we needed her.
Somehow, we were thriving in this new way of life.
The upcoming holidays, however, had me nervous. This would be our first time navigating them separately. Jason and I had agreed he would have the kids for Thanksgiving and New Year’s, while I’d have them for Halloween and Christmas. It sounded manageable on paper, but the thought of not spendingThanksgivingwith the kids made my heart ache. It also pained me that he wouldn’t be with them on Christmas morning.
I extended an olive branch, inviting him to come over for both Halloween and Christmas. He seemed genuinely grateful, and to my surprise, he invited me to his Thanksgiving celebration. His parents would be visiting, and the gesture was kind, but I declined. Meredith was flying out to spend Thanksgiving with me, and I was looking forward to catching up with her.
When I arrived at school on Friday afternoon, I offered to pick up Charlie along with Bebe and James.
I spotted Camille standing near the gate and walked over to her.
“Incoming,” she whispered, nodding toward the parking lot.
And there he was—Will. Of course, he looked amazing, dressed in a tailored suit that fit him perfectly. It was infuriating how attractive he always appeared. Why couldn’t he have a bad day, just once?
He looked right at me. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. For a moment, it felt like we were having a silent conversation, trying to say all the things we couldn’t. The connection lingered until the bell rang, jolting us both back to reality.
The kids came pouring out of the building. Camille’s twins and James ran out first, full of energy, followed by Charlie, Bebe, and Ivy. Ivy, however, was in tears.
Will immediately noticed and headed straight for her, crouching down to ask what was wrong.
“I want to go play at Bebe’s house,” Ivy sobbed. “She’s having Charlie over.”
I hated seeing her upset, and I felt terrible she felt left out. I leaned down to Bebe.
“Did something happen?” I asked gently.
“She just really wants to play with us,” Bebe said, looking worried.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s invite her over to swim.”
“Really?” Bebe’s face lit up with excitement.
“Of course,” I said, already planning the logistics.
Camille overheard and stepped in to help. “I have a third booster seat in my trunk. We’ll put James in it and make room for Ivy in your car,” she said.
“Thank you,” I told her, relieved.
With the plan settled, I walked over to Will, who was still comforting Ivy.
“Hi,” I said, giving him a small smile. “We’d love to have Ivy over.”
“Can I, Dad? Please?” Ivy pleaded, her tear-streaked face brightening with hope.
At this point, all the girls were chiming in, begging Will with puppy-dog eyes.
“Well, how can I say no to these faces?” he said with a laugh, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “I’ll pick her up around 6:30.”
I nodded and gave Will a small smile.
The girls squealed with excitement, and Will kissed Ivy on the cheek before leaving with his boys.
Back at my house, the kids changed into their swimsuits. Camille arrived with her boys just a little after we got home. I told the kids to help themselves to snacks from the pantry before heading outside. Once the kids were out of earshot, Camille turned to me.
“So, how did that go?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
