We left Dallas on Monday, and I was riding high from the weekend. Sunday morning started with Mia climbing into my bed and then running back out to grab the hats they bought for me and throwing one at me, getting me in the eyeball. Erika and Emma followed suit, throwing more hats at me. She ushered them out of the room, and I fell right back to sleep. When I finally opened my eyes, it was ten thirty, and I rushed out of bed to find a note on the counter.
Took the kids so you can sleep. See you soon.
I dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, arriving at her house at eleven-thirty. The food was already in the oven, and the girls were dressed to lounge by the pool. That was exactly what we did when my family got there. We chilled and relaxed by the pool, and the girls fell asleep in the SUV halfway home. Thank god she packed them pjs and had them change when I was at her house. Thinking back on the day, I don’t think I ever smiled so much.
I grab my phone and see my father has sent me a text.
Dad: Call me when you land. I have to talk to you.
Dad: Nothing urgent or wrong.
I shake my head and text him back.
Me: Next time, just say call me when you have a second.
I put my phone away and lay my head back on the headrest and sleep most of the way home. I get into my SUV and call my father right away.
"Hey," he says, answering right away. "Did you just land?"
"I did," I confirm, grabbing the seat belt and putting it on. "What’s up?"
"Well, first off," he says. "I have to say how great it was seeing you last weekend." I can almost see him smiling. "And the girls. Cooper, you have nothing to worry about." I smile.
"It was a great weekend," I admit. "And it was great having you guys here. I just wish there were more times like that."
"I know, son," he says, and his tone changes. "I’m calling you with good news." I can tell by his voice that he’s excited about whatever this news is.
"We picked the dates for the family vacation," he announces, and I close my eyes, dreading what is going to come.
"By family vacation, do you mean …?" I ask, knowing it’s what I think it is. Every single year, we all get together for a family vacation. All of us. We pick a beach destination, and everyone shows up. There aren’t any ways around it. If you know this family, you show up. One year, my uncle Mark’s family showed up, and we pushed one hundred people.
Last year, they chose Mexico, and we had seven houses side by side. It was insane, and also, if I’m honest, one of the best times. Julianne stopped coming three years ago when she got pregnant and then would go on vacation with her mother and sister while I went with my family.
"I mean all of us," he says. "All million of us."
I laugh. "We might get there one day," I agree. "Send me the dates, and I’ll ask Julianne if I don’t have the girls."
"We found the houses," my father says. "Side by side. I was going to have you guys stay with us, but your sisters said you needed your own, so I got one for you and the girls."
"Thank you," I say, laughing. "Franny and Vivi just don’t want to be woken up at six o’clock. I’m going to see if Erika is free."
"Sounds good, I’m so excited. All the family together for two weeks."
"I’m going to remind you of this conversation when you wake up one morning, and there is vomit on the side of the house, and you have to wash it off."
"Ugh, don’t remind me," he says of that one year Michael and Dylan snuck off to get drunk at sixteen with Alex, and the guys threw up, and she laughed at them. "It’s Max’s turn next time."
"Okay, send me the dates, and I’ll get it fixed on my end," I say, and he hangs up and sends me a text with the dates.
During the divorce, Julianne wanted to do one week on, one week off, but I couldn’t bear not to see the kids, so I convinced her for two days each, but we also decided that we would take the kids for a two-week vacation. I drive away from the airfield and call her to get it out of the way.
The dread fills me as one ring turns into two, and then she finally answers on the third ring.
"Hello." Her voice sounds like she ran to the phone.
"Hey, it’s me," I say, and I wait for the little butterflies to start or to feel anything for her, but nothing comes.