“All you want,” I said.
“How long can we stay, Daddy?” Sydney asked.
“The entire week. How does that sound?”
“Swimming for a whole week! Yeah!” Daniel said.
As my four-year old twins peered out the windows of my private jet, I smiled at their excitement. This was what made my business worth it. This was what made all the mistakes I’d made up until this point worth it. The woman I had loved and lost. The heartache I’d gone through with my children’s biological mother. Seeing the joy in their eyes when I could treat them to things I knew I’d never experience as a child made every minute of work and every second of dealing with investors worth it.
They were hitting that age where everything was wondrous and cool and awesome. And I loved that I could be there for them as a father. Growing up without my father made me appreciate time with my kids that much more. I knew he was successful, but that was about it. That was all that mattered to my father and it compromised the family he had created. I didn’t want to be that kind of father to my kids. I wanted to be successful, sure. But I also wanted to be present.
My father dropped the ball, but I sure as hell wouldn’t, at least not intentionally.
Unfortunately, there are still moments when I struggle to play the part of single dad and businessman. I did my best to be 100% focused on them when we had our time together, but I often wondered if I was doing a well enough job, or if I let work get in the way too often.
They were like miniature spiritual teachers. My children were at the stage where they gasped at everything from Christmas lights to big bodies of water. Hell, sometimes they would sit in a chair out back and squeal at the squirrels hopping from limb to limb. Their childish wonder was always a reminder to me to stop and appreciate the little things.
Especially since my life moved at such a fast pace.
Especially since I chased my success in a fruitless attempt to prove myself to my father.
“Come on, guys. We need to strap in. We’re about to descend. That means we’re about to land,” I said.
My kids scrambled to buckle their seatbelts as the plane started its descent.
The two munchkins were bouncing around in their seats, anxious to get to our vacation home so they could go out and swim. Sydney and Daniel were due back at their preschool next week, but I wanted them to enjoy some time away during spring break. My security company had been in overdrive taking on a flood of new high-end clients, and I had my driver pick them up from school and drop them off at my office more often than at home.
We all needed a break, and I was ecstatic they were so excited.
We disembarked underneath a gorgeous blue sky. There was not a cloud in sight and the air smelled of sea salt. I hauled the bags as the kids ran for the car, sliding across the soft leather seats.
“Come on, Daddy! Hurry up!” Sydney said.
Tossing everything into the trunk, I turned around with a big smile on my face.
One week of just me, the munchkins, and their excitement. I’d take them to see everything; the secret lagoon with the waterfall they could play in, and the crystal-clear waters with snorkeling goggles so they could see the fish. I’d take them jet skiing and bodysurfing and let them try all of the wonderful local foods Nassau Island had to offer.
I was ready to make memories and put work behind me for a while.
We pulled up to the vacation house I’d recently purchased, and the kids gawked. I’d known they would love it from the moment I found it online. It sat right on the edge of the beach and had steps that came off the porch and went right into the water. There was a slide on the side of the house that jutted out a good fifteen feet past the shoreline. The porch was made of a thick glass so you could sit and watch the sunset while fish swam underneath your feet, and each bedroom lined the back of the house, so everyone would get an ocean view in the morning.
“Oh look! A waterslide!” Daniel said.
“Can we go down it, Daddy? Please!” Sydney said.
“Of course, you can. Let’s get inside and get changed, then the two of you can have at it,” I said.
“Do we have to wear floaties this time?” Daniel asked.
“I don’t like those,” Sydney said.
“Well, you’re going to be wearing them. But do it without whining and I’ll have a surprise for you guys tonight,” I said.
“A surprise? What is it?” Daniel asked.
“Yeah, what is it?” Sydney asked.
“Well it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if I told you what it was,” I said.