“Bed?!” I call out to the boys, surprised by their request. “It’s only…7 o’clock. You haven’t even had dinner!” “Bed, bed!” the two boys shout, leaping to their feet and running around the pool. “Let’s go to bed!” “Okay,” I say, shrugging. “Sorry Victor,” I say, turning to him. “Looks like the boy
“Evelyn?” He turns to me and I blink, realizing suddenly that I’ve been staring. “Yeah!” I say, slipping back into the pool and swimming over to the shallow end, where I pull off my pumps and climb out. “Alvin, Ian,” I say sternly, making my way over to all three. “That was unacceptable. You owe V
“Ohhhh no you don’t,” I say, laughing anxiously. I start to stand up but Alvin lunges for me and grabs my hand. “Come on, mama, we want to hear the story!” Alvin looks up at me with big brown eyes, hard to resist. “Yes, mama! We want to hear daddy’s side!” Ian stays curled up next to his father, c
“I think they’re asleep,” Victor whispers after a few moments have passed. I look to each of the boys and am pleased to see that their heads have fallen heavy on the pillows, their mouths open slightly as they breathe slowly. “We got lucky in that,” I say, pulling the blanket higher over Alvin’s s
“So when will you get married?” Ian asks, digging into the huge pile of pancakes that Ian’s private chef places in front of him. The chef smiles at the boys, thrilled to be cooking something besides rare steak and salad. I fall silent, looking between the boys, suspicious. Victor, less prepared, bl
“I know, Victor,” I say, crossing to him and working to be as kind as I can. “But it’s been a lot for them. You didn’t do anything wrong.” I put a reassuring hand on his arm, “You were great. Just…let them go to their home, let them return to normal for a minute so they can process all of this chang
Amelia uses her shoulder to push open the front door, wheeling her carry-on suitcase behind her and pressing her phone to her ear. “The Balenciaga,” she says. “Yeah, listen, I’ve got to go.” She tosses the phone aside, running the last few steps across the room to where Victor is standing, jumping
“They’ll never threaten your position,” Victor had promised her that night, “And Evelyn will fall in line.” She’s already threatening my position, Amelia had thought, but she hadn’t said a word of it. “Bring them over, let me meet them,” Amelia had said, after hours of fighting. “After all, if they