Page 199 of Reverie

“August, you want to explain?” I say, leaning back in the seat. Dawn’s car seat is between where Winter and I sit in the backseat. August sits in the passenger seat while Patrick, August’s new regular guard, drives.

August lets out a happy sound and begins to type frantically. Dawn reaches up and grabs my finger, holding onto it while she sucks the thumb on her other hand and looks toward Winter’s window.

“You will drop me off at Amelia Manor where I will stay with Aunt Ella and Uncle Leo,” August says. “Then you will go to the airport where you will board a plane to Charles DeGaulle Airport. That is in Paris, France.”

Winter’s brows go up. “We’re going to Paris?” she squeaks.

“Yep,” I say, looking at her with my peripheral vision as I fix my gaze on Dawn.

“But…we have kids. We can’t just gallivant off to Europe like that!” she says, turning to face me more fully. Her gaze ping-pongs between me and our son.

“Well, August is staying here. August, do you want to go to Paris?” I ask.

“I have no desire to go to Paris. Plus, there is a big convention this weekend that I want to visit,” he says. I take note that his cheeks get a little pink when he says that. I’ve caught himchatting with a friend online a few times, and he mentioned that he would meet with his friend group at the con.

“Put a pin in that, August,” and he scratches his head, so I clarify. “We will talk more about that in a minute. I need to convince your stepmom that she’s going to France.”

“Hunter, please, be for real,” Winter says, pouting.

“First of all, Sunbeam, we’re rich,” I say.

As is her usual response, she says, “You’re rich,” and stares out the window.

“Weare rich. Which means that we get to travel however is most comfortable for us. And, if you can believe it, I’ve secured all the details. Dawn will be cared for the entire time.”

“You want to leave Dawn behind? I’m breastfeeding,” she says, folding her arms beneath said breasts.

I have to force myself to focus. Her tits were large pre-pregnancy and bigger while pregnant, but milk-heavy Winter is a completely different experience. I’m just so glad she lets me have a taste.

“Well, luckily, we’re not leaving her behind,” I say.

“So we’re going to cart our six-month-old around the planet? Hm,” she says.

“Nope, we have the best travel nanny in the world.”

“Who?” she presses.

“Why Grandma, of course.”

“Amelia is coming?” Winter brings her thumb to her mouth to bite the cuticle but stops before it makes it there.

I nod. “She’ll stay in the guest suite beneath our flat and will take Dawn whenever we want alone time.” I cut my gaze to August and back to Winter. Alone time has been a rare experience for us now that we have a new baby. The reality is that I desperately need to spend an entire day inside my wife.

And I want to do that with the doors to my balcony open and the sounds of angry Parisians below.

“Additionally, she’ll have her aunt Veronica and her cousin Summer to entertain her as well.”

“They’re all coming over to Paris?” she asks, a little startled but finally showing deep excitement. Veronica and Winter have since mended their relationship to something even better than before, to hear her tell it. But when Veronica decided to move to Europe with Summer permanently, Winter was devastated. They left a few months after Dawn was born, and even though I know that Winter has put on a brave face, she misses her sister and niece terribly.

“Yep! My third point is that we need to celebrate your re-entry into your doctoral program. It’s been a long, long road to get to this point, and we need to honor it with your dream vacation. Also, it’s important to get adequate rest before beginning a new semester.”

She purses her lips, thinking. It took a lot for her to feel ready to go back to finish her degree. She was convinced that she’d lost the chance to go back to school, but that was her anxiety talking.

While she is required to start at the beginning of her practicum hours, she’s still able to get the accommodations needed and will be finished in a few years after completing her research.

As we round the bend to enter the gates of Amelia Manor, she says, “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?” She looks between me and August.

“As a heart attack,” I reply.