Page 17 of From Maybe to Baby

"Better." I pull up the Hawaii resort website, which I definitely haven't been studying for the past three days. "They have a volcano pool."

"That 'splodes?"

"Explodes. And sort of. It's got water features and?—"

But they're not listening anymore, too busy charging around the room making explosion noises and scattering all packing attempts to the wind.

Sarah picks up a discarded t-shirt. "So, you’re doing this? Actually doing this?"

"Guess so,” I say, watching Lukas demonstrate his version of a volcanic eruption. "Unless you think I'm crazy."

"Oh, you're definitely crazy." She folds the shirt with the practice of someone who's done more than her share of kid laundry. "But the good kind of crazy. The kind Genny would approve of."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She smiles. "She always said you needed to loosen up more."

"I'm plenty loose." I protest, then immediately lunge to catch Jace before she demonstrates volcanic activity off the edge of her bed.

"Sure you are, bro." Sarah heads for the door. “I gotta head out. Early call tomorrow.”

I stand to give her a hug. “Thanks, sis. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

She smirks and slaps my arm. “I don’t know what you’d do, either.”

"DADDY." Lukas interrupts, ignoring his aunt’s exit. "Can we bring my dinosaurs to Ha-wee?"

"Hawaii. And how many dinosaurs?"

He considers this with all the seriousness of a contract negotiation. "All of them?"

I look at his mini-suitcase, already overflowing with the basics. Then at Jace, who's now demanding that her princesses get to come too because "it's not fair if only the dinos get a vacation."

"We'll negotiate," I decide. "But first, who wants to help Daddy by going back to bed?”

Their enthusiasm for going back to bed is nonexistent. But that's okay. Nights like this, with princesses and dinosaurs, are everything that we’ll remember one day.

Gloria’s travel agent,Karen, has the patience of a saint and the organizational skills I desperately need in my life. She's also, apparently, a mind reader, as she gives me a last-minute briefing on Hawaii.

"The Hale Olu’olu Resort is perfect for single parents," she says during her pep talk, most likely orchestrated by Gloria. "They have a special program for kids while you're doing your thing, supervised activities all day, and the rooms are completely childproofed."

"Childproofed doesn't mean Jace- and Lukas-proofed," I warn.

Karen laughs. "Well, they've hosted several NHL families before. Including the Robertsons last year—and we know their twins are... energetic."

That's one way to put it. I once saw those twins dismantle their father’s locker room in under five minutes.

"The resort has everything you need," she continues. “Multiple pools for different ages, calm beaches for the little ones, and most importantly”—she pauses for effect—"an excellent coffee shop that opens at 5 a.m.”

Now she's speaking my language.

"What about the flight?" I scroll through my mental list of travel horrors. "Five hours is a long time with two kids."

"Nonstop from San Francisco, departure time coincides with their usual nap schedule, and I've already arranged for extra legroom seats near the bathroom."

I pause. "How did you know their nap schedule?"

"Gloria might have called me." Of course she did. They’re friends. "Several times, actually. She's very thorough."

---