I have no idea where this is coming from. It’s like something has taken over my brain. Me, making up some kind of fairy tale?
It’s a first.
"Like me." Lukas demonstrates his version of wave dancing, tripping over his towel in the process but bouncing right back to his feet.
"Yup. And you know what else?" I lean in, lowering my voice to a whisper. "She could talk to volcanos."
"Really?" Jace's eyes go wide.
"Yes, and she had a special secret. She knew every volcano had a heart made of magic. And when she listened, she could hear them singing."
I should not be making this shit up. After all, I’m the kind of person who thinks parents who lie to their kids about Santa Clause are awful. And now I’m making up some craziness about a princess volcano thing?
"What did they sing?" Lukas breathes.
I don’t miss a beat because now I am apparently just another liar who tells tall tales to small children to keep them busy. "They sang about the islands, about the brave people who lived here, about the magic that lives in the ocean and the sky and..." I tap Lukas’s chest, "in here."
"In my heart?"
"That's where magic starts."
I catch Jonas watching me, and something in his expression makes me want to dive into the pool and hit my head.
But I can’t freaking stop. It’s like I have some new kind of super power.
Maybe this is a new business opportunity.
"What happened to the princess?" Jace demands.
"Some say she still lives in the volcano, keeping all the island's children safe. Others say she turned into a sea turtle, swimming forever in the warm waters. But I think..." I glance at the resort's volcano, conveniently starting its hourly show,"I think she's still here, watching over children who believe in magic."
"Like us?" Both kids are exploding with excitement.
"Especially like you."
"Dad." Lukas turns to Jonas. "Can we look for the princess tomorrow? At the beach?"
"Please?" Jace adds her cuteness to the campaign. "We could bring shells for her."
Oh, what have I done?
This is where I should step back. Let Hot Dad take over. Stay out of planning tomorrow's activities like I'm part of this tribe or something.
But Jonas is looking at me with a crooked dad smile, half in amazement, and half in relief that he’s getting a little break.
Then reality crashes into me like a rogue wave.
Three days. I've been here three days. My sacred three-day rule, broken without me even noticing. Worse, I think I'm already thinking about tomorrow...
I don’t hang out with men for more than three days, and I certainly don’t hang out with their adorable children for that long, either.
Oh god.
My phone buzzes, snapping me back to reality:
Ryan:
How's the family angle going?