Page 110 of From Maybe to Baby

I lean back, staring at the ceiling, letting her words sink in. Sometimes the truth hits like a freight train, and sometimes it sneaks up on you like the smell of fresh bread on a Parisian morning.

"Okay," I say finally. "I’ll figure it out. But you better be there to catch me if it’s a total disaster."

She smirks, grabbing her coat and heading for the door. I think she has a date with some young hottie. "Disaster or not, at least it’ll be yours. And you know I’m always here to catch my little girl."

As the door closes behind her, I glance back out the window, where I’ve been spending entirely too much time daydreaming. Paris, my dream job, the life I’ve built. And I wonder—if it’s not here, then where?

I callRyan at noon my time, six a.m. his time, in New York. Not because I've been staring at flight schedules, but because I've finally figured out what's wrong with my writing.

"I can't do this anymore," I tell him before he can lecture me about missed deadlines.

"Finally." He doesn't sound surprised. "The Paris stuff is… not working. No offense. It’s just that I know your work and know you can do more. Do better. I mean, what am I going to dowith that piece where you wrote a thousand words about how the Louvre needs a dinosaur exhibit?"

“Yeah. I hear ya,” I say. “But I do have an idea.”

"I’m listening.”

I pull up my laptop, where I've been drafting something different. "What if we changed the angle completely? What if I acknowledge I'm still the child-free travel expert, but write about what happens when that person suddenly finds herself knee-deep in family craziness?"

"Go on."

"So, here’s what I’m thinking," I start, my fingers crossed. "Minty Fresh Takes on Family—orFreshly Minted: Family Edition. I see it as a column about family travel from the perspective of someone who used to think kiddie pools were a form of mild torture. It’s messy, unpredictable, and occasionally hilarious—because, let’s face it, nobody gets through a family trip without some pandemonium. That’s where the stories are."

He's so quiet, I can hear the sounds of New York City waking up in the background.

So I continue. "Here’s an idea—an honest look at what happens when you try to explain the Eiffel Tower to a six-year-old who just wants to know where the snacks are. Or how an art museum becomes a scavenger hunt when you let the kids take the lead. It’s not Pinterest-perfect travel. More like the kind where you discover the world through their eyes—and learn how to laugh at yourself while doing it."

He finally responds. "This is good. Really good. It's you, but different. Better."

"It's real."

"It's authentic.”

I pull up more ideas and read them out loud.

Luxury travel: downgraded but survivable. How to turn five-star perks into something real—like knowing where the good wine is while the kids melt down in the lobby.

He chuckles. I think I’ve got him.

Chaos, meet coffee: A guide to finding sanity (and maybe a croissant) when the itinerary explodes.Unplanned adventures that somehow work out—sometimes even better than the ones you planned. Sometimes worse, but at least they’re memorable.

"I’m liking it,” he says. "It’s a new direction for you, but… it feels like it fits.”

"Am I torching my perfect image?" I ask.

“Make that part of the story. Be open about your pivot. Think how encouraging that will be for your followers.”

And how some of them will hate every word I’m writing.

"So… I can do this?" I mumble, mostly asking myself. "Even though it basically nukes the brand I’ve worked so hard to build?"

"Especially because of the brand you built. Build a new one based on it. People will want to hear about your journey. People love a good trainwreck—preferably one with feelings. But maybe don’t call the Louvre pieceHow to Appreciate Art While Wondering If He’s Ghosting You."

“Oh. I sent you that? I don’t remember sending you that.”

Note to self—cut back on red wine.

“Yes, you certainly did send that to me, Alexa. Almost made me cry,” he laughs. “All I could think waswho took our Alexa and what have they done with her?”

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