Page 69 of Bubbles at the Beach House Hotel

“Yes. I may be the mom, but Chad is the dad and has to share in the care of the kids. Otherwise, he’s not doing his job.”

We sat quietly until the kids burst outside, each holding a sippy cup. “Remember what I told you,” Chad said to them. “No running around while you’re drinking your juice. You might choke on it. Sit and drink it.”

The three children ran over to their wooden table and sat in chairs at it.

“They’re so well-behaved. How do you do it?” Jessica asked Liz.

“You haven’t seen them fighting or fussing or how they act when they’re over-tired. All of that happens. But even at a young age, we had rules for them. We had to,” said Liz.

“They’re still mischievous and get into trouble because they’re so curious, but they do listen when you talk to them,” I said.

“Yeah, my mom was like that. Easygoing but with rules. I’ve got three brothers, and she made us all mind. I want to give Wade brothers.” Ryan paused. “Or sisters.”

“I didn’t like growing up without a sibling,” said Liz. She turned to me. “But I’ve always known you wanted more.”

“I was thrilled to have you,” I said softly, glancing at Jessica, who kept watching the triplets.

“We’re here!” said Angela as three children dashed past us and onto the lawn. The oldest, Evan, carried a soccer ball. The two little girls, Sally and Izzy, held dolls.

Reggie appeared carrying a tray with cheese and crackers. “Hello, everyone; I’m Reggie, Angela’s husband.” He set down the tray and shook hands with Ryan and Jessica as they were introduced.

Sitting beside me, he said, “Nice to see you, Ann.”

“How are you? You must be busy handling the office alone.” I studied the dark circles beneath his eyes.

“I’m busy, but it’s fine. I’m just worried about Will. Something’s off with him. I know he’s been wrestling with a personal problem, but he refuses to talk to me about it.”

Liz interrupted the conversation. “Okay, what can we get to drink for everyone? We have lemonade, iced tea, and a light white wine. And water, of course.”

After drinks were taken care of, I hoped to resume my conversation with Reggie, but he rose to talk to Chad.

Olivia and Emma ran over to me and climbed into my lap together. After juggling their bodies into comfortable positions, I hugged them both and began talking softly to them. We did a three-way patty cake game, with all of us laughing.

In minutes, they scrambled out of my lap to go back to the yard to play with the other kids.

“That was quick,” said Jessica.

“Oh, yes, but I’ll take every moment I can with them. How about Wade? Does he have a playtime with a grandparent?”

Jessica made a face. “My mother-in-law lives in town. But we don’t get along that well. And when she babysits Wade, she won’t follow my directions.”

“Really? What are they?”

“Well, I keep Wade on a special schedule. He needs to go to bed at a certain time, wake up at a given time, and eat on my schedule. My mother-in-law likes to do her own thing with him.”

“Has that hurt him in any way?” I asked.

Jessica’s cheeks grew pink. “Now, you’re sounding like Ryan. He’s not hurt; he's just thrown off his schedule, which is one that I follow online. They say you must stick to it if you’re going to raise a secure child. Believe me, I want to do everything right for our baby.”

“I’m sure you do, but didn’t Ryan say he had three brothers? That was a lot for his mother to handle. I’m sure she has some tricks of her own for keeping her children happy and secure.”

Jessica let out a long sigh. “My mother is too busy with all her social activities to see the children often. Of course, she lives four hours away, so a visit would usually mean an overnight stay, which neither of us wants.”

Chad cleared his throat. “Time for a toast. It’s always interesting to meet new people. Jessica and Ryan, we’re glad you came to The Beach House Hotel. Thanks for being part of the promo program Liz and Angela are running.”

“Thanks for having us,” said Ryan. “I remember how excited Jessica was when she came for the new mother’s program.”

“Yes, I’m delighted to be back at the hotel. It’s such a beautiful place.” She glanced at Ryan. “Magical, almost.”

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