I wake up the next day with Mick wrapped around me. It has become my favorite way to wake up. He’s warm and cuddly, and he snuffles lightly in my ear. I roll over and stare at him. I think he’s still asleep, but I can’t tell. I kind of like these unguarded moments when he’s vulnerable, because it feels like we’re more on a level playing field.

Yesterday, Mick was kind and generous to me all day, and during the night, he got up for Chase, which was sweet of him. But all through the afternoon yesterday, he looked at me differently, like the answers I gave him left him unsettled.

Mick’s dark hair is all askew and his long lashes lie darkly against his cheeks. His chin looks scratchy with morning beard shadow, and I itch to run my fingertips across it. His lips are slightly open, and air rushes from between them, hitting my face because I’m so close.

“You’re a creepy stalker, you know that?” he asks.

“I’m not stalking. I just think you’re really handsome when you’re sleeping.”

He wipes the edge of his mouth. “Stop watching me drool. It’s gross.” He rolls onto his back and pulls me on top of him. He kisses the side of my neck. “How much time do you think we have before the kids get up?”

“Not long enough.” I kiss his cheek, and then his lips. He grabs the back of my head and holds me close when I would have pulled away.

“Good morning,” he says quietly. I hover over him, my hands braced on the bed on either side of his head.

“Happy birthday,” I tell him.

He grins. “You remembered!”

“Hell yeah, I remembered. And I have something amazing planned for today.” I kiss him again and pat his stomach as I lift myself from on top of him. “Wake up. Get ready. Big day planned for you.”

We’re about a hundred miles from San Diego, which is where the kids’ grandmother lives. But it’s also where one of the most famous theme parks in the world is located.

“What time is it?” Mick asks as he rolls to sit up.

“Six in the morning. Come on. Wake up. I’m so excited!” I pat the side of the bed and he laughs at me.

“Where are we going at six in the morning?”

“It’s a surprise! Wake up!”

We actually parked around the corner from the amusement park last night, but Mick has no idea. After our round of questions and answers, I realized that I needed—and wanted, truth be told—to do something special for him. So, I called Emilio, and I had him have his people set it all up. Emilio grumbled the whole time, but I think he really appreciated that I was willing to do something special for Mick. He was surprised, but happy.

“Does this outing involve breakfast, because I’m starving.” Mick stands up and stretches. His shirt lifts, and I can see the trail of hair that dips below the waistband of his boxers. He was half hard when he woke up, I could feel it, but now…now he’s rising to attention. “Stop looking at it,” he grumbles. He gives his dick a gentle shove and tries to tuck it away, closer to his body, but then he says, “Fuck it,” and he gives up. “I’m going to take a shower.”

“Mm-hmm,” I hum. “Is that a code word for masturbating? Showering?”

He leans down and kisses me. “No, if I wanted to masturbate, I’d just say I’m going to jack off. Which, by the way, I’m probably going to do.” He sticks his tongue out at me and steps into the bathroom. I hear the water turn on and laugh at him.

Anna and Devon are awake, and I rush to get the other two up and dressed while Mick is in the shower.

“I’m still trying to figure out how you pulled this off,” Alex says to me.

I shrug. “The lifestyle comes with some perks.” It also comes with some drawbacks, like a lack of privacy, and constant scrutiny. But, yeah, it also comes with perks. Today is one of them.

Mick comes out of the bathroom fully dressed, his hair still damp. He stops and runs a brush through it.

“Feel better?” I ask. I glance down toward his lap.

“I always feel better when you’re around,” he says. He grabs my head and pulls me into a noogie, which then turns into him tickling me until I’m afraid I’ll pee my pants.

“That’s not what I meant,” I say as he holds me close.

His eyes twinkle at me. “If it makes you feel any better, I thought about you the whole time.”

“Not gonna lie…” I whisper. “I’m a little turned-on. Maybe I need to go and think about you for a few minutes.”

He hitches his shoulder against the wall. “Can I watch?” His eyes blaze at me, full of heat and want and warmth.

Mel opens the door and steps onto the bus. “They’re ready for you, Miss Vasquez,” she says.

“Who’s ready?” Mick asks, looking from me to her and back.

“You’ll find out,” I say, as I pick up Chase and he grabs Roxy. As I squeeze by him in the narrow confines of the bus, he grabs my ass. I gasp. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Believe it. Because I’ll probably do it again and again, for years to come. When you’re eighty, I’ll still be grabbing your ass.”

He follows me out of the bus. The kids are giddy, because I told them where we were going while he was in the shower. I buckle Chase in his stroller, and we put Roxy in hers. Then Mick takes my hand, while he pushes with the other. I do the same. Anna and Devon skip along ahead of us. We get to a gate on the side of a building, and Alex stops and knocks. The door swings open, and we all step inside.

“We can only stay for two hours,” I explain. “Then the park will open and we’ll have to share it with others.”

“Wait a minute,” Mick says, as a grin splits his face. “You got the park to open early for my birthday, and we get it all to ourselves?”

I hold up a hand to slow his roll. “We only get five rides, because they don’t have enough operators at this time of the day. But I did make sure that one of them is… “I pretend to do a drum roll on the handle of the stroller. “…the roller coaster!”

“Are you serious?” he cries. Just as he does, a big-eared character comes around the corner, and his squeaky voice greets the kids. “This is fucking unbelievable,” Mick says to me. He’s grinning from ear to ear, and I’ve never seen him so happy. “How did you do this?”

“I called in some favors.” I shrug, as heat fills my face.

“Thank you,” he says quietly. Then he kisses me. It’s long and languid and leisurely and…long.”

Alex clears his throat behind us and we spring apart. “We had better catch up with the kids,” Alex says, and we look to find Mel, the mouse character, and the two older kids moving ahead of us into the park.

Mick and I hurry, both of us pushing strollers, to catch up with the others. The kids immediately want to ride the swings, so we get them all set up and pull down their safety bars. The attendant checks on them, and then steps back.

“You ride with them, Mick,” I say, as I take the stroller from him.

“What about you?” he asks.

“Oh, fuck it,” Alex mutters. “Both of you go. Mel can watch the kids.”

“I don’t like kids,” Mel deadpans.

“Well, I don’t like you either, but I’ve spent the last week with you.”

“Fine,” she grumbles. She takes the strollers from our hands. “Go ride. I’ll watch the babies.”

“You’ll call us if they need us?” I ask. They’re not even mine, and I’m worried about them.

“Oh, you’ll hear her screaming from miles away,” Alex bites out. She shoots him the finger and pushes both the strollers toward a bench where there’s shade.

Anna wiggles her feet. “Let’s go,” she says. Mick and I both get strapped in, and then the swings start a slow spin. Mick looks over at me and winks as the ride starts, and my heart does this little pitter-patter in my chest. It’s more than infatuation. It’s more than lust. It’s more than fondness. I am in love with him. Head over heels, completely taken, don’t know how I’d live without him love.

“I know,” he says. “Me too.”

Heat creeps up my face, but it’s okay. Because it’s Mick.

After the ride, we move to a kids’ roller coaster, and then to some kind of virtual reality ride which scares the britches off me but the kids love it.

We stop at a picnic table and eat some pizza, which I’d had delivered since it’s Mick’s favorite food, and then I look at Mick. “Are you ready for the big one?” I ask. I’m bouncing in my seat.

He looks around. “The big what?”

I point toward the biggest roller coaster in the park. “The big one,” I say again.

“Are you kidding?” Mick jumps to his feet. “We get to ride that?” He picks me up and spins me around. “Can we do it now?”

Some face-painting pixies show up to entertain Anna and Devon, and Mick and I leave to go ride the big coaster all by ourselves.

When we get to the platform, Mick stops and takes a selfie of us. But he has no idea that someone has been here the whole time taking pictures of us and the kids, to add to their memories of this week. For his birthday, I’m going to use a picture of the six of us in a very special way.

We get on the roller coaster and buckle in, and Mick leans over to kiss me.

“You said you love roller coasters because they tear you apart and then put you back together,” I remind him. He nods. “That’s what you do for me,” I say quietly. “You tear me apart, and then you put me back together, every single time.”

He doesn’t take his eyes from mine until the slow clack-clack-clack of the trestle turns into a whistling noise. We whoosh through twists and turns, we slam sideways, and we fall forward, and he yells and whoops through it all. His enthusiasm is contagious.

Finally, when it’s over, we stop at the platform. “Can we do it again?” he asks.

I grin. “It’s your birthday. We can do it as many times as you want.”

So we do. We ride it until my neck is sore and my hands feel like they’ll never unclench from around the rails. Then we go and ride with Anna and Devon again. We eat ice cream dots and funnel cakes, and Mick devours a turkey leg. I’m still trying to figure out where he got that.

At the end of the two hours, right before the park opens to the public, Mick pulls me to him and kisses me soundly. “This has been the best birthday ever.”

Hand in hand, we walk out of the most magical place on earth, but I can’t help but think that we’re taking the magic with us. Or maybe we brought the magic. I’m not sure which.

Back in the bus, the kids, exhausted, fall asleep immediately. Mick sinks down beside me, then pulls me over close to him. I pull a gift box out of my pocket.

“You got me a present,” he says. “You didn’t even know it was my birthday until yesterday. And then you planned for us to use the park and you got me a gift?”

“It’s nothing.” I nudge him. “Open it.”

He opens the little box and pulls out a small handheld scope. It has a viewing hole on one end and a picture on the other. He lifts it to his eye and looks inside. It’s a picture of us, the six of us, from today at the park. The kids are smiling and Mick looks happier than I have ever seen him look. “Wow… Look at that,” he says quietly.

He takes his keys out of his pocket and immediately threads the scope onto it.

“You don’t have to put it on your keys,” I say.

“Where else would I put it? It’s wonderful, and I’m going to keep it forever.” He takes my face in his hands and stares into my eyes. “You never cease to amaze me. Thank you for today.”

Out of embarrassment, I dip my face and press it against his chest. He lies back and holds me for the next hundred miles, right up until we arrive at Patsy’s mother’s house.

I feel like my guts are filled with lead when we stop in the street in front of the house. On the porch is a regal older woman, standing with the help of a walker and an aide. She shades her eyes with her hands.

“We’re here, kids,” Mick says. Anna and Devon jump up onto their knees so they can look out the window.

We let them out of the door, and they rush to their grandma. They obviously know and love her, and the feeling is mutual. I stand back and watch, holding Chase close to my heart, and my eyes fill with tears.

“You okay?” Mick asks, palming the back of my head.

I nod. “I’m fine. Just really happy.” I sniff the emotions back and walk up the steps of the porch. The woman wastes no time hugging me tightly and thanking me for helping Mick to bring the children to her.

She invites us inside, and Mel and Alex help to unload their belongings, including the souvenirs they got today.

After the children are settled and we’ve had lunch, she looks at me and says, “How long have you been in love with Mick?”

We’re washing dishes in the kitchen, so Mick’s in the other room. “I’m not sure. It just kind of crept up on me.”

“My daughter, she was never good at picking men. She is a loser magnet if there ever was one.”

I laugh. “Well, I don’t have a great track record myself.”

“Mick’s a good boy. You’d be lucky to have him.”

I smile at her. “I know.”

We finish the dishes, and I bring out the big cheesecake I bought for Mick’s birthday, since it’s his favorite dessert. He blows out the candles, we eat our fill, and then it’s time for us to go.

Anna, the one I thought would be the least affected, is the one who clings to me for a minute too long. She grabs me tightly and holds me close. “My mommy will be home soon,” she says close to my ear, just like she did that first day we met.

I brush her hair back from her forehead. “Your mommy is going to be so proud of you all when she hears about how mature and well-behaved you all were on this trip.”

She nods. “She’ll be proud.”

“Yes, and you be sure to tell your mother how proud you are of her when she comes home, okay?”

“When she gets here, I’ll tell her.” She gets quiet for a minute and then squeezes me again. With her lips close to my ear, she whispers, “When I grow up, I want to be just like you.”

I tug a lock of her hair. “When I grow up, I want to be just like you.”

She wipes beneath her eyes and goes to stand beside her grandmother.

Devon is much less restrained. He hugs me tightly. “Will you come and see us again?” he asks.

“Of course, we will. And you can write to me, if you’d like.” I already gave my address and email to their grandmother. “I’ll miss you,” I say.

“You don’t seem quite so sad as you did when you first came to our house. Did we make you happy?” He cocks his head at me like an inquisitive puppy.

“You made me very happy,” I say, and tears sting my eyes as I blink them back.

The baby—he’s the hardest one to give up. I cuddled him and gave him one last bottle, but I know I can’t keep him forever. Mick takes him from me and kisses him on the forehead.

“Call us if you need anything at all, okay?” he says to his aunt.

She nods, but she’s already ushering the kids into the house.

“Would you rather fly back?” Mick asks as he takes my hand. We walk to the bus together, and I feel light and happy, lighter and happier than I have felt in a long time.

“Would you?” I counter.

He shakes his head. “I’d rather spend the time with you.” He kisses me.

We sit at the window as the bus pulls away from Patsy’s mother’s house. The kids wave from the porch, and I watch them until the house is a tiny speck in the distance. Mick holds my hand tightly as I get choked by emotion I didn’t know was even in me. “They’re going to be all right, aren’t they? No matter what happens, they’ll be okay?”

He brushes my hair back behind my ear. “Yes. They’ll be fine. She’ll take care of them, and she’ll take care of Patsy, too.” His thumb swipes the tear from beneath my eye. “Do you want some more cheesecake?”

I smile at him. “Yeah, I do.”

He rubs his belly. “Good, because I’m starving.”

I elbow him in the ribs. “You’re always starving.”

Throughout the day, Mick has gotten calls from his mom and dad and Ryan, and my sisters have all send him texts with birthday greetings.

“Happy birthday,” I say as we settle at the little dinette table, with a piece of cheesecake between us.

He grins as he shovels a large bite into his mouth.