The trip improves by leaps and bounds the moment we stop at the campground for the night.

“Finally,” I sigh, taking a deep breath of the fresh air as I climb down the steps of the RV, my baby curled in my arm and looking around him with bright and interested eyes. “It’s good to be on steady ground again.”

“Remind me never to take you on a boat,” Sinclair murmurs, coming down the stairs behind me. “If you didn’t like this…you won’t respond well to that.”

“Yes sir,” I say passively, smiling down at the baby, who frees one of his arms and reaches out into the cool evening air, clasping his fingers at a firefly who passes close by. I don’t mention that I liked the sea voyage to the desert much more than I liked this, even though the accommodations weren’t as nice.

“What about this?” Sinclair murmurs as he steps down the final step and comes to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. I smile as I lean

back against his chest. “Is the forest an improvement?”

I look around our isolated campsite, lit with grey and blue tones in the dying light

of the day. I smile at what I see, appreciating the cool air and the blinking light of

the fireflies that float lazily through the space.

“Yes,” I say with a decisive nod. “This will do quite well.”

“Good,” Sinclair replies, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before releasing

me and moving to a luggage compartment low on the RV, I watch as he opens it

and begins pulling out camping gear chairs, a cooler, some bags with extra

snacks and bug spray.

“Oh!” I say, surprised by it all as my mate begins to set it all up around a burnedout ring where a fire goes. “Oh, we’re very prepared.”

“Of course we are,” Roger says, climbing out of the RV with Cora behind him.

When he reaches the ground, Roger flicks the switch that prepares Henry’s little

elevator. “We’re always ready to go glamping in this family.”

I laugh at the term, settling into a chair that Sinclair waves me towards, smiling

down at the baby. “What do you think, Rafe?” I whisper to him. “Do you like

glamping?” He gives a happy little coo in response and I laugh, grinning up at

his father. “I think that’s a yes.”

“Kid has taste,” Sinclair says, winking at me as he continues his work. We’re all

settled around a fire much faster than I thought was possible and I smile as I

watch Sinclair and Roger set a little grill across it, apparently preparing to make

us our dinner as well.

“They only cook,” Henry whispers, leaning over to Cora and I and giving us a

smile, “when it’s outdoors. Otherwise, they’re not interested.”

“Not true!” Sinclair protests, his eyes still on the fire.

“Absolutely true!” Roger chimes in, making us laugh. “If I’m making food, it’s

grilled. Otherwise I’m getting takeout.”

“Guess your baby is gonna eat a lot of hotdogs,” I murmur to Cora.

Then she looks over

mine. “You know I

them hire us chefs,” I

the idea,

this long into the

nothing and everything, chatting

mutual future but not touching on any of the big,

conversation. We all know that they’re there,

simultaneously decide to leave them untouched for

tonight is just about laughter, and fun, and

into a

the way I like it.

I chew. “This is so good, I

Sinclair laughs, you’re going to get marshmallow all

baby – ”

my head and refusing to open my

another bite. “He won’t

as he comes and lifts Rafe from my arms. I let

with my s’more anyway. Cora, Roger, and Henry laugh

Rafe away from me, apologizing in

I wave a hand at

words, knowing that he’s kidding

and look around at my family, watching

Sinclair and his

not talking but clearly

Cora says, wrapping her arms around

think I’d like sitting outside in

as much as this.”

Roger

Cora’s hair as he

says, looking up at the stars and

Roger, beaming at him.

from crossing my face as

other, I

quiet as I can, I stand up from my little camping chair and send a

up at me, curious

and then towards Roger and Cora,

follows my gaze and then nods

a hand on his back,

as we can – which is

has to be lifted into the

make our way back into

Roger alone by the fire to have a moment

they’re talking about,” I say to

pulling the door shut behind him, the baby still curled in

little kitchen nook, peering out the window at Roger

through the tinted window.

he says,

wanting to give us our own moment, rolls

the bedroom, making some excuse about wanting to watch

we both know he doesn’t

my mate and reaching for my baby,

“But you know I

he murmurs, slipping his

I warmly against him, resting his chin on

Cora

love

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