I sat on the couch, feeling a bit unsure. Alex was across the room, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he spread out brochures of the city we planned to visit.

A man going through a brochure | Pexels

“It’ll be an adventure, Jess!” he exclaimed, pointing to various attractions on the brochures. “Emma will love the museum, and Jack and Oliver will have a blast at the zoo.”

I tried to match his enthusiasm but couldn’t shake my worries. “I don’t know, Alex,” I said, frowning. “Traveling with three kids sounds stressful, especially since we’ve never been there before.”
Alex waved his hand dismissively. “You’re overthinking it,” he replied. “We’ll have fun. Trust me.”

Emma, our oldest at ten, had her nose buried in a book but glanced up, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“I can’t wait to see the museum, Mom! They have a dinosaur exhibit!” she chirped.

Our nine-year-old Jack was already bouncing on the balls of his feet. “And the zoo! I want to see the lions and tigers!”

Oliver, our youngest at five, was sitting next to me, clutching his stuffed bear. He looked up at me with wide eyes. “Mommy, will there be monkeys at the zoo?”

I couldn’t help but smile at their excitement, but the thought of managing three kids in an unfamiliar city still made me anxious.

“Alright, let’s give it a try,” I finally said, sighing.
The kids erupted in cheers, and Alex grinned triumphantly.

Then he sat down next to me, squeezing my hand. “It’ll be fine, Jessica. We’ll make some great memories.”

I nodded, hoping he was right.

“But we need to plan this carefully,” I said, trying to organize my thoughts. “We should make a list of everything we need to pack and check the weather forecast.”

“Good idea,” Alex agreed. “And let’s make sure we have all the tickets and reservations sorted out.”

“I can help with packing, Mom,” Emma chimed in. “I’ll make sure we don’t forget anything important.”

“I’ll pack my toys and games for the car ride!” Jack said.

Oliver just hugged his bear tighter, looking content with the idea of the trip.

But just a day into the trip, I was already exhausted. The hotel room felt too small and cluttered with all our luggage. Oliver was lying on the bed, clutching his stomach and whimpering.

“Mom, my stomach hurts,” he groaned.

A sad kid in bed | Source: Midjourney

“I know, sweetie. I’ll get you some medicine,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. I rummaged through our bags, searching for the medicine.

Emma was sitting by the window, arms crossed and a pout on her face. “I want to go home,” she repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

A girl by the window | Source: Pexels

“Honey, please be patient. We’ll go out again soon,” I said, though I wasn’t sure how much longer I could handle this.

Emma huffed and turned away, clearly not convinced. My frustration was rising. Everything seemed to be going wrong.

Jack had almost wandered off twice that day, causing me to panic each time. I couldn’t keep an eye on all three kids at once, and it was starting to show.

I finally found the medicine and handed it to Oliver. “Here you go, sweetie. This should help your tummy feel better.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Oliver said weakly before taking the medicine.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling utterly drained. “Okay, everyone. Let’s try to relax for a bit. We’ve had a long day.”

Emma didn’t even look at me.

Jack was fiddling with his toys on the floor, oblivious to the tension in the room. I knew I needed to pull it together for their sake, but it was hard. I had hoped this trip would bring us closer, but right now, it felt like it was doing the opposite.

I took a deep breath, trying to find some calm. “Jack, why don’t you come sit with me for a bit? Let’s read a story together.”

Jack looked up, a small smile on his face. “Okay, Mom,” he said.

He grabbed his favorite book and climbed onto the bed next to me.

As I started reading, I noticed Emma glancing our way. She still looked upset, but I hoped the story might distract her for a little while.

“Emma, would you like to join us?” I asked gently.

She shook her head but didn’t turn away this time. Progress, I thought to myself. At least she was listening.

Reading to Jack helped calm me down a bit. His soft giggles and the way he snuggled close made me feel like maybe, just maybe, we could salvage this trip.

I glanced at Oliver, who was starting to look a bit more comfortable. The medicine was working.

After the story, I turned to Emma again. “I know today has been tough, but we’re in this together. We’ll figure it out.”

Emma sighed, finally meeting my eyes. “I just want to have fun, Mom,” she said.

“I know, sweetheart. We will. We just need to take it one step at a time,” I said, trying to reassure her and myself at the same time.

The kids seemed to settle a bit after that. We all needed a break, a moment to breathe.

Alex had stepped away for a call, and just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, he returned and dropped a bombshell.
“I’m going to meet a college friend at a bar,” he announced casually as if it were no big deal. “He’s here in town.”

“Absolutely not!” I snapped, feeling my frustration bubble over. “What am I supposed to do alone with three kids in a new city? Alex, we’d discussed this! You can’t just leave me alone.”

A couple arguing in a hotel room | Source: Midjourney

“You’ll be fine, take them to the park,” he replied nonchalantly, already calling for an Uber. Before I could argue further, he left without another word.

I stood there for a moment, fuming. How could he just leave us like that? Did he really think it was okay to abandon us like this? In a new city, no less?
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I needed to pull it together for the kids. “Get your things, kids. We’re going out,” I said firmly.

“Where are we going, Mom?” Jack asked.

“You’ll see,” I replied. I wasn’t going to let Alex ruin this trip for us.

We quickly gathered our things, and I led the kids out of the hotel room.

The city outside was bustling, but I kept a firm grip on Jack and Oliver’s hands, with Emma walking closely beside me.
As we navigated the crowded streets, I couldn’t shake my growing anger.

This trip was Alex’s idea, he had done nothing to help, and now that he wasn’t having fun, he was going to ditch us to get drunk with his buddy?!

I pulled out my phone and tracked Alex’s location.

An hour later, we finally arrived at the bar, dimly lit and filled with people. I took a deep breath, my eyes scanning for my husband. The kids stayed close as we entered.

Finally, I spotted Alex at the counter, talking to the bartender. There was no college friend in sight. My anger flared.

A man sitting alone at a bar | Source: Midjourney

“Alex, what’s going on here?” I demanded as I approached him.

Alex turned, his face going pale. “Jess? Jessica, what are you doing here?”

“You lied!” I said. “There’s no friend, is there?”
Alex stammered, trying to come up with an excuse. “Jessica, I just needed a break. It’s been a rough day.”

“Oh really? I’ve been trying to manage everything since we’ve come here, and you were the one who had a rough day?”

“Look, I—”

“Kids, order whatever you want! Daddy is treating us tonight!” I announced.

Emma, Jack, and Oliver were excited. Alex stood there, baffled, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

“Have fun, Alex. I’m going to explore the city,” I said, turning on my heel and walking out of the bar, leaving the kids with him.

As I stepped outside, I took a deep breath and smiled. It was time to enjoy the rest of my vacation on my terms.

Did you really think you could get away with dumping the kids on me, Alex? I fumed silently as I headed to the fancy diner.

Do you think I did the right thing?

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one: Jackson’s marriage feels strained after Savannah expresses her dissatisfaction with Mother’s Day. As Father’s Day approaches, he hopes for a peaceful day to unwind. But Savannah has other plans. When she presents her unexpected gift, Jackson is left shocked.

A man holding a gift | Source: Freepik

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.