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“Could be!” I replied, careful not to reveal anything.
“Maybe it’s an amusement park!” Tiana exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. “One with roller coasters and water slides!”
“Or a zoo!” Belle added, her tiny hands clasped together in excitement. “With lions and giraffes and elephants!”
“Those are great guesses, but I’m thinking bigger,” Esme said, winking at me. “My guess is… a Broadway show in New York City!”
“Oooh, that’s a good one!” Ariel agreed, nodding enthusiastically.
“Nice try, but you’ll have to wait and see.” I couldn’t believe how much fun this was. Even better than I imagined.
Finally, we touched down near New York, and a sleek limousine waited for us on the tarmac. The kids gasped in surprise as we drove through the city. The guesses became more imaginative and outlandish–from secret underground dance parties to meeting their favorite superheroes. I’d been to a lot of parties in my time, but sitting in the back of the limo, listening to the kids' laughter and excitement, it surprised me to realize I liked this more.
“Whatever the surprise is, Wolfe,” Esme whispered to me as she leaned in closer, her blue eyes shining, “I can already tell it’s going to be unforgettable.”
“Unforgettable” was exactly what I had in mind, and I couldn’t wait to see their reactions when they discovered the true destination.
They were all a bit confused when we stopped for drive-thru burgers, since at first they thought that was the treat. But then we were on the move again.
“Alright, everyone, we’re here!” I announced as the limousine pulled in front of Madison Square Garden. The kids stared out the window at the giant billboard attached to the building.
“Is this…?” Esme began, her voice trembling with anticipation.
“Yep!” I grinned. “VIP seats to Lilly Raine.” Lilly was the It girl of the moment, a pop star with a string of number one hits and sold-out shows.
“NO WAY!” Florian and Tiana exclaimed. Ariel was so overwhelmed she burst into tears, making Esme laugh softly and pull her into a tight hug. The look she gave me over Ariel’s head made my heart squeeze, hard and painful.
We entered the concert venue and made our way to my corporate box. The electrifying atmosphere instantly enveloped us. The stage lights danced across the room, casting vibrant colors on the eager audience. We’d barely sat down when Lilly strutted out on stage, and I thought Ariel was going to pass out. The show began, pulsating beats filling the air, and the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Lilly was pure energy as she danced around the stage, her fiery red hair gleaming. Dressed in a sleek, silver jumpsuit that sparkled under the lights, her slender figure seemed almost otherworldly as she commanded the stage.
It wasn’t Lilly I was looking at, though. It was Esme and the kids. They all glowed with happiness and excitement and honestly, it was like a fucking drug. I couldn’t get enough of it.
As the concert ended, we were ushered backstage to meet Lilly. The anticipation in the air was palpable as we waited in a dimly lit hallway. Florian and Tiana couldn’t contain their excitement, bouncing on their toes while Ariel clutched Esme’s hand tightly. Even Belle seemed to understand the magnitude of the moment, her wide brown eyes taking everything in with awe.
“Are you guys ready?” I asked, grinning at their eager faces.
They all nodded wordlessly.
The door opened, and there she was—Lilly, still radiating energy despite having just performed for two hours straight. “Hey there,” she greeted us warmly, her voice slightly raspy from singing. “I hear you’re some of my biggest fans.”
Florian and Tiana gushed about their favorite songs, while Ariel shyly asked if she could hug her. Lilly looked genuinely touched by the gesture and said, “Of course, hun!” They hugged it out, then everyone laughed when Belle threw herself forward for a hug as well. After posing for photos, we said our goodbyes to Lilly and made our way outside into the waiting limo. As we climbed in, the kids immediately started chattering excitedly about the night.
“Can we do this again sometime?” Tiana asked, her green eyes twinkling mischievously.
“Maybe,” I said with a laugh.
“Esme, can you swap places with me? I don’t like facing backwards.”
“Oh, sure.”
Esme swapped with Ariel, which put her next to me. I arched my brow in enquiry. Was Ariel trying to play matchmaker? Esme just shrugged in reply.
About ten minutes into the car ride, the kids settled down, and then once we were in the jet, even more so. The exhaustion from the big night soon caught up with them and, one by one, they drifted off to sleep. In the quiet dark of the cabin, Esme slipped her hand in mine and rested her head against my shoulder. The only sound for the entire flight was the kid’s quiet breathing. Once back at the airfield near Esperance, the transition to my car was pretty seamless, with the kids barely stirring at all on the drive home.
“How do they sleep through all this?” I whispered as I eased the car into Esme’s driveway.
Smiling, her face lit by the glow of lights from the dash, she said, “The magic of being kids, I guess.”
We climbed out of the car as quietly as we could. “Here, let me take Belle.”