Virgin Dot Com Novel

[Jasmine's POV] I've packed their bags three times. Each time finding something essential I forgot-Zoe's special blanket, Chloe's inhaler, the specific brand of juice boxes they both prefer. Control measures because I'm terrified of letting go. What if they need me? What if Asher can't handle both of them for a full week? What if they forget me? The thoughts spiral as I recheck medications for the fourth time. Seven days. They've never been away this long. "You're going to wear a hole in that bag," Liam observes from the doorway.

"I just need to make sure-" "They'll be fine." He crosses to me, stills my hands. "Asher's capable. Elena will help. They'll be okay." "But what if-" "No what-ifs." His voice is firm, grounding. "This is part of co-parenting. Letting go even when it's terrifying." The drive to Asher's apartment is too short. Elena's car is already loaded with beach toys and supplies, ready for the lake house adventure. I see life jackets, fishing rods, evidence of planning that should reassure me. It doesn't. Asher meets us at the door, and I thrust bags at him. "Medications are in the front pocket.

Chloe needs her inhaler if she runs too hard. Zoe won't eat anything green unless you hide it. They both need their special blankets to sleep-" "Jazz, I've got this." His voice is patient but strained. "I'm their father. I know how to take care of them." The reminder stings. He is their father, even if biology complicated which one. He deserves this week without my hovering anxiety. "I know. I'm sorry. I just-" My voice cracks. Elena appears, touches Asher's arm gently. "We'll take good care of them. Promise." "I know." I force the words steady.

"They've just never been away this long." The girls emerge from the apartment, already exploring. They've been here before during monthly visits, but something about a full week makes it different. More permanent. Zoe runs back to me, throws her arms around my waist. "I don't want to go!" Her tears trigger mine instantly. I kneel down, pull both girls close. "It's one week. Seven sleeps. Then you're back home." "But what if we miss you?" Zoe sobs against my shoulder. "Then you call me. Anytime. Day or night.

Daddy Asher has my number." I look up at him, see his hurt that his daughter is so reluctant. "Girls, this will be fun. Daddy Asher and Aunt Elena have planned special activities." Liam crouches beside me, backup support I desperately need. "We'll be right here when you get back. Promise." Slowly, painfully, the girls let go. Walk to Asher's car with backward glances that shred my heart. Wave from windows as they drive away. I stand on the curb watching until the car disappears, then collapse into Liam's arms. "I miss them already." The admission feels weak. "Me too.

But they'll be okay." He guides me back to our car. "Come on. Let's go home." Home without them feels wrong. Their toys scattered, their mess everywhere, but no actual children to create the chaos. I wander from room to room, touching stuffed animals, straightening shoes that don't need straightening. "This is pathetic," I tell Liam. "They've been gone two hours." "It's normal." He's making dinner neither of us will eat. "First time being apart. Of course you're struggling." "What if they realize they don't need me?

That Asher and Elena can provide everything they need?" The fear that's been lurking surfaces. "What if a week away makes them love me less?" He stops cooking, turns to face me fully. "Impossible. You're their whole world." "But what if-" "No." He cuts me off firmly. "You're spiraling. They're experiencing something new. When they come home, they'll appreciate you more. Trust the process." The FaceTime comes at seven PM as promised. Both girls crowd the screen, talking over each other with excitement that feels like betrayal. "The lake is huge!" Chloe shouts. "We saw fish!" Zoe adds.

"Real fish in the water!" "Aunt Elena taught us to skip rocks!" They demonstrate the motion, nearly dropping Asher's phone. They're happy. Genuinely, radiantly happy without me. I should be relieved-proof that I've raised resilient children who can adapt and thrive. Instead, I feel unnecessary. "That sounds amazing, babies. Are you being good for Daddy Asher?" I force enthusiasm into my voice. "So good!" Zoe promises. "Elena makes pancakes shaped like animals." "I made my bed!" Chloe announces proudly. "All by myself!" "That's wonderful." I'm smiling but dying inside.

"I love you both so much." "Love you too, Mommy!" They chorus, then immediately ask Asher if they can go swimming before dark. The call ends, and I sit staring at the blank screen. They didn't ask when they're coming home. Didn't cry for me. Just... moved on. After two hours, they've moved on. "They're having fun," Liam says carefully. "That's good." "I know." I set down my phone. "So why does it hurt?" "Because you're their mother. Seeing them happy without you triggers all your insecurities." He sits beside me. "But it doesn't mean they love you less.

Just means they're secure enough to enjoy new experiences." "Elena makes animal pancakes." I sound petty, but can't help it. "You make perfectly round ones. They love yours." His arm wraps around me. "One week of novelty doesn't erase six years of daily presence." That night in bed, I can't sleep. The house is too quiet without their breathing from down the hall. Without the potential for midnight wake-ups or bad dreams or requests for water. Just silence. "What if they realize they don't need me?" I whisper into the darkness.

Liam rolls to face me, patient even though we've had this conversation three times already. "Impossible. You're their whole world." "But what if Asher and Elena are enough? What if a week becomes two weeks, then shared custody, then-" "Stop." He pulls me against his chest, holds me there. "You're catastrophizing. They're six. They're experiencing a fun vacation. When they come home, they'll remember who's actually been there every single day." "You're very logical for someone whose daughter is also gone." "Chloe's mine biologically.

That doesn't make her disappearance easier." His voice softens. "I miss her like crazy. But I also trust that she needs this-needs to bond with Asher, needs to see that her whole life isn't just us. It's healthy." The wisdom in his words doesn't make my chest less tight. "I just want them home." "Five more days." He kisses my forehead. "We can survive five more days." But lying there in the dark, I wonder if I can. Wonder if this week will prove that my daughters are more adaptable than I am. That they can thrive anywhere, with anyone, while I fall apart after two hours.

What kind of mother does that make me? Secure enough to raise independent children, or so dependent on them that I can't function without their presence? The answer feels too complicated for two AM thinking. So I just hold onto Liam and count the hours until they come home. Seven days. One hundred sixty-eight hours. Ten thousand eighty minutes. An eternity measured in pancakes I didn't make and fish I didn't help them catch. "We should do something," Liam says suddenly. "Tomorrow. Something for us." "Like what?" "Dinner out. Movie.

Something we can't do with six-year-olds." His hand finds mine under the covers. "Reclaim this week as ours." "Date night while our kids are gone?" "Why not? They're having adventures. We should too." He squeezes my fingers. "We're allowed to enjoy this, Jazz. Allowed to miss them and also appreciate the break." The permission helps, slightly. "Dinner sounds nice." "Good. I'll make reservations tomorrow." He yawns. "Now try to sleep. They're safe. Happy. And they'll be home before you know it." I close my eyes, try to believe him.

Somewhere in Michigan, my daughters are sleeping in a strange house, probably sprawled across unfamiliar beds, dreaming about fish and pancakes and aunt Elena who makes everything fun. And I'm here, in our bed, trying to survive their absence without falling apart. Virgin Dot Com