Chapter Twenty-Four

Laura

Laura looked down at the two faces of her younger siblings and felt her heart break. They were staring back up at her with tears streaming down their little cheeks. Their eyes were puffy from crying. Each of their sobs caused Laura's heart to break a little more.

Dallas was sitting on the ground, with his arms wrapped around her left leg. He was squeezing her so tightly that she was pretty sure her foot would go numb soon. Ivy was doing the same thing but on the right. She couldn't move. It was like both of her feet had been cemented into the floor.

“Guys, please,” Laura pleaded with them. “Just hear Ethan out. He's trying to give us a gift.”

Laura and Ethan had gotten back to the house a few minutes before. The kids had been so excited to see them initially. They were prancing and dancing around the house with giant smiles on both of their faces. Things changed immediately, though, as soon as Ethan presented them with their surprise trip to the Caribbean.

At first, the kids wer