95

~Aoife~

We drove for the next two hours, and then Alex’s plea for a restroom break interrupted our journey. Xander smiled, embracing the new role he was playing as a father figure. It was evident that he was enjoying this journey just as much as Alex was.

“Okay, champ. Do you want to eat something?” Xander asked, winking at Alex through the rearview mirror.

“He likes Chik-fil-A,” I responded instinctively.

Within a couple of miles, we spotted our favorite place and decided to take a break.

“Mommy, look, a play place!” Alex exclaimed, jumping out of the car.

“Okay, but first, let’s go to the restroom, and then you need to eat something,” I commanded, taking his hand, and leading him towards the restroom.

“Hey, I’ll take him,” Xander insisted, placing his hand on my lower back.

I smiled, appreciating the gesture of shared responsibility. They headed to the restroom while I stayed behind, scanning my phone anxiously. The stress of a job interview call weighed heavily on my mind. When th