"For once, I would just like it if I wasn't the author of Charlotte's disappointment?" I told my mother, after grabbing a coffee.

"I know sweetie, it seems unfair. You can't make any mistakes. While Valentine seemingly makes 1000 with reckless abandon," my mother said, following me to a table at Kelley's.

"I just feel stuck. Peter has assured me that he can give the piece to someone else. But it's my fault that it's late in the first place. Surely, passing the buck will only have me making even more enemies at The Invader."

My mother pursed her lips. "Look at it this way. Isn't a troublesome work-life worth it if your personal life is pretty sweet?"

I shook my head, the iced coffee cold in my hand. "Yes, but Rocco, doesn't even want me there."

She laughed. "He's a boy. Give him space to go off and do boy things and you'll be fine. This moment could be some much-needed bonding time for you and Charlotte."

I frowned. "With my luck, she's already asked Nina?"

She shrugged. "But she asked you first?"

I exhaled loudly. "Alright, I'm going to go."

My mother grinned from ear to ear. "Good, you should. Do you want me to talk to Peter?"

"No," I said standing up. "I need to face that firing squad on my own. I'll just send him a cowardly email from the house while I'm packing."

"One very special little girl will love you for it."

I leaned over and kissed my mother on the cheek before scurrying off to the house. By my watch's estimation, I had less than an hour, to make magic happen.


"I'm here. I'm here," I said, breathlessly, carrying my rolling luggage over the rocky terrain of the parking lot. I gripped my straw hat tightly to my head. It was threatening to return to the bus stop and leave me behind. The wind scratching my face as it whipped dust into the air. Was the fact that the ground wasn't paved supposed to prepare us for what's to come? I tried not to pack that much, but that goal clearly failed. It would have helped if I wasn't doing this last minute. But I had no one to blame, but myself. And I didn't know what to bring. So I prepared for everything short of a rock slide for Charlotte and Rocco's camping trip with Lila's kids.

"Anyone who equates the forest with magic is either childish or grossly incompetent," Valentine said, spraying the air around him with bug spray.

"Pa-pa don't be such a gloomy gus. You promised that you would have a good time," Charlotte replied.

She looked behind her father as she caught sight of me. "Mom, you made it," she said, running up to give me a hug.

"Why's she here?" Rocco whined, breaking ranks with his friends to approach where Valentine was standing.

Valentine squinted behind his sunglasses. "I was wondering the same thing?"

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," I said, planting a little kiss on her chin. I grabbed her hand and walked up to Rocco. "You don't have to worry either. I am going to do my best to stay out of your hair and allow you to make your own mistakes?"

He threw up his hands in exasperation. "This trip is ruined."

"Maybe for one of us," Valentine mumbled. "What happened? I thought you weren't able to attend."

I looked at Valentine, determined not to let him spoil my moment. "Things pulled through at the last minute. So here I am at Charlotte's request."

"Well, mon coeur bat," he said, looking down at his expensive watch. "Your mother is here. So I can go back to work. You can still have your girl's time as planned."

Charlotte already had a pout on her face prepared as she pulled away from my grasp. "You don't really have to go back to work. It would be nice if I could spend time with both my parents for once."

"Mon coeur -"

Of course, he was already poised to protest, but at least Charlotte could sniff out his bs. Even if she wasn't adept at pointing out his lies. Fortunately, her mother had a PHD in that endeavor. It certainly should have kept her out of his bed. How it failed me at that moment, I'll never know. I certainly shouldn't drink. Adjusting the strap of my white t-shirt uncomfortably as I thought about his lips on the back of my neck.

"You don't have to treat me like a baby. I know the two of you will never be a couple. That's not what I'm asking. I'm just asking for some time with the both of you in the same place."

My heart broke for my little munchkin. As it stood, I was the first to step forward to say anything. "Charlotte, I can't promise you that it will always be that way. But I think for this trip that's only for the weekend, we both can be adults and stay."

"Speak for yourself," he said turning on me in a flash. "Charlotte is old enough to understand that she cannot always get what she wants."

"This isn't a new horse," I said, through gritted teeth. "It's just a couple of days."

"Students, Parents/Guardians, and Chaperones, we are ready to board the bus. I'll take role call then," Willow said, as she stood by the yellow school buses front bumper.

"Its time to line up and your already here," I said, moving around Charlotte to push Rocco in line.

Charlotte was waiting expectantly with unshed tears in her eyes. Her back turned to me. I merely mouthed to Valentine, whose the best parent now? He didn't have to understand French to pick up on what I was throwing down. His hairy scrawny legs poking out through his khaki shorts. The kind no one actually wears out camping, but that the salesman from the outdoor experience shop, clearly oversold him.

Rocco shrugged away from my grasp to bound on the bus with some of his friends. I rolled my eyes, that boy would be just fine. At the very least, he would have a memory when he's older of when I embarrassed him mercilessly during camp. However, my presence here wasn't too watch him.

"Fine, I would love to go camping," he stressed the word camping as if he were about to get the flu shot.

"Thank you for coming," Willow smiled, as she added my name to the list of Chaperones, right next to Valentine. She was dressed adorably in a white criss-cross sweatshirt and green khaki pants. In the reverse, I felt like a slob. I was dressed in black tights and a green vest over a grey turtle neck sweater. For a second, I wondered about the forethought of taking this trip in spring weather when the winter chill was still in the air. How many parents would have to worry about runny-noses after this was all done?

"Valentine," she said in a cold monotone, as he walked up behind me.

I wish I could give Valentine the winter chill after we slept together. The great thing about one night stands was never having to see that person again. One night stands with baby daddies were just venus fly traps.

Most of the chaperones were sitting in the front. However, Willow had requested that one parental figure sit in the back just for safety sake. So I volunteered because it would probably be easier on Rocco to stay out of sight. The brown bench seating certainly didn't look comfortable enough to take us through a 10-hour ride. I wondered if Valentine had already tried to sue for the lack of seatbelts on every seat. Even I had to admit this was terribly out of date. It was a good thing I had come. The parents and teachers here didn't need someone like Valentine stressing them out. A program like this had to work with the resources they were given and it was a great program.

"Charlotte, why don't u come sit next to me?" I asked, a bit too eagerly as she boarded the bus.

She shook her head and looked down at the ground. "Mom, I was planning on sitting with some of my friends."

I smiled a little hurt. "Go, I wont stop you."

Valentine took the seat directly across from me. "I see what you're doing here and you wont be using this camping trip to wedge yourself between me and my daughter."

I smiled slyly. "The great thing about mother nature is that it weeds out the weaklings naturally."

"Will see, Smurfette," he mumbled. "The only one walking away from this trip looking silly is you."

"Well, that's not possible because you walked up to it with a glob of sunscreen on your nose. So you have me beat," I shrugged.

He touched his nose subconsciously, and as trivial as it might be it felt like I had won.