The first Monday of January dawned crisp and pale, sunlight brushing over a thin layer of frost on the front lawn. The post-holiday lull had finally lifted — replaced with the steady hum of real life returning. Alarms. Lunchboxes. Socks that didn’t match.
Isabelle stood in the mudroom, zipping up Amelia’s puffer jacket while Elliott tried to shove a water bottle into an already overstuffed backpack.
“Elliott, sweetheart, it doesn’t have to fit next to the dinosaur folder. Just slide it—”
“I need the dinosaur folder on top,” he said gravely. “It’s the first thing I show Noah.”
“Obviously,” Isabelle muttered, hiding a smile as she helped guide the water bottle into the side pocket instead. “Emergency averted.”
Across the kitchen, Sebastian packed the kids’ lunches like he did it profess
