42097609460

and Alex used the time to rinse the boogie boards and shake sand
from the towels before pulling out what he needed for the
s’mores.
Kristen and Josh helped pack up most of their things and Katie
put the rest of the food back into the cooler while Alex began
ferrying items to the jeep. By the time he was finished, only a
blanket and four chairs remained. The kids had arranged them in
a circle while Alex handed out long prongs and the bag of
marshmallows. In his excitement, Josh ripped it open, spilling a
small pile onto the blanket.
Following the kids’ lead, Katie pushed three marshmallows onto
the prong and the four of them stood over the grill, twirling the
prongs, while the sugary puffs turned golden brown. Katie held
hers a little too close to the heat and two of the marshmallows
caught on fire, which Alex quickly blew out.
When they were ready, Alex helped the kids finish the treat:
chocolate on the graham cracker, followed by the marshmallow
and topped with another cracker. It was sticky and sweet and the
best thing Katie had eaten in as long as she could remember.
Sitting between his kids, she noticed Alex struggling with his
crumbling s’more, making a mess, and when he used his fingers
to wipe his mouth, it made matters only worse. The kids found it
hilarious, and Katie couldn’t help giggling as well, and she felt a
sudden, unexpected surge of hope. Despite the tragedy they’d all
gone through, this was what a happy family looked like; this, she
thought, is what a loving family did when they were together. For
them, it was nothing but an ordinary day on an ordinary
weekend, but for her, there was something revelatory about the
notion that wonderful moments like these existed. And that
maybe, just maybe, it would be possible for her to experience
similar days in the future.