The plan sounded simple enough when my mother announced it over roast chicken and overcooked asparagus: “It’s time to spend some time with the kids.” Everyone smiled the way people do when a decision’s already been made without you. Jessica leaned in first, chattering about matching swimsuits for photos, while Michael nodded along, calculating which days he could “work remote” from the beach. Emma and Jake, my two, sat perfectly still, listening with the kind of bright attention six- and four-ye