Hey friends!

Thank you so much for your patience (and eagerness) for this next episode. This week, I'm going to post three episodes to catch us up. I also plan to share a little update tomorrow about our little one. Thank you so much for your support! Y'all are the best.

I glanced around my room, satisfied I was leaving everything tidy and ready for me that evening. Grabbing my purse, I turned off the light. Off for another day of work.

I smiled. Today was my birthday. Last year, Lacie and Jared had let me have any book I wanted and a gift item for my birthday. Of course, they might not do that again, but it would be fun if they did.

I reached the door, and all my siblings stood in front of it. I blinked. “Good morning.”

Asa crossed his arms. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I looked at each of my serious-faced siblings. “To work, where all of us need to be unless you all got laid off.”

Meg tisked and stepped forward. “Don’t you know it’s your birthday?”

I raised a brow. “I did indeed. And the sooner I get to work, the sooner I can come home to celebrate.”

A wide smile appeared on Ivy’s face. “Oh, you won’t be going to work today. We arranged everything.”

Mom came into the entryway, carrying a gift bag. “We are kidnapping you for the day.”

I looked at my siblings. “But don’t all of you have jobs?”

“We all took off the day,” Ben said.

I looked at each of their faces, and my heart squeezed. “You did what?”

Ivy nodded. “We all took off , and we are going to take you to that aquarium you wanted to go to.”

My eyes widened. “But that is a long drive.”

“Then we better get going!” Ben said.

When we pulled up to the aquarium, I felt like I was a kid again. I jumped out of the car and ran straight to the dolphin statue waiting for us in the front. I had wanted to come see this aquarium for so long. Ivy and Meg joined me, and we snapped a photo. We laughed as my eyes snagged on a person.

“Dad!”

He stood there smiling at all of us.

I ran into his arms and was crying.

“Happy birthday, Pam.” He said into my hair.

“We had to all be together on your birthday,” Asa said.

“All of us,” Ivy said.

I gripped my father tightly and tried to wipe my tears on his shirt, but it was no use; the rest of my family would see.

“Come on. We came here for the aquarium, didn’t we?” my mother asked with a sad sort of smile.

I nodded. I took a deep breath. Of course, things would be strained between Mom and Dad. I needed to accept that. But it wouldn’t keep me from being grateful that they were all here today.

My whole family - together. A laugh and a sob tangled together,r and I put my hands to my mouth.

I took a step toward the door and thanked God for this moment, for this day.

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you,” my siblings sang, and I felt like bursting into tears. We were sitting in the restaurant inside the aquarium, surrounded by amazing tanks of fish. Asa had insisted he was taking all of us to dinner at the restaurant inside the aquarium.

I looked at the faces around the table and wanted to grab this moment and put it in my pocket. I had so much. I had loved every moment at the aquarium. I had sat for so long in front of each display, basking in the beauty of all the fish, and everyone had indulged me. My parents’ interactions were strained, but I respected them so much for doing this for me and our family when it wasn’t easy.

“Blow out the candle!” Asa shouted.

I laughed and took a deep breath, and blew out the candle on the cheesecake like I was turning five.

Everyone clapped, and Meg handed me a fork.

“Wait,” Ivy said, handing me a bag with the aquarium logo on it. “This is from all of us.”

I took the bag, but I already knew what was inside. I had teased about getting the super soft, stuffed sealion, but there was no way I was spending the money to get it. Sure enough, my siblings had gone back and bought it.

Mom handed me an envelope. Inside, I found a paper promising a lunch with just the two of us at my favorite Mexican food place.

My dad handed me another bag from the aquarium store, and I found one of the beautiful sand dollar pendants inside.

I looked up at the tank that surrounded us and back at each of the precious faces around me.

I had no idea how I was going to wrap this moment, this day, into the mercy notebook, but I would try.

This week's mercy: A day I can hold on to, no matter what, and thank God for such precious memories and family. A day that felt a lot like hope.