Mother's Day 2026

We're winding down Mother's Day here. The boys were here all afternoon to hang out and have dinner, and I was happy to see them. I always am, but I've been thinking about my nieces having their first Mother's Day without my sister, which is rough, and my other nieces and nephew probably relieved to still have their mom this year after she had a stroke a couple months ago. I know Mother's Day is a different day for everyone. I'm always happy to see my boys, and I'm lucky I can see them regularly, but other people I know have kids who live too far for that, so I'm more appreciative of my own good fortune.

I did some prep yesterday for today along with the normal Saturday things, so as soon as I finish this and one other thing on my to-do list, the rest of the evening will be quiet here, which means revisions, which I chipped away at yesterday, too. Before I get to them again, I have a snippet for you this week from Light the Way Home.

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            Lucie had been on Mac’s Light Island for almost three weeks, but the view from the back door of her temporary home still took her breath away. Right now, she realized she’d been standing there staring, slack-jawed, at the sunlight glinting off the grey-blue ocean waves for a good five minutes. Shaking her head, she pulled the door shut and stepped down onto the sidewalk, feeling in her purse for her car keys.

            She closed her fingers on the fob as a giggle reached her ears. She turned to the white picket fence that bordered the property next door as a big multi-colored ball sailed over it, toward her. “Oh!” She caught it before it hit her in the face, then started across the grass, balancing the ball on her hand.

            Another giggle sounded as she neared the fence, so she adjusted her direction a tiny bit and came to a stop looking directly down onto a tousled blond head.

            “I think you lost something,” she said.

            The little boy’s face tipped up quickly, his blue eyes wide with surprise–as if he couldn’t believe she’d found him already.

            Lucie grinned and held the ball higher.

            He smiled as he got to his feet, brushing off his jeans-clad knees.

            From seeing him playing outside several times already, she’d guessed he might be four, but now at close range, she scaled that back to three.

            “Hi, I’m Hayden,” he said, holding out his right hand.

            It was her turn to be surprised. She shook his hand, bemused. “Hi, Hayden, I’m Lucie.” Not too many three-year-olds had such good manners. Aside from the ball toss at her face, that is. “Nice to meet you.”

            He glanced up at his ball. “Me an’ my dad are your neighbors.”

            “I see that.” She noted he hadn’t mentioned his mom. “Who were you playing with?” She gave the ball a little bounce.

            “Maybe you wanna play with me.” Guileless blue eyes locked on her face.

            Ah. She squelched the pang in her chest. “I wish I could, but I’m on my way to town. Maybe we can play another time?” she added when his grin vanished.

            “Like this afternoon?”

            “Hayden!”

            The deep voice got her attention–and the boy’s–just before a tall, sandy-haired man rounded the back corner of the next-door house.

            Lucie’s mouth went dry. Wowza!

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No matter what your Mother's Day situation is, I hope you had a lovely day, and that you have an even better week ahead. Will you get in some reading time? I'd love to hear about it!

Until next week, happy reading!