Silvia

My name is Silvia, and I'm thirty-five years old and a widow. My husband, Lloyd, was forty-five when he passed back in two thousand twenty due to complications from Covid. We'd been married for ten years, and he was the love of my life. I have my stepdaughter, Megan, who is now seventeen. Since Lloyd's passing, we've become more like best friends than mother and daughter. We still have our mother-daughter conflicts, but overall we get along very well.

Our family, before Lloyd's departure, was an active one. Well, we still are. I run, swim, do yoga, and lift weights. Megan plays varsity volleyball in the Fall and varsity soccer in Winter on her high school team, and naturally, we're her biggest fans, hoping for a scholarship somewhere. We all love camping, hiking, beach-going, and Megan's favorite hobby, birding. Some think it's silly, but birds are Megan's favorite animals. We came to enjoy it almost as much as she does. We have all the equipment, binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, and quite a library of bird books. Megan is a good photographer and also draws.

Back in twenty nineteen, we'd planned a trip to Costa Rica. It was all Megan would discuss, the tropical paradise full of brightly colored birds and warm sandy beaches. Unfortunately, we never made that trip. However, since things have settled, I decided to treat Megan to a two-week trip last December. It was a birthday and a Christmas present. She turned seventeen on December sixth. It wasn't going to be inexpensive.

Thankfully, Lloyd and I took out life insurance policies just after marriage. We made sure, well, he made sure that Megan and I would have the house paid off and enough money for Megan to attend college if that's what she chose to do. This was back when she was seven. So, after the finances were settled, I had enough money, thanks to my thoughtful husband, to splurge on our baby.

The trip was two weeks of birding and leisure time along the coast, where we could swim, snorkel, relax, and let the world go by. Megan would miss the week before winter break with some soccer games and practices. I had thought about three weeks, but that was a bit much for me.

I found a company online that did custom tours. When I contacted them, I asked for a younger guide, maybe a student, so Megan wouldn't get bored with someone my age or older talking in monotones as we explored the jungle looking for birds. Luckily, the tour company employed college students studying at the university in San Jose. I believe it was the Universidad Veritas. I liked what they were selling and paid a deposit.

I received a few emails from our tour guide before we set out on our trip. Her name was Ines, and she wanted to know the types of birds and a little about us so she could tailor the tour to things we wanted to do. I thought that was very nice and well worth what we were paying. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I decided to talk to Megan in July since I had to book things beforehand. I asked her if she'd like to go to ensure she wanted to before I placed a deposit. I knew she would, and she could help plan the trip. When I asked, I got that look. Like, are you crazy, mom? I'd love to go!

So, we poured over various areas, what birds might be where, which were lovely beaches, then talked to travel consultants and customized our tour.

I loved seeing Megan focusing on the trip, we were pretty close, like I said, but it was all she talked about that Summer. We went to a few wildlife refuges so she could practice her 'bird in flight' photography. We bought bird books on Costa Rica, new hiking boots, bikinis, clothes, and tour guides.

Our relationship strengthened further, making plans together. We'd already faced adversity together and made it through unscathed. Megan was a doll; Lloyd and I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful and loving daughter.

I was glad when school started in September. It made Megan focus on her schoolwork and volleyball. Megan took after Lloyd as far as athletic ability and height. She's five-foot-ten, a little tall for soccer but perfect for volleyball. With her looks and height, Megan could easily pass for twenty-one.

Lloyd and I worried about her and the boys when she started high school. But that trouble never seemed to materialize. She dated some, going to the junior prom with a boy from down the street. However, her main focus was sports and academics. It didn't bother us to have sleepovers with members of her teams, and we even hosted a few. She was drug-free and not obsessed with having a boyfriend and fitting in.

As December grew closer, Megan became more anxious, as did I. We packed, repacked, then packed again, ensuring our luggage was under the weight limit. I happened to notice during one packing session Megan quickly stuffing something into a corner of her bag. She was hiding something, so I asked.

She blushed a deep crimson, having been caught. Then sheepishly, she slowly withdrew what I initially thought was a rope or something. Holding it up, she showed me a string bikini she'd bought so she could work on her tan. I had to temper my response because this trip was all for her. I told her to save it for a more private beach if we found one. She smiled, thanking me for not freaking out. I didn't want to be the overprotective mom, yet I didn't want my baby girl flaunting her body. She had a good head on her shoulders, so I let it go.

My bikini was more conservative, but I'm her mom and twice her age.

Megan

After my dad passed, Silvia, my step-mom, became more like a birth mom to me. Not that she wasn't already. I mean, we became closer because of the loss of my dad. I think Silvia and I became more like sisters, kind of. By that, I mean we grieved together and talked more about our feelings. We cried together and tried to help each other deal with our loss. I think we let little things that would typically cause some drama slip by and not say anything to each other about them. Like dirty clothes not in the hamper, my chores, and homework.

I love Silvia, and she's always been there for me. My dad's sudden passing just iced the bond that we shared. But what got me was when she asked if I wanted to go to Costa Rica. I mean, why wouldn't I? It was the trip of a lifetime for me, back when dad first mentioned it a year before he passed.

Over the Summer, I helped mom plan, ensuring we got to all the perfect birding areas. That was my priority. Next were some beaches where we could relax, and to top it off, do some hiking. I could sense mom adding up the costs in her head as I picked things out. But she didn't say anything, just asked me how long I'd like to stay because this would be a one-time thing and we should make the most of it. I asked if the money was part of my inheritance.

She thought for a moment, then explained that because they'd gotten life insurance after they got married, she'd paid off the house, banked some, then set up a college fund for me. The money for the trip was part of the life insurance payout, not my inheritance.

She told me that even if I didn't get a scholarship, we wouldn't have to take out any loans for my education. Then she smiled and told me to consider this trip my birthday and Christmas present this year and maybe for the next couple of years. I laughed because I knew she was joking. I smiled, thanked, hugged her, then silently thanked my dad. Then I realized why dad fell in love with and married Silvia. Not only was she pretty, but she was also intelligent and caring and loved me despite not being her biological daughter. I don't think I could have asked for a better mom. Dad did good when he married Silvia.

Once we'd settled the tour agenda and mom, well Silvia, booked our trip, I started getting emails from our tour guide. Her name was Ines. Mom also emailed the tour company so Ines could consult with me and customize our trip. She was very knowledgeable about birds, so our conversations were mainly about them. I asked about beaches and hiking trails, and she gave me a list to go over. We would have a fairly tight schedule while birding, but it would be more relaxing afterward. I liked emailing Ines. She seemed genuine and wanted us to have a great time. It just made me more anxious to leave.

There was an incident when Silvia and I were packing. I'd bought a tiny string bikini because I wanted to come back with a killer tan and not have any visible tan lines to show my teammates. They can be real bitches at times. Silvia caught me stashing the kini and made me show her. She didn't get upset; she just warned me about exposing myself. I mean, I was almost eighteen, well I would be the following December. But I didn't expect mom's reaction to be so sedate, and I'm glad it happened at home and not on our trip.

My Fall semester at school couldn't go fast enough. I'd test myself on tropical bird identification when I wasn't studying or practicing. I didn't want to spot a bird and ask Ines the name. That's something Silvia could do while I was busy taking pictures. Silvia wasn't an avid birder like I am. I've thought about majoring in Ornithology or something related, but I haven't decided yet. This trip might be where I decided and settled on my future.

My teammates were all a little envious, but most encouraged me to make the most of it. I don't have many close friends, partly because I'm more of an introvert. The friends I do have are great. We've had slumber parties and stayed up late laughing and having fun gossiping. There was a time some of them thought I was a lesbian because I didn't date boys every weekend or have a steady boyfriend. I shrugged it off, pointing out my GPA, sports, and the outings with my parents. Being a girl in high school, there is so much pressure to fit in.

I was so relieved when our departure date arrived. I could forget everything and focus on my favorite thing: birds.