where the house smelled like chicken nuggets, baby wipes, and bubble bath. The kids were finally down—Lilly asleep in her unicorn pajamas, Layla curled up with her stuffed bear, and Lila snoring softly in her crib after a long, dramatic meltdown over a pacifier. Max, their golden retriever, was curled up at the foot of the couch, occasionally twitching in his sleep.

Jake had just dropped onto the couch, loosened his tie, and was about to turn on the game when Stephanie walked in from the hallway with a small smile and a folded piece of paper in her hand.

“Hey,” she said softly, almost mischievously.

He looked up, tired but curious. “Hey, babe. What’s that?”

She handed him the paper. “Open it.”

He unfolded it slowly. Inside was a printed screenshot of a movie showtime, a dinner reservation, and a list of stores—all for the Del Amo Fashion Center Mall. Right at the top in Stephanie’s handwriting: “Mall Date Night — Just You & Me ❤️”

Jake’s eyes widened. “Wait… what?”

Stephanie grinned and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “Surprise. I planned a date night. No baby bags, no sticky car seats, no hearing ‘Mommy she hit me!’ for at least two hours. Just us. Del Amo. Tonight.”

Jake sat up straighter. “Tonight tonight?”

“Yes,” she said, giggling. “Tonight tonight.”

He blinked. “But… who’s gonna watch the kids? Lilly’s been scared of the hallway lately. Layla keeps getting out of bed. And Lila’s teething like she’s training for the baby Olympics. And what if Max eats the remote again?!”

Stephanie kissed the top of his head. “Relax. My mom’s already in the guest room. She’s got bedtime handled, snacks prepped, bedtime stories queued up, and Bluey ready to go. Everyone’s fine. This is our night.”

Jake stared at her. “You actually pulled this off.”

“I did,” she said, smiling. “Because we need this. We deserve this.”

Jake laughed, running a hand through his hair. “Alright, give me ten minutes to look less like a tired dad.”

Stephanie smirked. “Fifteen. And no socks with sandals this time.”

Thirty minutes later, they were walking into Del Amo Mall, hand in hand like two teens again. The smell of cinnamon pretzels hit them right at the entrance. Jake looked over and smiled. “This already feels better than a five-star restaurant.”

They hit the food court first—shared a giant slice of pizza, grabbed drinks, and joked about which food court item was “peak romance.” Then they wandered through shops, trying on sunglasses they didn’t need, making fun of overpriced candles, and stopping to admire a pair of shoes Jake claimed he would definitely wear but never would.

They ended the night with soft pretzels and ice cream in front of the AMC theater fountain, watching the water dance under the mall lights.

Jake looked at Stephanie, her eyes shining as she laughed at something he said. “I missed this,” he admitted.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Me too. No distractions, no chaos. Just you and me… in a mall.”

He chuckled. “Romance looks different these days.”

“But it still feels the same,” she said.