It was a quiet Thursday evening, the kind where the house smelled like chicken nuggets, baby wipes, and bubble bath. The kids were finally down—Lilly asleep in her unicorn pajamas, Layla clutching her favorite stuffed bear, and Lila snoring softly in her crib after a long battle against bedtime. Max, their golden retriever, was curled up at the foot of the couch, tail twitching with puppy dreams.

Jake collapsed onto the couch with a sigh, loosening his tie, feeling the weight of work settle into his shoulders. Just as he was about to turn on the game, Stephanie walked in from the hallway, a small smile on her face and a folded piece of paper in her hand.

“Hey,” she said sweetly.

Jake looked up. “Hey, babe. What’s that?”

She handed him the note. “Read it.”

He unfolded it slowly. It was a printed reservation confirmation for Il Rosso Trattoria, one of the nicest Italian spots in town. Right under that: 7:30 PM – Tonight.

His eyes widened. “Wait… what?”

Stephanie smiled, walking behind him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “Surprise. I planned a date night. Just you and me. No sippy cups, no diaper changes, no hearing ‘Mommy!’ every five seconds.”

Jake blinked. “Wait, tonight tonight?”

She laughed. “Yes, tonight tonight.”

His brain kicked into full dad mode. “But—but who’s gonna watch the kids? Lilly’s scared of the dark this week. Layla keeps crawling out of bed. And Lila’s teething! And what if Max chews another sock again?!”

Stephanie kissed his cheek, calming his chaos. “Relax. My mom’s already here—she’s in the guest room with snacks, bedtime stories, and a full hour of Bluey recorded on standby. She’s got it handled.”

Jake stared at her, stunned. “You… really did all this?”

She smiled gently. “You work hard. I work hard. We love our girls more than anything—but we haven’t had a night for us in way too long. So let’s just… be a couple tonight.”

Jake stood up slowly, adjusting his wrinkled shirt. “Well dang. I gotta go shave or something.”

Stephanie giggled. “Yes, please do.”