<h1>A Surprising Birthday Weekend with a Scare</h1>
<p>It’s my wife’s birthday weekend, and we decided to get away for a couple of days. Our middle child is house-sitting for us, which is a new experience for us. When our kids were still living at home, taking care of the pets while we were away was just a given. But now, we have to ask them for the favor, and there’s always a chance they could say no. Thankfully, our friends will be joining us later, but for the first night, it’s just the two of us enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner.</p>
<p>As we sit under the cool night sky filled with bright stars, my phone pings twice in my pocket. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I can’t resist taking a look. “Uh oh,” I exclaim, catching my wife’s attention.</p>
<p>”What’s wrong?” she asks.</p>
<p>I have two messages. The first one is from the bank, notifying me that suspicious activity was detected on my card and has been blocked. The second message is from another bank, saying the exact same thing about my other card. Panic starts to set in.</p>
<p>”What should I do?” I ask, feeling overwhelmed.</p>
<p>”Just call them back,” my wife calmly suggests.</p>
<p>I hesitate, unsure if I can trust these messages. What if they’re scams? I’ve grown accustomed to treating any report of suspicious activity with suspicion itself. I even question the legitimacy of computer warnings about viruses. When my children text me saying they’ve lost their phones, I immediately assume they’re cleverly disguised bots trying to trick me.</p>
<p>”Two identical messages,” I point out. “That’s doubly suspicious.”</p>
<p>”Well then, ignore it,” my wife advises.</p>
<p>”But it happened twice!” I argue. “Someone might be trying to steal my entire life!”</p>
<p>”There’s no need to panic,” my wife reassures me, but it’s too late; the panic has already taken hold. I struggle with a poor phone signal as I continue the conversation with the bank, still questioning their legitimacy in the back of my mind.</p>
<p>I remain on the phone throughout dessert, determined to have both cards canceled as a precautionary measure. “Well, this was nice,” my wife says sarcastically.</p>
<p>”I’m sorry,” I apologize, realizing I may have let my panic get the best of me.</p>
<p>The next afternoon, our friends have arrived at the getaway location. There are several activities to choose from, including yoga, walking, and tennis. My wife has already arranged for everyone to attend a strange breathing class later in the day. I decide to sit back and read in a deckchair as my wife goes off to find someone more entertaining.</p>
<p>A few minutes later, I notice my wife’s phone ringing on the vacant deckchair next to mine. It’s our middle child calling, according to the screen.</p>
<p>”It’s me,” I answer, using my wife’s phone.</p>
<p>”Oh, hey,” our child says. “Did you see the picture I sent Mom?”</p>
<p>”No,” I reply. “What picture?”</p>
<p>”The garden wall collapsed last night,” our child explains.</p>
<p>”What do you mean, it collapsed?” I ask in disbelief.</p>
<p>”Like, it completely fell apart,” our child clarifies.</p>
<p>”Can’t you show me the picture later?” I suggest, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.</p>
<p>”Of course you can,” our child scoffs, not understanding my predicament.</p>
<p>When I finally look at the picture, it feels like I’m viewing the aftermath of an earthquake. Bricks are scattered everywhere, the trellis is splintered, and the ivy is uprooted.</p>
<p>”So, this was caused by the wind?” I ask.</p>
<p>”What wind?” my wife asks, suddenly appearing next to me.</p>
<p>”Look,” I say, handing her the phone. “Talk to our child.”</p>
<p>”Just leave it,” my wife says dismissively to our child.</p>
<p>”But make sure the tortoise isn’t trapped under the mess,” I remind them.</p>
<p>At five past five, someone comes to collect me for the breathing class. It’s a room filled with people lying on mats, blindfolded, and intentionally limiting their oxygen intake while an instructor offers words of encouragement. I put on my blindfold and join in.</p>
<p>”Let your inner wholeness shine and smile,” the instructor says. I can’t help but think how unlikely that is.</p>
<p>When the class ends, I discover a text from our child. “Tortoise is fine,” it reads.</p>
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<p>My wife wanders off to find someone else to talk to, and I return to my book. After a while, I notice my wife’s phone ringing on the empty deckchair next to mine. The screen shows that it’s our middle child calling.</p>
<p>”It’s me,” I answer, picking up my wife’s phone.</p>
<p>”Oh, hi,” our child says. “Did you see the picture I sent Mom?”</p>
<p>”No, I haven’t,” I reply. “What picture are you talking about?”</p>
<p>”The garden wall collapsed last night,” our child informs me.</p>
<p>”Wait, what? It collapsed?” I ask, taken aback.</p>
<p>”Yes, it completely fell apart,” our child says.</p>
<p>”Well, can you show me the picture later? I can’t look at it right now,” I explain.</p>
<p>”Sure, you can look at the picture and talk to me at the same time,” our child insists.</p>
<p>When I finally take a look at the picture, it feels like I’m witnessing the aftermath of an earthquake. Bricks are strewn all over, the trellis is shattered, and the ivy lies uprooted.</p>
<p>”So, this was caused by the wind?” I ask, seeking clarification.</p>
<p>”What wind?” my wife interjects, suddenly appearing next to me.</p>
<p>”Here, talk to Mom,” I say, handing her the phone. “I need a break.”</p>
<p>”Let it go,” my wife dismisses our child, clearly not in the mood to address the situation.</p>
<p>”Just make sure the tortoise isn’t trapped under the mess,” I remind them.</p>
<p>At five minutes past five, someone comes to fetch me for the breathing class. It’s a room filled with people lying on mats, blindfolded, and intentionally depriving themselves of oxygen while an instructor offers words of encouragement. I put on my blindfold and join in the activity.</p>
<p>”Let your inner wholeness radiate and smile,” the instructor advises. I can’t help but feel skeptical of such an idea.</p>
<p>When the class ends, I receive a text from our child. It simply says, “Tortoise is perfectly fine.”</p>
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