“Thanks. Today has been epic. I’m stoked I finally feel confident on one of these things.” He unstrapped his board, and I followed suit.

“You’re a natural. Hey, I’m about to grab dinner in town. Would you want to⁠—”

Before I could ask him to join me, a little girl that only came up to my waist in a bright-pink ski jacket flung herself at Kevin. “Daddy!” she yelled excitedly.

Kevin laughed and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Sweetie. How did you do in your lesson?”

“She did amazing. As if there was ever any doubt.” A tall woman with black hair peeking out of a white knit beanie walked up to Kevin and gave him a kiss on the lips. “And how was your lesson?”

“Ollie here is the best,” Kevin said. “He had me in way better shape than I ever thought I could be. We’ll have to get you out there next.”

“I don’t think so,” the woman—who I gathered must be Kevin’s wife—said. She turned to me, shaking her head. “I used to love skiing, but I broke my leg a few years back. Now I’m officially retired.”

“She always did like cocktails in a warm lodge more than being on the slopes anyway.” Kevin looked at her with fond familiarity.

“Hey.” She swatted his chest. “I was good, thank you very much.”

“This is my wife, Stephanie, and daughter, Sam, by the way. This is my instructor, Ollie.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, trying to hide my surprise that Kevin had this whole family. Even though I’d only met him today, this didn’t fit into the vision I’d crafted of him—the vision I had already started modeling my own life after. In reality, Kevin was apparently a family man. Not at all what I saw for my future.

“Can you teach me to snowboard?” Sam asked.

I chuckled and bent down so that I was closer to her level. “I most definitely could. I bet you’re a natural, just like your dad.”

“Let’s master skiing first,” Stephanie said, smiling.

I looked down at Sam. “Maybe next year.”

Her smile widened, revealing two missing top teeth.

While I hadn’t spent too much time around kids, I had given my fair share of lessons to them throughout the years. While I preferred the more advanced lessons, kids always impressed me with their resiliency and lack of fear. They would truly just go shooting down the mountain without a care or a single thought toward their well-being. Meanwhile, most beginner adults completely got stuck in their own heads. Frankie’s lesson came to mind…

“Thanks again. We’ve got to go catch our dinner reservation, but I really appreciate today.”

I shook Kevin’s hand and said my goodbyes, watching as he walked away with his little family.

They were cute, but I felt zero pang of longing for that dynamic. My childhood had proven to me that just because you can call it a family in name didn’t mean it acted like one.