Chapter 2 - The Surprise at Gate B42
Janice spotted our car before Colin had completely stopped.
She threw both arms over her head.
“There they are!”
My stomach dropped.
Colin pulled into the curbside loading area.
Owen saw his cousin through the window.
“Caleb!”
Before I could process what was happening, Colin was getting out of the car.
I remained frozen in the passenger seat for another second.
Then Janice opened my door.
“Oh, Mallory! This is going to be wonderful.”
She leaned down and hugged me before I had even unbuckled my seat belt.
Over her shoulder, I could see the luggage.
Hard-shell suitcases.
Duffel bags.
Carry-ons.
A golf bag.
A beach tote.
A floral rolling suitcase so enormous it looked capable of transporting furniture.
Doug stood beside two coffees.
Kendra was trying to zip Caleb's hoodie while Ben balanced several carry-ons against one leg.
Owen burst from our car and ran toward Caleb.
The boys collided in a laughing hug.
I looked at Colin.
“What is this?”
He grinned.
“Family vacation.”
I waited.
Surely there was another sentence coming.
Maybe they were coincidentally flying somewhere else.
Maybe they were only there to see us off.
“You invited everybody?” I asked.
“Mom said they haven't seen the kids in forever.”
Janice squeezed my arm.
“We haven't traveled together since Kendra's wedding!”
Nine years ago.
There had been reasons for that.
I turned back toward Colin.
“You told me you were taking me on vacation.”
“I am.”
“You left out six people.”
“Five.”
I stared at him.
He counted quickly.
“My parents. Kendra, Ben, Caleb. Five.”
“You knew what I meant.”
Colin laughed as if my annoyance was cute.
“Come on, Mal. It'll be fun.”
I lowered my voice.
“You said I needed a break.”
“And you do.”
He gestured toward his family.
“Mom can help with Lucy. Owen has Caleb. We'll actually get more of a break this way.”
That sentence almost convinced me.
Almost.
Because mathematically, it made sense.
More adults.
More hands.
More people available to watch children.
Maybe I was reacting because I was tired.
Maybe this really would help.
Janice reached for Lucy.
“Let Grandma hold that sweet baby.”
I handed her over cautiously.
Janice immediately smiled.
“See? You're already getting a break.”
Maybe Colin had been right.
For approximately three minutes.
That was how long Janice held Lucy.
She positioned herself beside a window, took four pictures on her phone and announced, “Oh goodness, this baby smells like spit-up.”
Then she handed Lucy directly back to me.
We weren't even through security.
At the gate, everyone spread themselves across several rows of seats.
Colin and Ben went searching for coffee.
Doug plugged his phone into a charging station.
Kendra scrolled through social media.
Janice asked me whether I'd packed enough snacks for Caleb too, because apparently he'd refused breakfast.
I blinked.
“I packed for Owen.”
“Oh, I'm sure they can share.”
Ten minutes later, I was dividing Owen's crackers between both boys.
The flight itself continued the pattern.
Kendra and Ben had seats several rows behind us.
Caleb wanted to sit with Owen.
That meant I spent half the flight managing both boys while Lucy fussed against my chest.
Colin put on headphones because he was “getting a headache.”
When Lucy finally fell asleep, Janice leaned over from the aisle seat across from us.
“You're so good with them.”
I smiled weakly.
“Thanks.”
“You were made to be a mom.”
For reasons I couldn't explain, that didn't feel like a compliment.
When we landed in Orlando, the rental van became immediate chaos.
Doug claimed the front passenger seat because of his “bad hip.”
Ben helped load several bags before pressing a hand against his lower back.
“Something's locking up.”
Colin nodded sympathetically.
“Let's grab coffee before we hit traffic.”
The two men disappeared toward the terminal.
Leaving Kendra and me beside a mountain of luggage.
Caleb and Owen chased each other near the curb.
“Guys!” I shouted. “Stay by us!”
Lucy began crying.
Kendra sighed.
“I seriously need a vacation.”
I almost laughed.
Instead, I lifted another suitcase.
By the time everything was loaded, sweat was running down my back.
Colin returned carrying iced coffee.
He handed one to me.
“See? Taking care of you.”
I stared at the cup.
I didn't even like iced coffee.
He knew that.
Or I thought he did.
The resort was beautiful.
Palm trees lined the entrance.
A fountain sparkled in the afternoon sunlight.
The lobby smelled faintly of coconut and citrus.
For approximately ninety seconds, I felt hopeful again.
Then we entered the suite.
Two bedrooms.
One living room.
A small kitchen.
A balcony.
Janice walked into the master bedroom and sighed.
“Oh, this mattress is perfect.”
Doug put their luggage inside.
Kendra opened the second bedroom.
“Oh good. Caleb can sleep with us.”
I turned toward Colin.
“Where are we sleeping?”
He glanced toward the living room.
The pull-out sofa.
“No.”
He lowered his voice.
“Mal.”
“You booked this?”
“It was the biggest suite available.”
“And somehow we're the ones on the couch?”
“Mom and Dad need the firmer mattress.”
“What about Kendra?”
“They've got Caleb.”
“We have two children.”
“Lucy has a portable crib.”
I stared at him.
He squeezed my shoulder.
“It'll be fine.”
There were those words again.
It'll be fine.
Meaning: you'll make it fine.
That evening, everybody wanted to go immediately to the pool.
I unpacked diapers.
I found swimsuits.
I applied sunscreen to two wriggling boys.
I changed Lucy.
I found Owen's goggles.
Janice appeared in a flowing cover-up.
“Ready?”
Almost.
I looked toward Colin.
He was already drinking a beer on the balcony with Ben.
“Colin?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you help me?”
“Sure.”
He walked inside.
I handed him sunscreen.
“Do Owen.”
He did.
That was Colin.
Ask, assign, supervise.
Help.
At the pool, I spent most of the afternoon standing in shallow water with Lucy while making sure Owen and Caleb didn't drown each other.
Kendra read beside the pool.
Janice ordered a frozen drink.
Doug slept beneath an umbrella.
Colin disappeared with Ben to “check out the property.”
When they returned, they'd discovered a golf course.
“Tomorrow morning,” Colin announced.
Ben grinned.
“Eighteen holes.”
My head snapped toward him.
“Tomorrow morning?”
Colin looked confused.
“Yeah.”
“You planned golf?”
“Just a few hours.”
I glanced at the children.
Then at him.
“This was supposed to be my break.”
“It is.”
“How?”
He genuinely seemed puzzled.
“You're in Florida.”
That night, after everyone went to bed, I stood at the hotel sink rinsing chlorine from three children's swimsuits.
Mine.
Owen's.
Caleb's.
I squeezed water from the fabric and stared at myself in the mirror.
The woman looking back at me seemed older than she'd looked three days earlier.
Behind me, Colin brushed his teeth.
“You coming to bed?”
I looked toward the sagging pull-out couch.
Lucy shifted in her portable crib.
Owen was asleep on an air mattress near our feet.
“I thought you said no laundry.”
Colin laughed through toothpaste foam.
“Technically, that's not laundry. You're just rinsing swimsuits.”
I stared at him.
He didn't notice.
Or he noticed and didn't understand.
The next morning, he kissed my forehead at 7:15.
“Golf.”
And walked out.
By eight o'clock, I had three children asking me for breakfast.
And that was when I began understanding the terrible truth about Colin's surprise vacation.
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He hadn't planned five days off for me.
He had simply moved my workload somewhere with palm trees.
