Chapter 1- We're Going on Vacation

It was several months after Monica and Andrew had returned from the Island. Summer and the girl's birthdays were fast approaching. Tessa was taking a leave of absence from casework and spending the rest of the year with them, just like the old days, and Tess had joined them, just like the really old days. While they were on the Island they had discussed taking a vacation with the whole family, and now they were planning it.

There had been some debate regarding where they should go, but finally it was decided upon. The family would spend their vacation in Cape Cod and they would leave the next morning. The kids, needless to say, were very excited despite the fact that they'd lost their campaign to go to Disneyland.

"I'm so glad you're back Tessa." Zoe said, throwing a sweater to her sister, who shoved it into her suitcase.

"Me too. It feels so good to be home!"

"I'm glad that you're coming on vacation with us too. After all, if you didn't come, I'd be all alone."

"That's right. Plus, I'd feel cheated if I didn't go on this trip."

"So, what are you wearing tomorrow?"

"Zoe, we'll be in the car, save the good stuff for later."

"You're right. So just jeans and a t-shirt."

"Right."

"Okay. What are you bringing?"

"You haven't packed yet, have you?"

"No." Zoe admitted.

"But you're not finished."

"No I'm not, but you must get started."

"That's right, I should, shouldn't I?"

"Just bring sweaters, shorts, tennis skirts. In short, think Polo Ralph Lauren."

"Oh." Zoe finally understood.

………………..

"Bet you I can jump higher." Michael challenged his sister as they bounced on their beds.

"You can not!"

"I can too."

"You're on!" Olivia accepted her brother's challenge. So the twins started jumping on their beds.

"Hey, guys, calm down." The twins stopped and landed on their beds with a thud upon hearing their father's voice.

"It's bed time guys." Gloria said as she came in and turned on the nightlight.

"But Mom…" Michael wined. His sister, on the other hand, saw no point in complaining, and climbed into bed at once.

"Good night Michael." Gloria kissed her son. "You have a long day tomorrow."

"Gloria?" Adam asked once they'd shut the door.

"Yes."

"I think that Olivia isn't as much of a kid as she needs to be."

"What do you mean?"

"Most kids her age are fascinated by playdough, but, instead, she reads Plato."

"What's the problem with that?"

"What do you mean, 'what's the problem with that?'" He asked as he followed her down the stairs.

"Adam, I think that we need to influence her genius."

"When was the last time you saw her do some of the kid things that her brother does? Or play house with Sophie. Or not already know what's being taught in her class that day in school."

"Never." She said.

"There, do you see my point now?"

"Yes. What do you propose we do about it?" She asked as she started packing food for their vacation.

"Maybe we should take away her books for the summer."

"No." Gloria gasped. "Adam, that's too cruel. She loves her books."

"It might slow her mind down a little bit."

"If we take her books, you know that she's smart enough to get some on her own. In fact, I think she just might be smart enough to trick you into giving her her books back."

"I didn't think of that! But if we don't alter this now she's going to be catalogued as some sort of super genius. She'll be like Einstein."

"Adam, incase you haven't noticed she is a super genius."

"That's true, she's smarter than even you are. But still, I'm taking her books away. Just for the summer."

"At least leave her with something in the second grade level, okay."

"Good, it's a deal."

………………….

"Goodnight Sophie." Monica said, kissing her youngest daughter, as Andrew lifted her into her crib, he kissed her too.

By the time that Sophie's head hit her pillow she had fallen asleep.

"Andrew, I think that our baby is too big for her crib."

"Me too." He said as he rubbed her hand.

"Well, I guess it's time that we get her a big girl bed."

"I guess so."

"This is perfect; the house that we're vacationing in doesn't have a crib, just three twin beds in the girl's room."

"I just hope she takes this well." He said as they closed Sophie's door and headed down the hall. Monica knocked on their older daughter's door.

"Come in!" they shouted in unison.

"Good night girls." Monica said, kissing each one of them.

"Good night Mom."

"I love you so much, girls." Their father said, pulling each of them into his embrace, and kissing the top of their heads.

"We love you too." They said.

"When you're finished packing, it's bedtime." Monica said, shutting the door behind them.

………………..

The next morning was a busy one. Monica was helping the girls finish their packing. Andrew was trying to help Sophie prepare for the long drive. Tess was also preparing for the trip. Gloria and Michael had gone to get a few last minute things. Meanwhile, Adam had decided that this was the perfect time to have a much needed conversation with his daughter. He knocked on her door.

"May I come in?" He inquired.

"Of course" Came a little voice, "Hi Daddy." She said, delighted to see him.

"Hi honey, you and I have to talk."

"Is there something wrong?" She asked, concerned immediately.

"Well, I think that you need to be a little more kid-like, that's all."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know any other preschoolers who read. They just play."

Olivia seemed puzzled.

"Olivia, I'm taking your books away." He felt awful when her eyes welled up with tears. "Oh honey, I'm doing this for your own benefit. You need to be a kid. Your only three you know." Tears poured down Olivia's cheeks. "Please, Daddy, don't. What did I do?" She cried.

Adam felt really guilty.

"You didn't do anything. This is for your own good." He kissed her and began to collect her books.

"Please don't take all of them." She pleaded.

"I won't. You can have this, and this." He handed her two books.

"But Daddy, these are baby books, they're only ten pages long and they have big words, two words, per page."

"And this, is for you." He said as he handed her a package that he'd kept hidden outside the door.

Once her father left with her books Olivia sat on her bed, staring at the unopened present. She didn't want to open it, but finally curiosity got the better of her.

………………….

"Daddy, where are we going?" Sophie asked as her father tied her shoes.

"On vacation."

Sophie didn't say anything.

"Lets see, do we have all you're stuff?" He asked, double checking her suitcase. "Do you have everything you need?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Okay." He said as he lifted her into his arms. "I don't think that your Mommy and your sister's are going to be ready for a little while, so why don't you and I go get some ice cream?"

"Yay!" She squealed.

………………..

"Do either of you have any idea how to pack for a vacation?" Monica asked.

"I guess we don't." Tessa said.

"Girls, what in the world do you need snow boots for?"

"We don't?" Zoe guessed.
"Good, that's right, you don't."

"Are you mad, Mom?"

"No Zoe, I'm not mad. I'm just a little surprised that you're eleven and seventeen and neither of you can pack a suitcase properly."

"Hey, she packed her own." Tessa said, as Zoe's suitcase was filled with way more frivolous objects than her own.

"I said both of you didn't pack properly."

"What's wrong with mine?" She asked.

"Well, let's see…" Monica began to go through Tessa's suitcase. She watched curiously, just dying to know what she'd done wrong.

"Ah. Here's a good example. We're going to Cape Cod, not skiing girls. Why did you bring gloves Tessa?"

"Easy, cool nights on the beach."

"It won't get that cold. Not for skiing gloves." Monica said, tossing them into the now large pile of things that they didn't need to bring.

"Are we done yet?" Zoe groaned.

"Yes girls, anything else you need?"

……………….…

A doll? What was she supposed to do with a doll? She didn't dislike it. In fact, she had to admit that it was a very pretty little doll. She actually liked it a lot. Still, she didn't know what to do with it. She decided that the best thing to do would be to ask Sophie when they got to Cape Cod. As for her father and her books, she was upset and confused. She was not willing to go on such a long drive with her dad. So, she grabbed her doll and her backpack, (as her suitcase was already downstairs), and she went down the back stairs and into the kitchen. When she headed into the backyard she finally found who she was looking for.

"Hi."

"Hi sweetie." Tess turned around and bent down to her level. "shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"I am ready. I just wanted to know if I could go with you, in your car."

"Of course, just ask you're Daddy first, okay angel?"

"Daddy and I aren't speaking."

"Oh."

"Yes. He's taken my books away."

"He only means well. Listen, go ask your Daddy."

"Okay." She sighed and turned around and went back into the house.