Chapter One
Mary sat rigid in the blue airplane seat. Carlos sat next to her, "Everything is going to be fine, don't worry," he whispered.
"How can I help but worry?" she replied, her voice taut with anxiety, "You know my parents."
"Yes, I do, and I know that everything will be OK, Matt, Sarah, Simon, and Simon's girlfriend are coming also," Carlos tried to comfort his wife.
"You mean his wife," Mary sighed, "yet another secret from Mom and Dad."
"Yes, but remember not long ago they all had to keep our separation from your parents, so now we owe them," he reminded her.
"Yes, I remember, but we got back together," she said, sighing, "I'm also worried about Charlie, Santana, and Ann."
"Our children will be fine, Mary, now try to get some sleep," Carlos said, handing her one of the yellowed pillows the plane company provided.
Mary shook her head, clearly still worried, but sank into a fitful sleep.
Carlos sighed with relief, sometimes Mary stressed him out, and this was one of those times, she worried too much.
He pushed the plastic that covered the window up, and looked below at the patchwork of designs, deeply etched into the countryside. He thought back to the days when Mary and his relationship wasn't so stable, back when Mary was a flight attendant. He was glad that those days were over.
Jane wiped off the counter where she worked, the Dairy Shack. It seemed like her and Maragaret always went back there, no matter what. But everything was different now. Mac and Maragaret had gotten married, and Martin had left Jane with a broken heart. Just like he'd left Meredith, Ruthie, Sandy, and now herself, the only difference was that Martin had also left Sandy with a baby.
Why did I trust him to begin with? She wondered, just before a customer came to the counter.
"I'd like a vanilla milkshake please," he told Jane.
Jane nodded, before screaming back into the kitchen, "SHAKE UP SNOW WHITE!" The Dary Shack language for a vanilla milkshake, she handed the man his milkshake and his change, and watched him walk off. She sighed, it seemed like everyone had moved forward with their life, except her.
Kevin picked up Savannah and Keith and headed over to Eric and Annie's house, as he walked into the door he could immediately tell something was wrong. Not because of the looks, but because of the smell. Annie always had something cooking and even when she didn't there was always someone in the kitchen. But the kitchen was empty, both of smells and of persons. He walked up the stairs, and all was quiet there, too.
"Huh," Kevin muttered a dumbfounded expression on his face.
"What Daddy?" Savannah asked, hearing Kevin mutter to himself.
"Nothing sweetie, nothing," Kevin replied, as he led the kids up into the attic that was converted into a bedroom.
Nobody was there either.