Something More

Chapter 1

Another sunny day in Orlando Florida, the sun shining is down on me and warming the depths of my soul. For here I am in this state over a thousand miles away from my closest family and friends. Things will be good, no they will be great. I love working here at Disney World's Animal Kingdom. My job is so fulfilling. I have the opportunity to work with animals one on one. So why do I believe that I am never fully reaching my potential or that there is a part of my life that is not complete just yet.

"Ring, ring," I hurry to answer the phone.

"Hello," I respond.

"Hi honey how is, was your day?" she asks me. Only a true mother could ask you such an open, unended question of sincerity. But this position of motherhood I am all to glad to give her. For my mother died when I was only a child and my father married her in my early teenage years.

"Oh. My day was great Janice. The park obtained a new lioness today. It was great," I replied hoping she would not catch on to my slight disappoint with wanting more from my life. Just then my eyes ran straight to Stephenie Meyer's best selling saga series that was lying across my kitchen table.

"Bryan what is wrong?"

Damn she did not buy. Janice is the one person in the world that I was never able to lie to, nor have I ever wanted to lie to her. I really did not want to get into my depression with her, for I knew how hard it was for her and my father to let me go. I do not want to give them any reason to believe I was regretting my decision to move away from Missouri two years ago.

"It is nothing really. Just something that went on at work today," I replied.

"If it is important to you it is important to me," With that motherly authority ringing in her voice. I decided I should give her a bone.

"Okay. You know how I was telling you about how some of the animals that I look after respond to me."

"Yes sweetheart," with nothing but love back into her voice.

"Well I am beginning to think that it is no longer my imagination, because a few of my fellow cast members are realizing it as well." Disney refers to it associates as cast members. To ensure that know how important our jobs are and that every guest receives their piece of magic Disney has to offer them.

"Today we unloaded the new lioness off of the truck and into a temporary exhibit, a few hours later the sedation drug begun to wear off. We were watching her to make sure she did not harm herself." I paused to hear her response.

"Are you still there Janice?"

"Yes Honey go on." I expect she is curious. Janice was the one who first realized my love for animals and encouraged me to pursue my dreams. That nothing was ever out of my reach as long as I was prepared to give it my all.

"Well just like every other animal that we have she seemed to be drawn to me. Every time I moved from the spot that I was standing she would move as well."

"Wow Bryan that is very interesting," she pronounced with no hesitation in her voice.

"I thought I was over thinking it and then she came right up to the gate where I was standing and nudged her nose at me, as if she knew me. I reached out my hand and she licked me. My supervisor made the comment that for some reason it seems that all the animals have no fear of me or me of them."

I looked again toward the dinning room table to glance at Meyer's book. Wishing I was Edward Cullen able to swoop down and claim the woman I love. Then she pronounces her love back to me with the same devotion. Why can't life be as Meyer envisioned it?

"Bryan you know you have always had that connection with animals. Like you understand them and they understand you. Enough about work you are going on vacation soon. Washington D.C. will be…"

"Ah crap I totally forgot. I have not packed or anything yet. I will have to talk to you later Janice."

"Well you better hurry up and pack."

"Thanks Janice I love you and tell Dad I will be fine."

"Have a safe trip. Love you honey and do not forget to call," click.

I can not believe I totally spaced out about my Washington D.C. trip. My fellow cast members were wishing me good luck all day and I was totally drowning them out like a zombie in a bad horror movie.

I wonder why Dad did not want to talk to me. I love my father very much, but we have become more and more distant from each other emotionally and geographically. I do not think there is anything mean or malicious about it. It is just that we are two people who are entirely different from one another.

To me our differences is what has separates us from one another. Dad was one who always works well with his hands and I always worked with my mind. I knew that living in such a small town I would never get my chance to be all that I can be. What I am? Joining the Marines?

I always wanted to move away from my small town home roots. I did not want to be like the average graduate from high school who never took chances and never had the guts to see the world for what it truly was.

Now where is that darn hoodie. Ah there it is. Yea now I get to pack the suitcase. While folding cloths I could not help but think about today's event with the new lioness. My supervisor said that I would yet again have the pleasure of instructing the new lioness and make sure she was coping well with her new surroundings. I do not know why I feel the need for something more than what I already have.

I have everything I ever wanted; a great career that I received right after college, moving up that hierarchical ladder within just two short years, a great apartment, family and friends who love me, twenty-five and I am sin-g-l-e. I look toward the kitchen toward Meyer's books. That is one thing; I do not have someone to share my life with.

I begin to mol that over as I went to put my suit case on the table along with my plane tickets and turned out the lights. Could this be what I am missing? Is this how Meyer envisioned Edward to feel without a significant other at his side?

I think I have thought on this long enough. I began to fall into a deep sleep.

I am really glad that I left my apartment more than four hours before the plane was to depart. This airport is insane. I have only been on two trips where I rode on a plane. One was my high school graduation present to San Diego California and the other was my college graduation present to visit family over in France. But this airport is a nightmare.

I begin to think about last night and the thoughts that crossed my mind. In Twilight Meyer told the story of how Bella lost Jasper and Alice in the Phoenix airport. I have been to the Phoenix airport and it is not nearly confusing as the Orlando International Airport. What a head ache, I now know how a fly feels trapped in a glass jar with no air to breath.

Thank God I finally reached the plane; I can rest now since I did not get a good night sleep. Even though having difficulties with sleeping I was able to get to the airport early enough. I began to think of Stephanie Meyer's saga again.

I can not seem to get the books out of my mind these days. Ever since Eclipse came out in the theaters I have been having Twilight dreams twice a week. It has been a major obsession of mine, one that seems to be totally out of my control.

What am I going to do with myself? I can never live up to the expectation that I can be the perfect man for some lucky lady. So why can't I just get over this.

Then in mid thought I drift of into a deep sleep.

I arrive in D.C. by three thirty and I finally find my bags and decide to leave. I have the taxi driver drive to the address of my hotel. It is just a Super 8 motel. After giving the driver his money I decide to check in.

It is now four thirty and I give Janice and Dad a call. After talking to them for ten minutes I called a cab to go somewhere for dinner. I sure was not going to stay in a hotel and eat pizza for this is my first night in D.C. Besides I was rested and restless for being on that plane for so long. I must have slept wrong in that stupid chair.

It was five thirty when I finally got of the phone with Janice, took a shower, and changed my clothes.

"Good day Sir," the cab driver said politely.

"Good Afternoon," I responded. I was glad to have a kind driver this time. The first driver seemed to mad that I was riding in his cab. What a jerk.

"Where would you like to go this afternoon?"

"I would like to go to Vace Delicatessen. Do you know where that is Sir?"

"Yes Sir that is at 3315 Connecticut Ave NW." Thankfully I got a driver who knew the city well. The main reason I wanted to go to the restaurant was so that I could see where the Smithsonian was located. Vace Delicatessen is a deli restaurant but with some imported cheeses and other items from Italy.

The driver was pointing out all kinds of tourist places along the way and telling me which roads would lead me to the different monuments. The gentle man was very kind to me. When we arrived at our destination I gave him a generous tip and thanked him for his services.

I walked into the restaurant and smelled all of the different aromas. It almost smelt heavenly. I had not smelled cheeses and wine like this for more than a year when I went to France along with my family. It was a wonderful dinner and little did I know that it would be my LAST.