Disclaimer: I own nothing. Unfortunately.
Passports, plane tickets, and luggage? Checked. Lodging accommodations, itinerary, and rental car confirmation? Checked.
God, it's too early for this, she thought to herself. Going down her list for the fifth time, Lisa was paranoid. She knew that she would surely forget something—she always does. Taking a deep breath in, she tried to relax. Anything forgotten, can be bought. Just relax, she thought to herself. With only an hour left until a taxi picked them up for the airport, Lisa couldn't shake the jitters away. While the excitement of spending almost a month away from home was overwhelming, she was terrified of something going terribly wrong. Her life was always filled with things that went awry.
Setting the luggage near the front door, Lisa made her way upstairs to do a final once-over of the second floor. Making sure that all the lights on the second floor were turned off, she poked her head into Rachel's room. Rachel was half asleep, attempting to finish her coloring book page.
"Hey, Rache, let's start heading downstairs. I want to go over the long day and night we have ahead of us."
"Okie dokie!"
Sluggishly putting her coloring book away unplugging her sound machine, Rachel turned her bedroom lights off and headed downstairs. Noticing her mother leaning against the chaise, Rachel plopped down right on top of her and mushed Lisa's face between her hands.
"Hi."
Smiling while her face was being squished, Lisa responded, "Hi, munchkin. Are you excited? The flight is really long, and we have to get on two—"
"Two planes. You've only told me like a hundred times already. We're going to the Hot Dog City in Germany first and then we fly to Toulouse. It takes like thirteen bajillion hours and I need to sleep on the plane, blah blah blah…"
Pulling Rachel into her arms, Lisa continued, "Frankfurt, silly girl. And, I guess you're a pro then. I'll just stay home all by myself…"
Almost straggling her mother, Rachel wrapped her arms around Lisa's neck.
"No, mommy. I want you to go with me."
"Always, baby. Now let's get ready for the airport. Shoes and bathroom, please."
Obeying her mother's wishes, Rachel was off. Lisa then proceeded to do the same, only making a pit stop to the hall closet to take their winter outerwear out for their journey to the airport and in France. Suddenly remembering that Rachel was a summer girl through and through:
"Rachel, please put your winter boots on. The one with the green and blue plaid lining on the inside. It'll keep you warm and I better not see your ladybug rain boots on your feet, young lady. It is not nearly warm enough for those."
Freezing her in movements to grab her pink ladybug boots, Rachel reached for the plaid lined Bean Boots, that she practically begged her mother to buy, instead. Quickly tying them and shoving the excess length of laces into the boots, Rachel skipped to the front door to put her coat, scarf, hat, and gloves on. After making sure that Rachel was all set to go, Lisa checked her phone and noticed that their taxi was approximately two minutes away. Hastily putting her jacket on, she shoved her hat, scarf, and gloves into her travel backpack and gave the first floor its final once-over. Satisfied that all the lights were turned off and nothing looked out of place, she opened the door and they made their way to the taxi.
The drive to the airport, despite the longer car ride to Dulles International, was relatively easy—no traffic, considering it was well after two o'clock in the morning. The taxi driver was more than helpful with helping them load and unload their luggage. Once they reached the airport, Lisa could not have been more grateful for their TSA Pre-Check status. The airport was overflowing with people and the chaos of checking in their overweight luggage was more difficult than it should have been. The wait was almost forty-five minutes long because people were incapable of understanding what constituted as a small carry-on and that the international luggage weight cap was fifty pounds. Finally reaching the bag check counter, Lisa hoisted hers and Rachel's luggage onto the scale, forked over her credit card, and in no time, they were on their merry way to the security checks.
Silently grateful that she and Rachel were able to bypass the long security line, they got their passports checked and did not have to worry about taking their shoes or jackets off as they both cleared security within fifteen minutes. The hassle and dealing with so many people around her at an alarmingly buzzing pace, Rachel was relieved when they sat down in the waiting area in front of their gate. Leaning into Lisa's side and gently tugging on her long-sleeve, Rachel's stomach growled.
Glancing down at her watch, Lisa noticed that it was 5:08 A.M. and Rachel's entire sleeping and eating schedule was about to be royally disrupted. With about a half hour until boarding, Lisa knew they had to eat before they got up in the air.
"Let's get a snack, baby."
With their backpacks on their backs and jackets slung over the small carry-on, they made their way to obscenely overpriced snacks at the very modern looking convenience stand. Being dragged by Rachel to each shelf and display of snacks and drinks, Lisa noticed a small family of three to her left. Two mothers and a little girl, who she assumed was their daughter. The smiles on plastered on mothers' faces, as they lifted their arms up and gently swung the little girl back and forth, were priceless. The blonde mother then lifted the little girl up and peppered her face in kisses. God, it's been so long since Rachel was that small, she thought to herself. Realizing that she'd been staring, Lisa shook her head and felt the heat rushing to her cheeks. Refocusing back on Rachel, she found her still pondering on the kind of chips she'd like.
"Rache, grab a few snacks, a drink, and let's go back to our gate. Mommy's arms are getting tired from lugging this stuff around."
Quickly, Rachel swiped the first three bags of chips within arm's reach and a two-liter bottle of water. Dragging Lisa to the cashier, she also threw a pack of Bubbalicious gum on the counter and sheepishly tapped on her ears. Nodding her head in agreement, Lisa paid for the snacks and they walked back to the waiting area. As they took their seats, she noticed that the family of three from the convenient stand was sitting in the section of seats in front of them. Lisa noticed the happiness that radiated from the women and the subtle glances of support and love they gave one another. She longed for the companionship and someone to share her life with. Soon enough, the blonde mother turned around and smiled at Lisa.
Gesturing to Rachel, the smiling blonde woman asked, "How old is she? She looks just like you."
Feeling the blood rushing back to her face, Lisa stuttered, "S-she's eight. Thank you! How old is yours?"
"She's almost two. We're on our way to see my wife's family in Germany. Where are you headed?"
Before she could respond, Rachel politely interrupts, "Excuse me, nice lady, did my mommy tell you that I was adopted? But sometimes when I look in the mirror, I look like mommy. But only sometimes."
Laughing at her daughter, Lisa pulled Rachel to sit on her lap—Cheeto dusted fingers and all—and kissed her head.
"I adopted her when she was a few weeks old and she's changed my life. Where are we headed to, Rache?"
"To see the cats!"
The blonde woman laughed as did her wife, who was holding their daughter. Lisa couldn't keep the grin from her face. Kids say the darnedest things and Rachel was no exception.
"My daughter has become obsessed with The Aristocats and asked that we go to Toulouse to see these cats. We're there for a month, give or take."
With a slight Germanic accent, the dark-haired mother finally spoke:
"Wow, those must be some serious cats. By the way, I'm Irena, this is my wife, Elizabeth," and gesturing to the relaxed child on her lap, "And this is Andrea."
Seeing the pride of her family in Irena's eyes, Lisa smiled softly.
Responding in kind, "I'm Lisa and this is my daughter, Rachel."
Introductions out of the way, Rachel went over the little Andrea and addressed Irena, "May I hold her, please?"
Impressed by Rachel's manners, both mothers happily obliged and allowed Rachel to sit next to them before placing their child on her lap. Andrea instantly leaned her body into Rachel's and nuzzled her head right under her chin. Having never held another child, let alone one that was smaller than her, Rachel was amazed. She couldn't believe that she was once that small and squishy. Content with just sitting with Andrea, the eight-year old child allowed the one year old to play with her fingers.
Smiling at the gentle souled child she raised, Lisa turned to the new-ish mothers and asked, "So how long have you both been together?"
The blonde answered before her wife could even get a chance, "She'll say that we've been together for twelve and married for seven, but she's half wrong. We've been together for ten years and married for seven. Living together as roommates doesn't count as 'together together'."
Laughing altogether, Lisa couldn't help but admire the two women. Before she could continue the conversation, the three of them heard the announcement that the start of passenger boarding would be commencing for Gate 138 in fifteen minutes and that passengers are encouraged to wait in their designated lines.
Gathering their respective children, bags, and coats, both families made their way to the third boarding group's line. Chuckling at the coincidence, they focused on getting their tickets and passports out. Once through the ticket check point, they slowly made their way through the jet bridge and onto the plane. Shuffling through to the middle of the airplane, the three mothers couldn't keep the smiles from their faces—Lisa and Rachel were sitting in the row immediately behind them. Settling in, they waited for the plane to take off.
The flight to Frankfurt was a little over eight hours. The three mothers rallied together to get their daughters to fall asleep once the plane took off. After an hour of convincing, bribing, and using 'mom voices of reason', the girls succumbed to their exhaustion. With Rachel's head in Lisa's lap and Andrea sleeping on top of Elizabeth, the adults picked up their conversation where they left off.
Noting the lack of ring on Lisa's left hand, Elizabeth couldn't help herself, "So Lisa, are you meeting up with someone in Toulouse or is it just you and Ra—Ow!"
Rubbing her forearm where Irena pinched her, Elizabeth and Lisa started chuckling. Sympathetically, Lisa looked at both of Elizabeth and responded:
"It's just Rachel and me. We, uhm, I mean—I used to be together with uhm, him, and it just didn't work out. It was…messy."
Irena, glaring at Elizabeth, apologized, "I'm sorry, Schätzlein. She can be rather…nosy. So what are your plans for Toulouse?"
"Well aside from the obvious—looking for orange cats—I hoped to take Rachel to the Muséum de Toulouse, the Cité de l'Espace, and it's absolutely necessary that we go on a sightseeing bus tour. Lord knows that kid loves her bus trips."
Elizabeth, who is so hopelessly in love with love, couldn't help herself, "Well maybe during all that walking, you'll meet the love of your life and it'll be a true holiday romance. C'est la vie."
Irena says, "La vie," with a cackle.
Catching on, Lisa snorted and the slightly annoyed third passenger in her row gave her a not-so-hidden side eye. Four hours of talking and silently giggling, the three women drifted off into a peaceful and light sleep with their children. Lisa couldn't help but feel that this was the start to a vacation to remember. She felt lighter than she had ever felt around others in years and for once, she didn't feel guilty about seeking the comfort of human interaction that wasn't solely just Rachel or him.
The announcement of being thirty minutes out from landing at the Frankfurt airport startled Lisa awake. She immediately looked to her left and felt an instant relief wash over her as Rachel was looking out the window into the dark, star speckled German sky. Dropping a kiss onto Rachel's head, Lisa adjusted her body to look out the window too. She was shocked at the beauty of the night sky and the city lights below them.
"How long have you been up, my love?"
Yawning, Rachel replied, "Not too long. I had to get my bubble gum because my ears hurt. I didn't want to wake you because I knew where the gum was."
Resting her chin on top of Rachel's head gently, Lisa reminded her, "Once we land, we have to go on another plane and we should be in Toulouse by 11:00 P.M., okay baby? I'm sorry it's so long…"
Closing her eyes once more, Rachel leaned back against Lisa, "What are we doing once we get there?"
"Well, we have to get our luggage, pick up the rental car, and then we'll drive to the pace we're staying at for the whole trip. Once we get to the house, we're going straight to bed so we can try to adjust to the time difference. And before you ask, we'll be six hours ahead."
Satisfied with the information and answers, Rachel dozed back to sleep for the remaining twenty minutes of the flight. Peering through the gaps between the seats in front of her, Lisa saw Irena and Elizabeth fussing over Andrea. Between getting up to change the baby's diaper in the airplane's bathroom and putting her in a fresh onesie, seamlessly, it certainly looked a lot easier with two people than one. Once the little one settled again, the mothers turned to Lisa.
"While it was certainly lovely to meet you and Rachel, I'm saddened to see you go," Irena sighed.
Reaching into her bag for a business card, Lisa wrote her personal cell phone number and email on the back. Handing it to Irena, she smiled.
"It was a pleasure. Maybe, if you ladies have the time, you can meet us in Toulouse at some point or we can meet back around here on our flight back to the states? Just a thought."
Not usually one to put herself out there and vulnerable, Lisa had a moment of regret, "But absolutely no pressure, it was just a thought and…"
"Schätzlein, we would love to plan something. We will reach out to you, yeah? Let us shoot for late next week. It will also give us an excuse to leave my mama and papa's house earlier."
Distracted by their conversation and jolted out of their little world by the clapping of hands in the cabin, the three of them rolled their eyes as the plane began to taxi to the jet bridge. Unbuckling their seatbelts, they reawakened the girls and got ready to deplane. With hugs and promises to visit, both families parted ways.
Going through customs was painless. Grabbing a quick dinner at the airport, Lisa and Rachel were spent by the time they boarded their final plane for their connecting flight to Toulouse. Between the taxiing and takeoff, Rachel was out like a light for most of the flight—took two bites out of her sandwich before she fell asleep. Poor baby, Lisa thought. The entire flight was a whopping one hour and forty minutes. Barely. The wind was on their side and they arrived in Toulouse at 10:32 P.M.
By the time they deplaned, cleared customs again, picked up their luggage, and got their rental car, Rachel was exhausted. With the help of the car rental employees, Lisa was able buckle Rachel in, while they loaded their luggage into the trunk of the Benz. With a tired merci, Lisa entered the address of their condo in the GPS and put the car in drive.
Arriving at the destination, Lisa was floored. The old, slightly discolored, stone façade gave the building a historic, yet very regal look. The gold ornate design around the revolving door and burgundy accents throughout the interior of the stone sidings added to the luxury. Pulling the car underneath the valet awning, two bellhops greeted her as they opened her car door. Returning the sentiment quickly and politely, she went to the passenger side and unbuckled Rachel, picked her up and silently thanked her yoga classes for helping her maintain her upper body and core strength.
Forgetting her manners momentarily, Lisa then remembered where she was.
"Je suis désolé, je parle un peu français, mais parlez-vous anglais?" Her energy and will to stand was depleting. The exhaustion of flying and the effort of traveling was finally catching up to her. Lisa's ability to think in any other language was long gone and she hoped that the men understood.
Before she could continue, the bellhop, with an understanding smile, put her out of her tired misery, "Oui, madam. Please check-in at the front desk and we will bring your luggage to your room. Welcome to your home for the next few weeks. Bonsoir."
With a grateful nod, she glided through the revolving door and headed to the front desk. Settling Rachel down on the counter, Lisa pulled her credit card out, "Bonsoir, parlez-vous an—"
Smiling politely, the hostess at the front desk noticed the slumped shoulders of the doctor in front of her and could see dark circles forming under her eyes. Glancing to the half-asleep child on the marble counter, the hostess could feel the exhaustion emanating from the pair. Taking the offered credit card, she began her spiel:
"Good evening, Dr Cuddy. We are so pleased that you have arrived safely. Your room is on the eighth floor. The front desk is open 24/24, 7/7. Room service ends at 23:30 and if you require anything, please do not hesitate to call us. Enjoy your stay! Bonsoir, madam."
Gratefully, Lisa slipped her credit card into her back pocket and picked up a sleepy Rachel. Heading to the elevator, they went up to their floor. Beelining to their room as soon as the elevator doors dinged open, Lisa took Rachel's shoes off and tucked her in the first bed she saw. Taking her own shoes off and briskly walking back to the door to let the bellhops deliver her luggage, Lisa was finally able to lock up for the night.
Not even taking a moment to appreciate their beautiful temporary home, Lisa walked back to Rachel's room. Slipping her bra off and shucking off her pants (socks too), Lisa tucked herself around Rachel. Tomorrow she would appreciate their lavishly designed room. Tomorrow she will text her mother and sister to let them know that they arrived safely. Tomorrow is another day. Snuggling closer to Rachel, Lisa kissed the back of her head and drifted off to sleep with one last thought going through her mind: I really hope we see an orange cat.
Notes: And they're in France! Maura WILL BE introduced in the next chapter. The chapter title is from a Les Cowboys Fringants song. Listen to them, they're great.
Story time: Growing up, I had a friend whose mother was German, her name was Irena (EYE-RAY-NA). Every time I would go to her house, the mother would make me sit on a kitchen stool and french braid my hair. I thought it was out of affection. Turns out, it wasn't, LOL! "Schätzlein, I braid hair so you don't get it all over house." She was priceless.
