The end of term arrived quickly for August. He had finished classes at the end of November so only had to worry about exams. The practical exams where he had to play or compose were effortlessly easy, but he had to rely quite a bit on his parents, especially his mother, for studying and reviewing sloppy theory notes. Over the course of two weeks, he had six exams: two practicals and four theoreticals. He aced the practicals but was uncertain about his theory exams. But he would find out his results after Christmas so pushed his concerns to the back of his mind so that he could focus on the task at hand: packing.

He had never left the state of New York before and now he was going overseas to Europe to see several different countries! August was ecstatic and terrified all at once. He didn't know what to expect on a plane ride, having never been on one, and he didn't know how it would be to spend so much time with his grandfather. Conversation always came easily to them, music-related topics being the norm, and he felt a close bond to his grandfather, but he never spent more than a couple hours with him and it was always at some event where his parents were too. Now, August and his grandpa would be spending nearly two weeks alone with one another. He knew that his mother and grandfather didn't have a good relationship, so he worried that he'd start to see a more negative side to his grandfather, maybe ruining their relationship. However, he knew that he sometimes tended to overthink things like his mother, so tried to push his apprehension to the side.

"How's it coming?" His mother stood with his brother on her hip in the doorway of his room as August laboured over what he should bring with him to Europe and what he should leave behind.

"Um, okay, I guess," August replied, a pile of t-shirts in both hands. "I don't know how much I should actually bring," he confessed.

August's mother entered his room and laid his brother on his bed against the wall. "Well, the most important things are socks and underwear. Bring enough for every day plus some extra. But I'm sure grandpa will get anything you need washed, so don't worry about bringing too much. We'll pack a suit and your tux though. Though you may have outgrown that by now." She spoke almost to herself. She went to his wardrobe and started rifling through his clothes, taking out a few key pieces before doing the same at his dresser. "Alright, so from what I've put on your bed, choose things that you think you'd actually wear, fold them, and pack them. Then come get some lunch."

August nodded as his mother scooped up his brother and disappeared. He recognized the savoury scent of his father's beef stew wafting in from the kitchen and his mouth began to water. Quickly, he shoved all of the underwear and socks he owned into his suitcase, followed by a sweater, a pair of jeans, a couple of t-shirts, and his grey suit, which had all been laid out by his mother on the bed.

In the kitchen, he sat in his usual spot at the table. His father served him his stew along with some fresh brown bread and then took his place next to August.

"All packed?" his dad asked, a mouthful of buttered bread dipped in stew muffling his words.

"Almost," replied August. "I think all of my clothes are packed."

His dad nodded, "yeah, and anything else – toothbrush, soaps, whatever, can be packed in the mornin'. But you'll also want somethin' to do on the plane. Bring your headphones and you can watch some films on the screens in front of th' seat. Bring your iPod too. Chargers, all that." He waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "I'll help you check you've everything later. Eat up."

August finished his stew and helped clean up before returning to his room with his dad in tow. His father more or less took over, thinking of what he would pack and asking if August would like the same. In the end, all of his clothes and toiletries (sans those still needed), along with some different types of footwear for different occasions, were all packed in his checked luggage, while his backpack had different things for the plane ride like his headphones, iPod, a book, and a notebook in case he was inspired. His dad helped him set everything aside to be ready for the next morning.

Because their flight was early in the morning, everyone was to bed early. August showered and double checked that he had packed everything before settling in for a sleepless night. First, it took him ages to fall asleep, thoughts of tragic traumas plaguing him, and then he woke up nearly every hour or so, afraid that he and his parents would sleep through his alarm. He shouldn't have been worried though. Shortly after three in the morning, a soft knock startled him out of a light sleep.

The door opened a crack, revealing his kind-eyed mother. She smiled at his droopy eyes staring back at her and sat on the edge of the bed. "It's time to get up, sweetheart," she said softly.

It took him a moment to register the fact that his mother was dressed and ready to go. His eyes opened wide as he turned to view the time on his alarm clock. 3:17. "Shit," he said before realizing what he had said. "I mean…" He panicked before sighing and saying, "sorry."

His mother was shocked, never having heard her son curse in any form before, but smiled, visibly restraining herself from laughing. "It's okay," she said. "Just… don't use that language in front of grandpa." She patted his leg and stood, "we're off in about twenty-five minutes."

As soon as she left, August tore out of bed and to the bathroom to wash up, then back to his bedroom to dress and pack last minute things. His dad met him in the hallway as he lugged his suitcase to the foyer.

"Got everything?" he asked, letting August scoot by him.

"Think so."

His dad nodded, then went to the bathroom and August's bedroom to double check. "Don't see anything left behind." He nodded again. "Think you're good."

August pulled on his jacket and winter shoes while his parents dressed themselves and Ben, who was cranky and trying to sleep.

At quarter to four, the family left their home and made their way down to the street to catch their cab and go to JFK Airport. August carried his backpack while his dad carried his suitcase and his mom carried his brother. Half an hour later, they were at Departures where they would meet up with August's grandfather to check in.

August's grandfather was waiting at the check-in desk with his own suitcase and a briefcase.

"'Morning, dad," his mother said, formally embracing August's grandpa.

"Good morning," he replied. "I didn't think everyone would come along."

"We both wanted to see August off," his mother said, glancing at August and smiling.

His grandfather didn't say anything but gave the impression that he didn't fully approve of taking an infant out so early in the morning. "August, let's check in and then we'll be able to say our goodbyes."

August followed his grandfather into the check-in queue where other early morning travellers were already waiting.

Lyla watched August engage in polite conversation with her father while they waited to check in. She was surprised to see how much he had grown in relation to his grandfather. He had definitely gone through some sort of growth spurt, now about as tall as Lyla herself, but he had been much shorter when she had last seen him with her dad. It was much more apparent now.

Her heart fluttered anxiously as the departure time inched closer. Louis, sensing her nerves, or maybe feeling them himself, grasped her hand tightly. "He'll be alright," he murmured.

Lyla nodded, not trusting her voice, and squeezed his hand back.

When they were through check-in and their suitcases disappeared down the conveyor, August and his grandpa rejoined Lyla and Louis.

"Let's see," Lyla said, standing as close to August as she could without embarrassing the young teenager. He handed her his passport with the boarding passes tucked inside. The flight wasn't direct. They would be going to Finland first before going to Moscow. Unfortunately, there weren't any direct flights to Helsinki's airport so they would stop over in London for their connecting flight. They were walking towards security when Lyla read the seat number. "Really, dad? First class?"

"It's a long flight," he replied. "He should be comfortable."

Lyla doubted he would choose anything other than first class if he were travelling alone. "Don't get used to it," she joked to August.

When they reached the security line, Lyla could feel the sobs building up. She leaned her head on Louis' arm and squeezed his hand. Without a word, he understood and stepped in front of Lyla to say goodbye to their son while she composed herself with the sleeping Ben strapped to her chest.

Louis shook his father-in-law's hand with a curt nod and a "safe travels" before focusing his attention on his son. "Right, August," he said, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. "Stay safe, have fun, and if you need anything, call or email at any time. Don't worry 'bout the time difference or anythin', yeah?" August nodded. "Good." Louis pulled his son into a brief hug and murmured, "don't do anythin' I wouldn't do."

August smiled and nodded again, "I'll be smart."

"Good man."

After Lyla had said goodbye to her dad, reminding him of the numbers and bombarding him with pre-emptive suggestions for how to parent August compassionately, it was time to say goodbye to her son. Her eyes were already brimming with tears ready to spill in an instant.

"I'll be okay, mom," August said, evidently trying to avoid anything dramatic or embarrassing. He was fourteen, after all.

Lyla nodded and whispered "I know" before pulling him into an enthusiastic hug, which he returned fully. She made sure not to hold on too long. When they pulled apart, she breathed deeply and whispered with small pauses between phrases, not trusting her voice. "I know you'll be okay and I know you'll be smart. I will miss you. Call me if you can, okay?"

August nodded, knowing full well that the last request was more of a demand than anything. "Love you," he said. "I'll make sure I call."

Lyla nodded and reached for Louis' hand like it was her lifeline. "Love you."

Thomas nodded at Louis and Lyla before ushering August in front of him to start the security process.

Louis wrapped his arms around Lyla whose lip quivered dangerously. They watched August and his grandpa snake slowly through the security line. Lyla's tears spilled silently while Louis rubbed his one hand rhythmically on her back. She kept her eyes glued on August until he was completely through and on the other side of the security line. As he waited for his grandpa to finish the security process, he turned around to wave goodbye to his parents one last time. Louis and Lyla, both equally eager, waved back to their son. Then, when August and his grandfather were out of sight, Lyla buried her face in the crook of Louis' arm and cried freely.

Louis rubbed her back, "he'll be fine," he assured her. "He's a smart kid and he'll be travellin' in luxury, so he won't be slummin' it with anyone like his da. No reason to worry."

Lyla nodded and pulled back, "I know. It's stupid. I don't know why I'm crying so much."

"Yeah, stop that," Louis joked. Lyla rolled her eyes and chuckled as he wiped the tears from her cheeks and from under her eyes. She had made the wise decision to forego any makeup. He kissed her forehead. "Right. Let's get home." He kissed her forehead again before taking her hand and leading her back out the way they came.

On the plane, August and his grandfather sat next to one another in their spacious first class seats, August getting to sit next to the window to see his very first take off. Once the emergency procedures and demonstration were completed, the plane began to taxi. It positioned itself ready for take off; the engines roared as the plane suddenly began moving forward faster and faster until it left the ground and began to climb higher and higher. All the while, August clutched the armrests tightly and consciously steadied his breathing as objects on the ground shrunk. He hadn't realized how unsettling it would feel to be so high up off the ground.

"August, are you alright?" his grandpa asked, concerned for his pale grandson.

August nodded quickly and released his grip on the seat despite his brain shouting at him to keep holding on. He thought he'd get his headphones and iPod out to calm himself, but when he leaned forward to pick his bag up, a strange sensation of falling befell him and he snapped back in his seat.

He didn't see his grandfather's face as he leaned over to grab August's backpack for him. "What do you want?"

"Headphones," August managed. "And iPod."

"You know," his grandfather said, unzipping August's bag and searching for the items his grandson requested. "Before your mother was born, after I had married your grandmother, we took a trip to Ukraine where your grandmother's extended family lived. She had never flown before – her parents moved to the United States before she was born – and her reaction then was almost identical to yours now, though she tended to be more vocal about her panic. We flew a few more times after that and her fears were completely gone. By the end of this trip, I doubt you'll fear flying anymore." He handed his grandson the headphones and iPod.

August nodded but didn't trust his voice. He hadn't realized he had a fear of flying until he was in the sky.

"You can recline your seat like this," his grandfather said, demonstrating how on his own seat. "There's a blanket and eye mask if you need on your left. Relax and get some sleep."

August pulled out the blanket and face mask, following his grandfather's instructions. He plugged his headphones in and chose his playlist before pulling the eye mask on, reclining, and falling asleep to the comforting voice of his father singing.

He gently awoke a couple of hours later. August put his chair into its upright position and removed his eye mask, cringing at the sudden assault of light on his eyes. To his right, his grandfather was reading a newspaper, reading glasses perched on his nose. August felt a lot less nervous and a bit more excited.

His grandfather noticed August's movement and paused on what he was reading. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

His grandpa nodded, "good. Do you want something to eat?"

August nodded, his stomach voicing its agreement.

His grandfather pressed a button that resulted in a short 'ding!' and a flight attendant appeared shortly after.

August had heard that airplane food was terrible, but the little meal of pancakes and sausage was surprisingly satisfying. Maybe it was because they were in first class. After he had finished his food, he pulled out his book and read for a bit before feeling the need to put it away and watch a film instead.

The plane ride dragged on and August spent the majority of it with his headphones on, listening to music and thinking or looking out the window at the light nothingness around them. After the fear had passed, the journey just became boring. He supposed it was better that the plane ride wasn't exciting. Excitement on a plane was never a good thing.

One flight change and nearly twelve hours later, August and his grandfather were in Helsinki. They would spend the night and the next day there before heading over to Rovaniemi for Christmas festivities. August was in awe of the place, starting at the airport where he saw and heard the Finnish language all around him. It would only get more exciting over the next couple of weeks.

Lyla rushed to the phone, hair soapy and dripping all over the floor, a small towel covering very little. "Hello?"

"Hi mom, merry Christmas!" August's voice sounded from the other end.

"Hello sweetheart," she said, sitting on the edge of the sofa. "Merry Christmas! How is it going?"

"Really good. We're getting ready for an actual ball right now. Grandpa thought we should call first though."

"I'm glad you did. We're just getting ready for Christmas dinner. Turkey's in the oven. I was just about to hop in the shower," she lied. "Your dad is out with Ben getting some last minute items I forgot. I'll tell him you called. I hope the ball is a lot of fun. How was the ballet?"

"It was really good too. The dancers are really talented and graceful, and we got to meet them after, which was cool. Some of them are going to be at the ball too. Then tomorrow, we have another dinner with some important people and the day after that, we go to Prague and grandpa is going to show me some of the spots where our ancestors were."

"That sounds really amazing, honey. I'm so happy you get to see all of this. I'll let you go for now though." She wanted to keep him on the phone for hours at a time, but didn't want him to avoid calling home in the future. "Make sure you take lots of pictures and call me at least one more time before you get home."

"I will," August replied. "Love you."

"I love you too. Bye-bye."

"Bye."

Lyla hung up the phone and headed back to the bathroom to finish her shower. The first couple of times her son had called, she had disintegrated into tears, missing him. Now, though, she was able to better contain herself, especially knowing that he was enjoying himself so much.

When she was out of the shower again, this time soap free, Louis and Ben were home. Ben played on the floor while Louis worked on setting up the living room to fit the smaller group for dinner.

Shortly after two o'clock, Lyla stirred the gravy and poured it carefully into the gravy boat, her stomach growling in anticipation of a nice Christmas meal. It was different from the year before with August gone. Nick, Emily, Marshall, Maya, Mateo, and Brian shared the meal with Louis, Lyla, and Ben, the babies experiencing Christmas for the first time.

"Alright," Lyla said, placing the gravy boat on the table and sitting next to Louis. "Let's eat!"

Mateo sat in a high chair between Maya and Marshall, painting a Picasso with creamed corn and potatoes, some of which made it into his mouth, while Benjamin was in his own chair between Louis and Lyla on the opposite side of the table, Louis feeding him small helpings off his own plate.

"Maya," Lyla said between bites, the both of them happily indulging in the wine they missed out on the Christmas before. "How is that new job going?"

Marshall snickered, receiving a sharp look from Maya.

"It's going really well. We've managed to furnish most of the new place because of it."

"Wow," Lyla responded, surprised. "It's only been – what? Two months?"

Maya nodded, "yeah. It pays really well. I've managed to work Saturday and Sunday every weekend."

"What is it that you're doing?"

"Well," Marshall cut in.

Maya rolled her eyes. "Go ahead."

Marshall grinned, "our Maya here, talent that she is, got a job in the, uh, adult film industry."

"What?!"

Maya shrugged and smiled. "I have a great body," she half-joked. "But it's pretty vanilla stuff. I don't think I'd ever go for anything intense." She didn't know if that statement was entirely true. "I've only done solo stuff so far, but I—"

"I think the details might be a bit much for our Lyla," Marshall guffawed at Lyla's surprised expression.

Lyla felt her face getting red but laughed, "it's just not what I was expecting. How do you even get into something like that?" She took another sip of wine.

"Why, darling? Interested?" Marshall teased, waggling his eyebrows.

"No! I just—" Lyla put her face in her hands.

"Lou," he mock-whispered, "why's your girl lookin' for satisfaction in porn?"

"Oh my God," Lyla exclaimed, her face red and hot from wine and embarrassment. The others were beginning to decline into fits of laughter at her expense.

"Ah, Marshall," Louis joined in. "This one's wild. Always lookin' for ways to spice things up."

Marshall and the others, caught off-guard at Louis' mocking of his wife, roared with laughter, fuelled by alcohol. Even the babies joined in, though they didn't know why. Lyla glared at Louis, face red and smile wide, before reaching over to push him. "We're getting a divorce," she joked.

"Leave 'im with a couple of those videos before you go, yeah?" Marshall suggested. "Least that way when he misses you, he can just press play and jerk it." He motioned crudely with his hand.

"Oh my God!" Lyla repeated her face buried in her hands as she laughed.

Louis simply shook his head at his brother.

Much to the relief of Lyla, the conversation quickly moved on to other hilarity-inducing themes.

It wasn't until Mateo and Ben started to become fussy, seeming to feed off of each other, that things began to wind down.

"That's enough of that, Matty," Marshall reprimanded, wrangling his child into his snowsuit as he screamed bloody murder. Meanwhile, Louis had taken Benjamin into their bedroom as he cried woefully, hiccupping through the tears, exhausted. Neither child had been able to catch their usual afternoon nap and were expectantly uncooperative. Eventually, Marshall enclosed his son in his snowsuit and Louis laid his son in the crib, leaving him to cry himself to sleep.

Everyone said their goodbyes and left Louis and Lyla's apartment. Little Ben was still crying, though there was less energy behind his wails and there were yawns interspersed between. Louis and Lyla sat on the sofa that was pushed up against the wall for some space. There was still a lot of cleaning to do, but the food was put away and that was the important part.

"Another good Christmas," Louis said, patting Lyla's leg, both of them exhausted.

She nodded then said, "but I miss August."

Louis nodded, "yeah me too, but he's havin' fun."

"Mhmm," Lyla said half-heartedly. Then, "did you know about Maya's job?!"

"No clue," Louis laughed. "Christ, she and Marshall are perfect for each other."

"Don't let them hear you say that."

"Fifteen-year-old Marshall would lose his mind if he knew he'd one day be livin' with a porn star."

Lyla giggled and then they sat silently in each other's company, hands entwined. "Thanks for your help today," Lyla said a short while later.

"It's my pleasure," he kissed her.

"We need to move though."

"Yes," Louis agreed eagerly. "The walls are closin' in. And—" He stopped himself.

"And what?"

Louis sat up a little straighter, "well, I was lookin' at different neighbourhoods. People say that Scarsdale is the best place for a family to go in New York and the train is only an hour from Manhattan. There're some nice houses there. And with the money your da gave us, we could put a large down payment on it and reduce the monthly costs to us. I…" he paused for a minute, unsure whether to continue. "Well, I had a dream the other night that we had another kid – a little girl, looked just like you. And I thought… well, I thought it was a really nice dream."

Lyla smiled admiringly and pushed his hair back. "It does sound nice. Any houses catch your eye?"

Louis nodded and retrieved his laptop from their bedroom. "Ben's sound asleep," he said, taking his seat next to Lyla. He logged onto a housing website he had signed up to and found his saved places. "I'll show you me favourite first." He clicked on a picturesque white house with a large front lawn and spacious backyard. The interior was open with dark hardwood floors and clean cream walls throughout. Four bedrooms, two and a half baths, a finished carpeted basement, and enough space for decent Christmas dinners. "In theory, we could pay for the whole house using your da's gift and still have a large chunk left in savings. Then we wouldn't have to worry about a mortgage. Just pay everythin' else. August's old enough to take the train by himself or he could go in with me. Still wouldn't need a car unless we really wanted one. What d'you think?"

"I think… we need to go see some of these houses," she said after a moment. "And decide when we're supposed to have this little girl of ours."