February 6th 2021

Chapter 37
Our Hopes For Travels

They had been getting closer and closer to this day, and still when it came along it just felt like it couldn't possibly have arrived already. Only a moment ago they had been sitting there, listening to the nominations being announced, and now… now nearly two months had gone by, and they were having to pack for that short trip to Los Angeles for the award show.

"What do you think the point is going to be where we just have to admit we've packed way too much for her?" Lucas asked as he and Maya stood in the middle of the nursery. Their room, across the hall, already looked something of a mess, with his bag, and her bag, and Marianne's… load…

"I'm sure someday we'll be all wise and we'll know what we actually do or don't need to have with us," Maya sighed. She was feeling like her brain was in a constant spinning cycle as she scanned their surroundings for anything she might have missed. "Right now, this is just… It's fine, it's normal… Right?"

"Totally normal," he agreed, or backed her up, whatever worked. If it wasn't enough that they were taking their daughter on this trip with them, the actual trip was just… unavoidably nerve wracking.

Sure, there had been the awards back in November. She'd won those, in association with Ree, they had them here, up in the attic in her brand new case as Lucas had finished building it with Cara's help over the Christmas break. But she'd been out here, watching from their couch, and even with the actual trophies in her hand, it just didn't have the same impact as this would do. She would be at the ceremony this time, they would both be, and if they won anything… Maya was not shy, no, but Lucas could just look at his wife and he knew all she could think was 'what if I have to go up there?' He didn't have to consider that for himself and still if he tried to imagine himself going there… Yeah, the nerves were legitimate.

At least they'd have Marianne nearby. For sure, they would have found a way, would have had someone come with them and stay with her at a hotel or something, but they didn't need to, not when they had a set of eager grandparents already out there. They would be spending the next few days at Katy and Shawn's place, and they would look after the baby while Lucas and Maya were out at the show. That had been decided way back in November, no question to it. Of course, now here they were, packing to go, and it was just… so much…

Finally, they got to a point where they were able to look at each other and agree… Yeah, they were all set. They turned in early, the better to get a proper start on the following morning. Cara and Granny Lizzie were accompanying them to the airport, and Lucas knew how much Cara especially wished she could go with them. It would have been such a big thing! But she had school, and it just didn't feel like a reasonable thing to skip out on class for a couple days, not even for that. It would just have to be the two of them, just her and her grandmother, looking after the house and the dogs while the young Friars were away. The early departure may have been as much about getting there on time and giving the family ample time to say goodbye and good luck.

"Maybe we should have just made this a road trip," Maya breathed as they moved past the gate. She had Marianne in her arms now, and the prospect of the flight and the baby's experience of it… Well, she'd seen plenty of crying babies on planes before, and now it was her baby in the hot seat for being 'the crying baby.' They could easily have called in 'Air Zvolensky,' but something about doing it for this had just not felt right for Maya, and Lucas respected that. On the flipside though, they did have to contend with the possibility that she would be recognized, and if she was, then who knew how that would turn out?

Take off would be the first big test, and on the whole Marianne got through it well enough. Maya and Lucas both had been preparing for that moment with her, and though she did go and start to cry as they ascended higher and higher, Maya was on the case, with Lucas ready to jump in where needed. Finally, she settled down again, leaving her parents to breathe and sit back in relief. There… that was done.

"Now we just need to make it to the other end," Lucas stated, grasping Marianne's hand when she extended it toward him.

"Yeah, no sweat," Maya smiled, hoping that this air of confidence would be warranted by the time they did land.

To their relief, and maybe the rest of the passengers' relief, too, Marianne was in full Hucklebucket mode for the length of the flight once she had calmed down. Neither Maya nor Lucas was under the impression that this would save them another reaction as they went in for the landing, but they were ready for her. There had been no incident whatsoever, which went a long way to settle their earlier nerves and the worries that came with those. They were able to get sufficiently at ease so they could enjoy the short flight. Lucas fully expected that, like with the descent back to ground would affect the baby, his wife would be forced to remember where they would be going, the night after tomorrow, but then he had plenty of tricks to help her calm down, too.

"Alright, here goes," he sighed as they were informed that they'd be coming in for the landing.

"We got this, don't we? Good little pumpkin, that's you," Maya hushed at Marianne, brushing at her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as she rubbed her back and breathed. She would be calm, and she would let that calm flow through to her baby girl. There was nothing to be done for how the change in pressure would affect her, so all she could do was… exactly what she was doing now. All would be well.

"You know, we could drive back when we're done here," Lucas suggested as the landing wails began and Maya got to humming and hushing.

"Family road trip, huh?" she asked, halfway singing in the process. "I could be convinced," she smiled. "How about it, pumpkin, you'd like that? You like riding in cars, and then I can sing to you, and I think, I think we could get your dad to toss in a few bars, too," she suggested, which got a chuckle out of him as he reached to add his own hand in comfort. Marianne was still crying, but it did start to feel like she was over the hump and would finally settle down some. Once they had that, it could be easier to catch a second wind.

At last, the plane was on the ground, and as Lucas was passed Marianne, Maya went about gathering their things so they could finally get off. The baby had reached peace again by the time they walked through the gate and spotted their welcoming committee, in the form of one smiling grandfather.

"So, how did you all do?" Shawn smiled, pulling his daughter into an embrace.

"Except for those two bits on either end, it went fine," Maya returned the gesture.

"And the ends?"

"I've seen worse at three in the morning," she shrugged, which got a chuckle out of Lucas. He moved up to greet his father-in-law, who was more than happy to relieve them of his granddaughter. He had been coming down to Austin to visit whenever possible in the last couple months, for himself as much as Katy, who couldn't get away nearly as much as he could. Still, every time he got to see the baby in person, it was like she might as well have grown three feet each time.

"There's my pumpkin," he pressed a kiss to her cheek, to the fingers she stretched up toward his beard. "Planes, am I right?"

Katy was on set at the moment, or else she would have been right there at the airport with them. So, the rest of them headed over to the apartment, the better to get the visiting trio settled in. They had today to themselves. Tomorrow would be about taking care of their clothes, accompanied by Ree, and then the day after that… that would be the big show day, in more ways than one. They'd be spending one more day in Los Angeles after that, starting back for Austin the morning after.

"This is really my favorite part of this place," Maya stated, after arriving at the apartment, as she took in the large hallway wall, already so deeply populated by framed photographs. The whole thing was like a study in family. They would lose count of how many images there were of herself and Lucas, and Nellie, Gracie, MJ, and Haley, of the Clutterbuckets and the Olsens, and of Marianne… For a girl not three months old, she appeared like an old regular.

"Reminds me of your old room with the drawings stuck all over the place," Lucas commented.

"Where do you think I got the idea?" Shawn pointed out, making them both smile. They got it though, they really did. They weren't here, him and Katy, because they wanted to be away from their children. But then they were here, and they would continue to be, for who knew how long, so this… this was almost vital to them. Maya could just picture her parents standing just where they stood now, looking at the wall, all the images of their loved ones, reminding them why they were here.

When Katy arrived at last, she had the look of someone who had been of a single mind from the moment she'd gotten in her car, and it was to see her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. They were all out on the couch, with Marianne sleeping in Shawn's arms, so Maya and Lucas got up first. Katy hugged them both at once. It hadn't been so long since they'd seen one another, just three weeks, but it had been long enough that this reunion felt overdue already. And Marianne, oh… Shawn passed her over, and he was treated to such a smile from his wife.

"This right here? Makes playing in fake guts all day worth it," she declared.

"Whose fake guts were these? Anyone important?" Maya teased.

"Spoilers," Katy warned. "I could tell her though. It'll be just between us."

"I could get it out of her," Maya 'challenged' her mother, then, growing concerned, "It's not Doctor Ramsey, is it?" She loved that guy…

"What part of 'spoilers' did not get in there?" Katy gave her a mock pointed look, which didn't last very long before she just had to chuckle. She was so happy to have them here today and the next few days.

"Don't feel bad, Maya, she won't even tell me," Shawn told her, passing a look that seemed to suggest he was equally concerned for the same character, one of the fan favorites in the show's following. Of course, to them, no one could surpass Katy's character, so as long as the fake guts weren't hers, that was half the battle. What they were growing equally aware of was how much the fans of the show were bringing Doctor Jenny higher and higher in those rankings, the more they got to see of her. There were none prouder than her family about that.

TO BE CONTINUED


See you tomorrow! - mooners