Hi everyone, I hope your all being safe. I wanted to tell everyone that I have scored a publisher for some of my work. I just published A Special Time, and I'm going to publish the follow-up story "Life Goes On", I will be changing a few things in that story and adding a lot more. I would appreciate any support of "A Special Time" on Amazon, under T.M. Anderson. Thank you all for reading my stories.
Olivia and Fitz took the whole month to really just say goodbye to their friends and Boston. They decided to buy a new SUV and drive it across the country. Since they were going to be a family of three soon enough, plus they wanted to take a road trip vacation and see a few wonders along the way. They're trip got off to a rough start with Fitz singing the Beverly Hill Billy song every time he zoned out, but after a few slaps side the head he stopped and their adventure began.
Olivia was navigator and Fitz drove most of the time. They decided to drive from 7 am to 7 pm so they could enjoy some of the locations they stopped, mostly for food. Their first stop was Niagra Falls. They got a falls view for a room with a heart-shaped jacuzzi at the Marriot. Olivia was also in charge of accommodations while they traveled. She found most helpful for last-minute bookings. The view from their room was stunning and their dinner at Morton's that night was exquisite. With full bellies, they tried out their heart-shaped tub. Fitz sat down and let Olivia relax back into him. She had a little pouch already and he rubs bubbles and soap around his baby. They called it a night due to Fitz rubbing he put his wife to sleep and they needed to get up early anyway.
They both were refreshed and ready to experience what the road would provide. The next stop was Indianapolis Indiana so Fitz could go and see the race track and visit the museum. While he was engrossed in all the memorabilia, she slipped out to the gift shop and bought him a polo and hat and put it in her bag. She also got them a room at the Courtyard Marriott, she was intent on getting as many points on this trip as possible. Olivia felt like taco's that night so they found a truck nearby and brought them back to the makeshift fire pit at the hotel and enjoyed the night air. Another nice day spent together and it was time to get in bed and hit the road again. Their next stop was going to be at least two days.
They cruised into Kansas City around noon, just in time to eat lunch. Olivia did a little research and found out that there was an Austrian restaurant in the railroad district. It was called Grunauer. They had imported Austrian beers and food. Fitz was in heaven. His love of beers was on full display. Olivia decided to let him indulge while she drove them to their hotel at the downtown Marriott. They decided to relax for the rest of the day. They just had room service and indulged in the room. They needed their strength because they were going to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum which was housed in the same location, and making the pilgrimage to Arthur Bryant's barbeque around the corner from the museum. That took up there morning and their lunch hour. Then they went to the Harry S Truman presidential library. They decided to end their day at Sonic with a couple of hot dogs and a cherry limeade. They were stuffed and happy, it was a nice rest they had that night.
Their next destination was Dodge City Kansas. Fitz and Olivia loved the old western Gun Smoke and they couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop and take cheezy pictures and spend the night at the Towne Place Suites in Dodge. They went to the Boot Hill Museum and took those old-time tintype pictures as they were dressed up in western gear. They had a blast and it was just fun to be so silly.
The next day took them to Sante Fe New Mexico. Olivia loved the artwork of Georgia O'Keefe and other artists that inhabited the area. They started out early from Dodge so they could get a good day's worth of Museum hopping. To finish off the day they ate at Blue Corn a Navajo Restaurant and dined on traditional meals before they made their way to Hotel Lafonda in the town square. The trip was becoming a little taxing for Olivia, but she was so enjoying the stops they were making and she was not going to let her husband down this far into their vacation. Fitz was picking up on her fatigue, so he let her sleep in as much as she wanted even if they had to stay another night, but she woke up at 10 am and they packed up and headed toward the Grand Canyon. Since they got a late start and it was about eight hours to the canyon, Fitz made her get them a hotel in Flagstaff so she could rest up before they toured the canyon the next day.
"Fitz, I'm good to go if you want to go to the canyon today."
"Listen Little Woman, you're not alone in that body of yours anymore, the peanut is taking a little out of you and you're too stubborn to acknowledge it. I'm your husband and it's my job to take care of both of you."
Olivia smiled at her husband.
"Aie, aie Captain."
He chuckled and kissed her cheek as they arrived at their hotel for the night. They lucked out and found a spa attached to the hotel, so Fitz arranged to have a message and hot rock treatment for his wife. He took in a game and some beer back in the room, his idea of a spa day. The next day they spent the entire day at the canyon walking around and taking a lot of pictures. They decided to leave the Canyon at a decent hour so they could make it to LA at a decent hour. They planned on staying at least three days there exploring. So off they went and just for the cheesy shot of them in the Mojave Desert they stopped quickly to feel the heat and they jumped back in the car and continued their journey into LA. They decided to stay in Beverly Hills just to be snooty for a bit as they laughed at the idea.
They decided to splurge a bit and stayed at the Waldorf Astoria. They spent their first day at Disneyland and they thoroughly enjoyed it. They came back to the hotel at the end of the day and just collapsed on the bed and called room service and called it a day. The following two days were spent visiting iconic locations like Malibu, Griffith Observatory, and a few museums. Fitz even arranged a spa treatment for Olivia the last day they were at the hotel.
By the time their time ended in LA, Olivia was ready to get to her new home. A little nesting was in her future and although she had enjoyed her time on the road she was ready to get in her own bed. Fitz knew she would be a little road weary so he had taken pictures of their furniture placement in their old condo and sent it to his mother who was having the house set up while they were on the road. She could tweak whatever she wanted, but she would have her own bed when she arrived.
So they hit hwy 5 and headed north to their final destination. Getting out of LA was a madhouse, but once they cleared the hills it smoothed out until they got near San Jose. Olivia had seen the pictures of their new home, but it was better than she expected. It was a 1960 mid-century modern single story. Fitz got a good deal on it because it had been the worst house on the street. Olivia and Fitz had discussed things they wanted to change and Vanessa said she would have her people work on them when Fitz came back to Boston to help pack up and say goodbye. True to her word Vanessa had virtually stripped the eyesore to its bones both inside and outside. In four weeks' time and an army of construction, garden, and pool workers. Had transformed the property into one of the nicest on the street. It was three bedrooms with the master on one side of the house. The pool yard and now outdoor living room were to die for and when you walked into the open planned house it was immaculate. All the mod cons in the kitchen and the house was wired for surround sound and the latest gadgets to control temperature, sound, and security.
Olivia was in shock when they drove up. She looked at her husband and then looked at the number on the house.
"Are you sure this is the house you showed me? It looked like a dump when you showed me the pictures. I was a little skeptical when you said you wanted to buy it."
"You don't know Vanessa Grant as I do. She sees potential in any real estate. She told me that we would double our money by the time she fixed this up."
Needless to say, Olivia was in love. Their bedroom was new, thanks to a house warming gift from her mother-in-law. She wanted to kiss her and worship at her feet when she walked in the bathroom and saw the stand-alone soaker tub, and the spa shower. Especially after using it to wash the road away. The new bed was to die for. Vanessa knew with her pregnancy she would need a better bed. Before Olivia knew it she had fallen asleep in her bathrobe on her new bed. Fitz chuckled at his wife and covered her up and went to make them something to eat. Vanessa had thought of everything including stocking the fridge. Fitz stood at the island and thought that his life could not get much better than it was right now.