Having made a little peace with herself, Kristina fell asleep and didn't wake until the plane landed. Her father was shaking her shoulder gently saying, "Wake up, princess."
She smiled at the old nick-name and Sonny said, "Did anyone ever tell you that you have my dimples?"
"Only every day, daddy," she replied.
Kristina stood up and took her jacket off. There would be no need for it in the warm Martinique weather.
The sun was shining as the Corinthoses exited the airport, and Kristina felt it warm her shoulders. She couldn't wait to get to the beach and start working on her tan. She had come fully prepared for it, with her SPF 8 sunscreen, just enough for protection, a sleeveless bathing suit, and the gel for her hair to prevent it from fading or drying. Kristina couldn't wait to be the tannest of all her friends.
Carly put her arm around Kristina's shoulder and said, "We're finally here, our favorite place in the world."
Kristina smiled and looked at Thalia. She'd often been jealous of her younger sister, just because she was Carly's real daughter and not just her stepdaughter. She knew Thalia would never truly appreciate Carly as much as she should. "But why would she? Thalia's always had all this. She doesn't know any different," Kristina realized.
Kristina turned to her and said, "Thank you for everything, Carly."
Carly looked at her in surprise and replied, "Okay, what do you want? You want me to take you to a club? What?"
"I don't want anything. I just really want to thank you for all you've done for me. Especially for those first five summers and spring breaks here. You're the only mother I've ever really known, and I really appreciate it. I just wanted you to know that," Kristina told her stepmother.
"Oh, tear, tear," Michael said sarcastically. "You can stop kissing ass, Kris. You're eighteen this time, remember? You don't need permission for much anymore."
"Michael, be quiet. I don't hear you thanking your mother. You guys should really appreciate her more. And especially you Michael, with all she did for you when you were young," Sonny scolded.
Michael, Morgan, and Thalia all apologized and mumbled, "Thanks, mom," but they were all ashamed. Sonny was slow to do anything but praise his children, so when he did scold them for something, they all knew it was serious.
