"Guys come on! We need to be out of here in five minutes!" David called up the stairs to his family.
"I'm ready I'm ready!" Henry responded breathily as he appeared at the top of the stairs dragging his suitcase.
"Here I'll get those for you," David offered, bounding up the steps. "Why don't you go and see if your mom needs help."
"Okay, thanks." Henry dropped his backpack onto the floor beside his suitcase and turned and headed for the master bedroom.
"Mom?" He asked, entering the room.
"Oh, hello Henry. Are you all set?" She asked distractedly. She was double checking her suitcase; taking things out, putting other things in and putting the objects she had taken out back in again.
"Yeah, David's bringing my stuff downstairs."
"Good, good." She replied.
"What about you, are you ready? David wants to leave in like five minutes."
"Umm... yes I think so." She held up a red blazer. "Henry do you think I should bring this?"
"I have no idea."
"I might need it." She said thoughtfully.
"Mom. It's Florida, it's hot there. That's a jacket."
"You sound like your stepfather."
"Well he's right. You probably won't want to wear that."
"Yes maybe you're right. But what if it gets cooler at night? The weather channel said it's going to be colder than usual down south."
"Just bring it then."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it's better to have it and not wear it than to not bring it and want to wear it."
She raised her eyebrows at him.
Henry rolled his eyes. "It's what you said yesterday mom."
"Oh." She breathed out a laugh. "That's right. Hmm... I suppose I'll just bring it then. Also would you be able to get your sister's things? I have her bags packed already so they just need to be taken downstairs."
"Alright."
"And also can you please make sure she hasn't taken anything out of her backpack?"
"Yeah sure."
"Thank you Henry I appreciate it."
"No problem."
Henry left his mother to obsess over her suitcases and went to his sister's room. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor and playing with some of her dolls.
"Kae are you ready to go?"
"Henry my dollies wanna come too!"
"Kaelyn we can't bring all your toys with us."
"But they wanna come!"
"There's no more room in your bag, we can only bring so many bags on the plane with us."
Kaelyn sighed. "Okaay." She turned back to her dolls. "You have to stay here. Watch the house for us 'cause Mommy's afraid of burgers."
"What?" Henry choked out, bursting into laughter.
"What?" Kaelyn asked innocently.
Henry couldn't stop laughing long enough to answer her.
Kaelyn got to her feet and stood in front of him as he gasped for air.
"Whaaat?" She asked, desperately wanting in on the joke.
"Burgers?!" He repeated, picking her up and holding her over his head. "Kaelyn you're so funny."
"Burgers! People who steals from others!" She said as he placed her back on her feet.
"BURGLARS!" Henry finally was able to correct her.
"THAT'S WHAT I SAID!"
"What is going on in here?" Regina's voice came from the doorway, a small smile already on her face as she expected to be let in on what was so hilarious.
Henry forced himself to stop laughing as Kaelyn ran towards their mother. Regina picked her up, staring at Henry in surprise.
"Kaelyn says you're afraid of burgers mom!"
"What?" Regina looked disbelieving, staring down at her daughter with a confused smile on her face.
"She meant to say burglars; because you've been worried about the house getting robbed while we're in Florida. But she – she called them – she called them burgers!" Henry started laughing again.
His mother stared affectionately down at the little girl in her arms. "Oh Kaelyn," she laughed softly as she wrapped her arms more tightly around her daughter, kissing her forehead.
Regina then felt a gentle arm wrap around her own shoulders.
"What have I missed?" David asked.
"Well, besides my apparent new fear of cows I think we're all ready to go."
"Fear of cows?" David repeated in amusement.
Regina shook her head. "Henry will explain."
A few minutes later Henry was standing outside by the porch as he waited for the rest of the family. David was next to leave the house; he was dressed in his leather jacket and shades.
"Are they ready?" Henry asked, looking up from his phone.
"You're mom's just taking Kaelyn to the bathroom one more time."
"Okay." He went back to scrolling on his phone.
"You excited to see Florida?"
"Mhmm." Henry said, not looking up.
David folded his arms, studying the fourteen-year-old.
"Hey, wanna start the car?" David held out the keys.
Henry lowered his phone. "Really?"
"Sure, why not?" David said with a grin.
"Yeah!"
He caught the keys that David threw him and ran to the driver's side of the immaculate black Cadillac Escalade. David and Regina had wanted to get a car that was more suitable for the whole family.
Henry slid into the comfortable, spacious vehicle. He savoured the moment for a few moments before he turned the key in the ignition. He smiled as the vehicle came to life, loving the way the engine sounded on startup; so smooth and so powerful.
"I can't wait till I can drive this thing." Henry said, gripping the steering wheel.
David laughed. "It'll come sooner than you think, trust me. Although, I might get you to practice with the truck or your mom's Mercedes first if she'll allow it."
Henry smiled as he thought of the two cars locked up safe in the garage. One of them would be his on his sixteenth birthday, only two years away.
"Henry's not driving us to Boston is he?" Regina joked as she walked towards them with Kaelyn in her arms.
"Henry should drive!" Kaelyn exclaimed.
"I agree with the munchkin." Henry said.
"Sorry young man," Regina said. "Not the Cadillac. Not without experience and certainly not without a licence."
David patted Henry's shoulder as the boy regretfully vacated the driver's seat. "Looks like it's the backseat for you."
Regina patted his cheek as he passed her. "Just keeping my baby boy safe."
"Mom!" Henry grabbed her hand away, but squeezed it gently in response. He shared a smile with her before moving to his spot behind the front passenger seat.
David opened the other side door for Regina and she lowered Kaelyn into her car-seat.
After placing a gentle Regina's cheek, David got into the driver's seat and started getting the GPS, music and air-conditioning set up.
"Sweetheart do you want Bunny?" Regina asked Kaelyn as she fastened the buckle on the car-seat.
"Yes please mommy."
Regina unzipped Kaelyn's Disney's Frozen backpack and rescued Bunny from amongst the many things a toddler might need on a four hour drive followed by a three-and-a-half hour flight to Orlando.
Giving the toy to her daughter, she pressed a kiss to the little girl's forehead before shutting the door and getting into her own seat in front of Henry's.
"Did you lock the front door?" David asked.
"Yes I did. Did you turn on the security system?"
"Yeah... hold on let me just double check." David jumped back out of the car and jogged out of sight.
A minute later he climbed back into the Escalade. "It was on. Alright, so are we finally ready to hit the road?"
Regina took his hand. "I certainly hope so."
"I'm good." Henry said.
"I'm good!" Kaelyn repeated.
Their parents smiled tenderly back at them.
"I think we're ready." Regina said.
"Good, or else we may never make it to the airport." David said.
Regina squeezed his hand gently before he let go of hers so he could pull out of the driveway.
"Kaelyn, say 'bye house!" Regina said, waving to their beautiful white home.
"Bye!" Kaelyn waved enthusiastically.
As they drove out of view of their house, Regina leaned back into her seat happily.
They passed quickly through the streets of Storybrooke, it had been far too long since any of them had been out of the quaint little town. They all loved Storybrooke, but it was nice to get away for a while too.
"Look! Ruby!" Kaelyn pointed as they neared the diner.
Henry rolled down his window so they could wave at her as they passed Granny's.
"Have fun guys!" She called, waving from the patio.
"Thanks!" Henry shouted back as he and the rest of the family waved happily at her.
It wasn't long before they reached the town line and finally gave a proper start to their vacation.