Ladies and gentlemen, please collect your belongings, watch your head and step, and take small children by the hand. We hope you enjoy your day at the Magic Kingdom.
*bing bong*
At the sound of the electronic chime, the monorail doors slid open, and Lucas and Riley exited onto the concrete platform of the open air station outside the park's gates. They were already a few minutes late for the 3:00 o'clock meeting time with the rest of their group, and they still had to make it all the way to the castle, which was where they'd agreed to meet.
The front entrance of the park wasn't far from the monorail station, and they made their way through it with a swipe of their wristbands.
On the other side of the turnstile, a wide sloping bank lay sprawled at the base of a second-story railroad platform. Its beautifully landscaped lawn surrounded a conformation of hedges and flower beds that had been laid out to form a large medallion with the famous mouse ears at its center. At the top of the bank sat a Victorian style train station, adorned with gables and a high clock tower, and it was the first thing guests were presented with when they walked through the gate.
A train whistle sounded as they headed towards the short tunnel that passed under the tracks and into the park, Lucas forcing a slight speed to their steps by his grip on Riley's hand.
"We shouldn't have stayed for the Bug movie," he fretted, as they hurriedly crossed the cobblestoned courtyard to the underpass.
"Lucas, would you relax? I told you it's fine. They're probably just waiting for us on a bench somewhere. It's not like they'll mind the extra rest time. Well, the kids might," she amended. "But knowing my dad, he'll probably just turn it into a lesson on patience or something." Her tone was half-humorous when she said it, but the likelihood that it was true was actually pretty good.
"I know, I just don't like to be late," he continued to fuss. "Especially when it involves your dad."
Riley looked at him in affectionate understanding. "It'll be okay, I promise," she soothed.
The tunnel opened onto a large town square that served as a hub leading into Main Street. City Hall and the fire station were on one side, and Town Square Theater, a wide brick building with tall narrow columns on the front veranda, was on the other.
As soon as they exited the pass-through, their senses were assailed with the smell of buttery popcorn from a nearby vending cart, the jazzy sound of Ragtime music coming through the speakers, and the sight of an old fashioned Main Street, lined with gingerbread-trimmed buildings in bright pastels.
For some reason this particular park had a more magical feel to it than all the rest. Riley couldn't have said exactly why that was so. Maybe it was the sense that you'd entered a bygone era, with the storefronts and shops that had been designed to look like buildings from the turn of the century. From the Emporium, to the Confectionery, all the way down to the old fashioned ice-cream parlor at the other end of the street, they were all adorned with scrolled cornices, finials, wrought iron, and other fanciful trim, while gas lamps bearing hanging flower baskets lined the sidewalks that fronted them.
Or maybe it was simply the sight of the castle gleaming whitely in the distance, its many turrets and blue spires striking a note of enchantment against the backdrop of the clear sunny sky. The knowledge that there was a brand of fun you couldn't find anywhere else awaiting you in the fantastical lands that surrounded it might have also had something to do with it.
Riley didn't really have time to ponder it as she and Lucas entered the crowd of people that was wandering the square to hurry towards the white and blue castle. The sound of someone calling out made Riley glance aside from their path, and she did a double-take at the familiar figure leaning against the railing that ringed one of the tree-dotted flower beds.
"What is it?" Lucas inquired when she pulled him to a stop.
"It's my mother," she said in surprise, turning back to retrace their steps. "Hi, Mom," she greeted quizzically as they approached her.
"Hey, kids," the other woman replied with a smile, reaching out to hug her daughter. She'd been extra affectionate in recent weeks- possibly even a bit clingy- with the approaching departure of her firstborn from the nest drawing ever nearer. Riley had indulged her, perhaps dreading the prospect of imminent separation a bit herself. "Did you have a good time?" She directed the question to both of them as she stroked Riley's back in a short up and down movement while giving her a squeeze.
We had a great time!" Riley affirmed, pulling away from the hug, she and Lucas sharing a smile. "What about you guys? Have you had a good day?"
Topanga replied in the affirmative, but it didn't sound entirely convincing. "It's been fun, but we've been going at it pretty hard. Auggie and Ava took it into their heads that they wanted to do everything in the park today. Your father told them that wasn't possible, but that only seemed to make them more determined," she said dryly.
Riley made a sound of commiseration in her throat. "Poor mom and dad."
"You guys must be exhausted," Lucas put in, his expression both amused and sympathetic.
"Yeah, we're pretty tired," she agreed. "We started in Tomorrowland and we've almost made it to Liberty Square."
"Wow, you might actually manage to do it," Riley said, sounding surprised and impressed.
"That's the goal," Topanga said with questionable enthusiasm, pushing her fist up and out in a weak cheering gesture that left both teens tickled.
Putting her arm around Riley, she started them walking towards Main Street while they talked. Reaching back for Lucas, she linked her free arm through his and drew him along as well.
"What are you doing here?" Riley inquired. "I thought we were supposed to meet you guys at the castle."
"The kids wanted to watch the parade again so we've staked out our spot up the street. I was afraid we might end up missing each other so I came to watch for you at the gate."
"Didn't the parade start at 3:00 the other day?" Lucas asked, checking to make sure he hadn't misread the time on his watch.
"Yeah, it's already started, but since it comes up Main Street last we've probably still got a few minutes," Topanga replied.
It became too difficult to continue walking three abreast when they reached the street, so conversation between them came to a halt. The sidewalks were packed with waiting spectators, and there was only a narrow path left open between people and storefronts for anyone to walk. With Topanga in the lead, they maneuvered their way down the street, only stopping when they'd nearly reached the end.
Halting right before the corner restaurant, Topanga entered the fray at the curb, excusing herself to the front of the crowd where the rest of her family was waiting.
When she drew even with her husband, she told him smilingly, "Look what I found." Stepping to the side, she made way for Riley to move up between them.
"Hey! There's my grown-up daughter and her shiftless boyfriend," he greeted with genial affection, reaching out to give her a one-armed hug.
"Dad," Riley chided mildly, rolling her eyes, but her lips were curved with amused indulgence as she returned the hug. She didn't have to look at Lucas to know that he was smiling and shaking his head too.
Lately her dad had taken to calling him shiftless after he'd heard the term used to describe a woman's no-good fiance in an old black and white movie they'd all watched together one night. Everyone tolerated the ridiculous moniker because they all knew Lucas was anything but shiftless. It was just the current passing phase in Lucas and her dad's thing where they picked at each other with easy affection.
"Here, you two get in front of us. You're the kids," Cory went on to say as he ushered her in front of him on the sidewalk.
"You just said I was grown up," she pointed out, letting herself be maneuvered.
"Well, you're less grown up than me," he amended.
"You sure about that?" Lucas murmured humorously, following his girlfriend into place ahead of the elder Matthews.
Riley giggled, thinking she was the only one who'd heard him, but they were proven wrong when Cory said sternly, "I heard that!" Taking no real offense, he put a hand between Lucas's shoulder blades to help him along, adding in a grumble, "Just pipe down and accept my generosity."
"Yes, sir," the teenager accepted with a smile.
"Hi, guys," Riley greeted her brother and his girlfriend. The two ten-year-olds were sitting cross-legged on the curb, a prime position to watch the parade from. They chimed a greeting in reply, craning their heads back to look up at them from the ground. "Aw, look at your little princess ears," she exclaimed, admiring the pink Minnie ears Ava was wearing. A little rhinestone tiara with a pink jewel in the center was banded across the front, underneath stitching that read 'Disney Princess', and a sheer length of tulle hung down from the back. "Those are so cute! Where'd you find them?"
"That place in Storybook Circus," the younger girl answered.
"Big Top Souvenirs," Topanga added, in clarification.
"I want some," Riley said plaintively to Lucas.
He hid a grin at just how much she sounded like Ava in that moment. "Then I'll make it my life's mission to find you some," he said playfully, lightly tapping her on the nose.
She beamed up at him in response. "You're such a good boyfriend," she praised. They would have kissed then, but her dad was standing inside their personal bubble right along with them, so she hugged his arm to her front instead.
"Hey, Lucas," her brother called for his attention.
"Hey, Auggie," he returned cheerfully in the same tone.
"Dude, you should have been with us on the Seven Dwarfs roller coaster today," Auggie said exuberantly, turning so he was half-facing the other boy. "There was this girl wearing one of those Rapunzel things on her head? And the braid came undone in the middle of the ride so there was all this fake blonde hair flying around everywhere."
"Yeah," Ava took up the story gleefully, "And the people in the seats behind her had to fight all that hair blowing in their faces for the whole rest of the ride. They kept grabbing for the bar to hold on and trying to scrape the hair out of their eyes and mouths at the same time."
"It was great," Auggie finished enthusiastically with a laugh.
Lucas chuckled. "It sounds like it. Sorry I missed it," he said agreeably, exchanging a look of amusement with Riley over the story.
"We've done a bunch of other stuff too," Ava informed them. "So far we've been on every ride in Tomorrowland and almost all of Fantasyland," she said boastfully.
"So we heard," Riley nodded in acknowledgment of the feat, her expression properly impressed. "I don't know how you were able to ride so many. We didn't manage to do half that much."
"Well, we skipped some of the little kid rides," her brother admitted.
"And we've been working the Fast Pass system pretty hard," Cory put in.
"What all did you guys do?" Ava asked curiously.
She and Lucas recapped their day for them, starting with the two attractions they'd just done at Animal Kingdom and ending with the ones they'd ridden in Hollywood Studios that morning.
"Still didn't get her to do Tower of Terror, huh?" Auggie asked Lucas when they were done.
"Nope. Apparently being jerked up and down like a yo-yo isn't her thing," he said lightly, winking at Riley teasingly.
"That's pretty wimpy, sis. Me and Ava weren't too scared to ride it," he pointed out.
"Yeah, well, you and Ava are clearly more fierce than me, you little daredevil. And I'm okay with that." She reached down to ruffle her brother's curls playfully, and he jerked his head away from her tousling fingers in disgruntlement. "Besides," she added, smiling cheekily, "I hear it makes you want your mommy, and I didn't have mine with me, so..." she trailed off with a shrug, sending an impudent look over her shoulder at her dad.
Everyone laughed at the droll remark, which was clearly a jab at Cory's overdramatic responses on the ride. Even though most of them suspected that his reactions had been put on, they still carried on the joke.
Even Cory went along with it when he deadpanned in response, "Ha ha. Yes, let's all laugh at the man who can't control what comes out of his mouth when he thinks he's about to die."
"It's nice to know you think your mother will be the last thing you think about before you die," Topanga said archly.
"How do you know I wasn't referring to you? Mmmomma," he stretched the word out playfully, wriggling his brows at his wife suggestively.
Topanga just looked at him with a flat expression of chastisement, but her lips were curved up in an irrepressible smile.
"Ugh! Please stop," Auggie begged, putting his hands up in a halting gesture and looking away appalled.
"Yeah," Riley had to agree, "Talk about being scarred for life. I did not need to hear that."
"None of us needed to hear that," Ava put in with an exaggerated shudder as she turned to face the street again.
Any further reply was aborted when the music coming through the speakers cut off and a fanfare of trumpets began to sound.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...
A male voice introduced the approaching parade, inviting everyone to join Mickey and his friends as they celebrated a festival of fantasy.
A new song started playing, one reminiscent of a grand show tune being sung by a chorus of voices, and the theme song for the parade. The first float came into view down the way, and they all leaned out to see as the parade made a wide turn in front of the castle to make its way down Main Street.
What followed was a brightly-colored stream of pageantry, presented by each successive float that rolled slowly past them.
They were each like their own mini musical production, themed to match the characters that rode atop them. The one bearing Beauty and her Beast had lots of gold to match her gown, and there were couples dressed for a ball on the ground before them. The parade song gave way to the theme music from the movie, and the ball-goers danced a choreographed minuet in front of the float as they all progressed up the street. The girls in their bell-shaped ball gowns seemed to float as their partners led them in a graceful promenade filled with twirls and intricately interwoven steps with one another.
As an intro to the parade, it was enchanting. And even though they'd already seen it a few days before, Riley still felt the same delight that she'd felt then.
Each float after that had its own accompaniment on the ground, the same as the first one, and each group was performing a choreographed dance in keeping with their theme. There were girls dressed as colorful sea creatures prancing to the reggae music accompanying Ariel and Sebastian, Highland couples in kilts doing a Scottish jig preceding Merida and her bear cub brothers, and the Lost Boys who were leading the way for Peter, Wendy, and Hook were particularly entertaining. Their dance had sort of a Newsies/West Side Story gang-type vibe to it, and when they weren't dancing, the boys dressed in tattered clothing were performing impressive acrobatic feats, hopping and leaping through the small hoops some of them were carrying, and doing different flip combinations down the street.
Lucas had moved Riley in front of him as they watched, so as not to block the view of either Cory or Topanga, standing slightly behind each of their shoulders. His arms were wrapped loosely around her waist, and when the Lost Boys were performing in front of them, jumping and flipping around, she twisted slightly to raise her face toward his and deliver a comment over the rollicking blare of the music.
"Bet they didn't have to go to gymnastics with a bunch of little kids to learn how to do that," she said ironically, alluding to the fact that she, herself had taken a beginners class in high school when she'd failed at cheerleading tryouts her first year there. She'd been the only one in the tumbling class who was over ten years old, and as a tall, lanky 15 year old, she'd towered over everyone there. It had sort of been humiliating but it had paid off. She'd made the squad at the start of her sophomore year, and she'd cheered for the following three years.
Lucas had bent his head accommodatingly so she could speak directly into his ear, and he put his lips at the side of her head as he answered her back the same way. "Yeah, but I bet none of them have ever done a full twist layout from the top of a pyramid either."
Pleased by the supportive statement that complimented her skills, and even more so by the fact that he remembered the technical name for the dismount she'd practiced for weeks, she lifted her face as if to reply. When he again stooped to listen, he was instead rewarded with a kiss on the cheek.
Lucas's lips curved up in a small grin, recognizing the soft gesture of appreciation for what it was.
As they refocused their attention on the activity in front of them, Lucas went back to enjoying the cavalcade of floats, characters, and dancers with Riley held loosely in his arms.
As parades went, he guessed this one was a pretty good production. The best part was the huge metal dragon that came somewhere near the end. The metal framework and moving gears had been put together steam punk style to form a towering dragon that actually breathed fire. It was from one of the princess movies, he was pretty sure, but he couldn't remember which one. The movies had kind of started melding together towards the end, they'd watched so many of them. And the ones that were about princesses hadn't always held his attention all the way through.
In any case, until that part came up, most of his enjoyment in the parade came from just watching the pleasure Riley took in it. She waved back at the costumed characters who were waving from the floats, every so often she leaned down to share some detail with Auggie and Ava sitting on the curb, and when the couples in kilts danced in front of them to a light Celtic tune, she clapped her hands rhythmically, along with the other spectators around them. At one point she took hold of his hands where they were linked at her waist and playfully started clapping them together instead of her own.
Her light-hearted enthusiasm was infectious, and he gamely clapped his hands under her direction and even started rocking his upper body a bit, in keeping with the beat of the music. Caged within his arms as she was, she was drawn along with him as he shifted side-to-side, and Riley's smile grew in approval as she merrily swayed with him to the trilling music.
When the kilted dancers had passed, followed by a float representing the movie 'Brave', Lucas's favorite part came next. The 26' dragon looked even cooler than he remembered, with scales made of purple and gold metal plates, spiky appendages protruding from its neck and down its back, and small wings that were slowly flapping up and down. People in dark feathered costumes with wings were fluttering around it, as well as some intimidating figures with stilts for legs, who were wrapped in thorny-looking vines.
A prince was walking before it, carrying a sword and shield, and just as he reached their spot on the street he turned to confront the dragon with his weapons drawn. He had to fight off the creatures accompanying it first, and the music swelled dramatically as if it were an epic battle while he waved and jabbed his sword at them. They circled around and eventually surrounded him, and he played at pushing them back. When he'd dispensed with them, he went on to attack the dragon.
Its metal jaws fell open beneath a pair of glowing green eyes and a small stream of fire issued from its mouth. The flames didn't come close to reaching anyone on the ground since the dragon was so tall, but the prince threw up his shield to protect himself as if the fire was threatening to engulf him.
It ended when he pretended to stab the dragon in the area where its heart would be if it had one. Everyone cheered when he raised his arms in triumph and he moved down the street, victorious.
A host of Disney characters followed the dragon. It seemed like everyone who hadn't been included on a float was bringing up the rear. Among others, there were characters from Alice in Wonderland and Pinocchio. Chip and Dale, Goofy, and Pluto were interspersed among them, as well as Snow White and her prince, along with all the dwarfs. They were all meandering down the street on foot, sometimes dancing or skipping, and other times veering off to the sidelines to greet random people in the crowd.
Riley's eyes widened when Prince Charming, himself started walking her way, and, ridiculously, her heart started pounding.
"Milady," he greeted, tipping his head with the mock formality of his character, and Riley had to admit she was dazzled. She knew he wasn't a real prince, he wasn't even someone who'd actually been in a movie, he was impersonating an animated character for crying out loud. But that didn't seem to matter. He was handsome, he was acting like the well-known prince, and him coming to talk to her out of everyone there... It was like a celebrity had picked her out of the crowd, and it was both heady and fluster-inducing.
He held his hand out to her, palm up, and, giggling nervously, she placed her fingers within his grasp. "Are you enjoying the show?"
"I am," she replied with a nod, her smile threatening to break her face. "It's been totally amazing. And this is my new favorite part."
The dark-haired prince chuckled. "I'm glad to hear it," he said in amusement, and Riley wasn't even sure what she'd said to make him laugh. "What's your name?"
"Riley?" she responded immediately, but it came out sounding almost like a question.
"Well, Princess Riley, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day in our kingdom." He gave a sweeping bow while still holding her hand, shifting his weight back on one foot with the other at a straight angle in front of him, then he released her fingers to go on his way. "Watch out for any witches bearing apples," he offered as a parting shot, and Riley giggled again.
Ava, looking up at her from the curb, said with both envy and awe, "That was so cool, Riley."
Riley smiled down at her as if coming out of a daze. The whole thing had seemed so surreal, and it was crazy how giddy it had left her feeling.
Her mom gave her upper arm an excited little shake, saying, "That was great, honey! Look, I got pictures." Holding out her phone for Riley to see, she showed her the image on the screen of the attractive young man bowing over her hand, his red cape draped over his sweeping arm.
She and Topanga huddled over her phone for a few more seconds as they flipped back through all the shots she'd taken, her mom seeming almost as tickled over the encounter as she was.
"I'm so glad you thought to take pictures," Riley said with an animated little wriggle. "I can't wait to show Maya!" She grinned over her shoulder at her mom, but her gaze was snagged along the way.
"Yeah, hi. Lucas Friar. The boyfriend. Remember me?" he said dryly, lifting his hand from her shoulder to give her a wave. Even though he'd been standing there with his hands on her shoulders through the entire exchange, he had the distinct feeling that she'd forgotten he was even there.
But she laughed at his query, and directed a playful swat towards his middle as she replied, "Of course I remember you, silly. Wasn't that cool, him singling me out like that?"
"Yeah, cool," he said in agreement, but his level of enthusiasm wasn't nearly on a par with hers. He did think it was kind of cool that she'd been picked out of the hundreds of people on the sidelines to be given special treatment, but why couldn't it have been Dopey or one of those Tweedle guys who'd given her the attention? Why'd it have to be freakin' Prince Charming? He was sure it had been her bright sunny smile that had drawn the guy over to her. Hadn't he said earlier that that smile of hers could melt the hearts of mice and men? Apparently that went for fake princes in feathered hats too.
The last floats in the parade carried the most well-known of all the Disney characters. Donald and Daisy Duck waved to the crowd from atop one of them, while the very last one bore the hosts of the parade, Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Once they were past and the theme song drew to a close, the last extended note ringing out through the speakers, the crowd began to disperse, people moving off in every direction.
Cory and Topanga gathered their small brood and aimed their steps in the direction of the castle after they determined the best route back to where they'd left off.
"I can't believe Prince Charming came up and talked to you and held your hand," Ava raved as they walked.
"That was pretty cool," even Auggie had to agree.
"And it was so cute how he stayed in character the whole time," Topanga put in. "He really did seem like he was royalty."
"This one was sure acting as if he was," Cory said teasingly, giving Riley's ponytail a gentle tug. "You were acting pretty star-struck, kiddo."
"I was not," Riley protested, her cheeks flushing with chagrin. "I was perfectly aware he wasn't a prince, it's not like I'm a little kid. I was just surprised over the whole thing, I wasn't star-struck."
"Oh, you were definitely star-struck," Lucas denied her claim. "'It's all so completely amazing, and this is my new favorite part'," he repeated her words in his best girlish imitation, and everybody laughed at his efforts.
"I did not say that. Did I?" Riley questioned, her cheeks heating further in embarrassment. She honestly wasn't sure what had come out of her mouth, she'd been just a little bit rattled.
"You absolutely said that," Lucas confirmed with a quirk of his lips. He thought her reaction had been funny and cute, but he also couldn't help but be a little bit jealous over it. The guy may have been wearing cuffed boots and a funny hat, but even Lucas could see he was good looking. That, and the fact that he'd ignored Lucas standing right behind her, with a clear claim on her in his hold on her shoulders, made him resent the royal wannabe. And the way Riley had reacted to him didn't help.
"Well, I'm thinking if there's princes involved now, you better step up your game, Mr. Perfect," Cory said jokingly to Lucas.
"Shyeah," Lucas huffed in amusement, "between Prince Charming and Mickey, the competition's getting pretty stiff. I may have to challenge someone to a duel or something before it's all over."
He had to explain his meaning behind the Mickey comment, and everyone made a few cracks about it before they all agreed he had some pretty tough competitors.
Riley endured the comments with good humor, but she shook her head at their final consensus. Taking hold of Lucas's hand and putting her other hand on his bicep, she said with assurance, "There is no competition. I've already got my prince." Smiling up at him, she bent her head towards him to add in a lowered aside, "I'm talking about you, in case that part wasn't clear."
"Yeah, I got that. Thank you," he replied with a little laugh.
The group continued to chat as they made their way to their destination. They had three attractions left to see in Fantasyland in order to complete the kids' goal, and after a brief discussion, they decided to arrange Fast Passes for Peter Pan's Flight.
While they waited for their boarding time for that ride to arrive, they moved on to the Hall of Presidents, where there was only a short wait for the show in progress to finish. The lobby of the Colonial-style theater it was shown in was a large open space, offering an air-conditioned waiting area, and they all took seats on the floor there to wait for the next show to begin.
To help pass the time, Cory started spouting off historical trivia questions, and they made a game out of seeing who could answer the most.
Surprisingly, Ava won. When everyone but Auggie expressed their surprise, she shrugged her shoulder negligibly, saying, "I'm not just a pretty face, you know." Where once the statement would have been full of arrogance, and said in complete seriousness, now it was delivered with sardonic humor, almost as if she were mocking herself.
Ava had mellowed quite a bit in the years since her parents had divorced and neither of them seemed to have time for her anymore. The experience had humbled her. And when her mother'd had to get a job and wasn't home that often, she'd started spending a lot more time at the Matthews' apartment. Their influence and affection, which was freely given, had softened a lot of her hard edges. And any time she displayed the traits that made her so hard to deal with, they only had to remember how she'd gotten that way, and it helped them to have more patience with her. For the most part though, they'd all come to love her. She was a funny and spirited little girl, who always seemed to know exactly what she wanted.
After watching the historical presentation delivered by a stage full of animatronic presidents, they went back to check in with their Passes.
Crossing from Liberty Square back into Fantasyland was like passing from night to day. One was full of brick buildings with white wooden accents, and Early American architecture- the epitome of historical Americana- and the other looked like it had come alive from the pages of a storybook. With its turrets and banners, and bright colored flags waving in the breeze juxtaposed against golden-hued buildings with dark wood trim and flower boxes, it looked like a Renaissance fair had been crossed over with the Swiss Alps to create this magical land of fantasy.
The rides there were fairy-tale-like too, in keeping with the theme. On Peter Pan's Flight they boarded small two-seat vehicles with billowing sails that looked like ships, and the ride's track took them high in the air. Or so it seemed. Their 'flying' ships soared above small animatronic scenes on the ground that had been taken right out of the Peter Pan story. It was a fairly slow-moving ride, and some might consider it childish or cheesy, but it was one of Riley's favorite rides in Fantasyland. Anyone suspending their disbelief could imagine that their ship sprinkled with pixie dust was flying through the night sky along with Peter and Tink, first viewing London and the Darling family who lived there, then traveling to Neverland, where there were mermaids and fearsome pirates.
Topanga had set up their next passes on her phone, so when they left the Peter Pan attraction, they didn't have that long to wait to see the next one. It was a 3D movie, one they hadn't made time to see their first day there, so it was new to all of them.
They were made to wait outside the building at first, but after a short time they were allowed to go inside and take their seats in the theater to wait. Riley and Lucas sat in the middle of their small group. Ava sat on Lucas's other side- a place she and Auggie often tried to out-maneuver each other for (this time Ava had won)- with Auggie on her other side.
Riley was talking quietly with her mom, sitting beside her, when she first noticed the little girl in the row in front of them. She kept standing up in her seat, grandly tapping the beribboned wand she was holding on different spots on her chair- along the back, on the arm rest, disappearing from sight as she apparently tapped the seat, or somewhere low on the chair, then standing again to wave it in the air and start the process all over again.
The entire time she was playing and fidgeting, her eyes kept straying to Lucas, whose seat was directly behind hers. He didn't notice at first. He and Auggie were talking about something, and then Ava said something to make him laugh, which really drew the little girl's attention. She looked directly at him and didn't look away when he teased Ava back and chuckled. He caught her looking then and smiled at her. She didn't smile back, but kept watching him for a few more seconds, then ducked shyly behind the back of her seat.
"I think you have an admirer," Riley told him quietly, and he grinned crookedly in return.
The little girl didn't stay hidden long. In less than a minute she was back up, fiddling with her wand again, and looking at Lucas in interest. She was a pretty little girl, maybe three or four years old, and she was dressed in a little replica of the gown Belle wore in Beauty and the Beast. Her golden brown hair had been pulled back at the sides, but a large portion of it had escaped the clip in the back and was straggling around her face in damp curls, a testament to all the time she'd probably spent out in the heat that day.
Lucas smiled at her again, and apparently, this time she wasn't feeling as shy.
"Hi." She pushed the word past her lips as if it were an act of daring and she was waiting to see what would become of it.
"Hi." Lucas repaid her bravery with a sweet grin.
Seemingly satisfied now that she could talk to him and he would talk back, she ventured further. "What's your name?"
His face alight with amusement, he replied, "My name's Lucas. What's yours?"
"Sthayla," she lisped in answer.
"Shayla?" he repeated, to make sure he'd understood her. At her nod, he told her, "That's a pretty name."
The woman sitting beside her, presumably her mother, looked at her and prompted gently, "What do you say?"
"Thank you," the little girl replied immediately.
"You're welcome," he said warmly. "That's a pretty dress you've got on," he complimented.
She nodded, looking down at herself. "It's like Belle's."
"I know. She's my favorite Disney princess. I'm partial to brunettes," He said the last part as if it were a secret and Shayla seemed delighted he was sharing with her.
Dryly amused at his statement, Riley bumped his shoulder with her own and he grinned back at her.
Obviously noting the interaction, Shayla said curiously, "Is she your girlfriend?"
"She is," Lucas nodded.
Taking that as her cue, Riley joined the conversation, saying, "Hi, Shayla, I'm Riley."
Shayla returned her friendly smile, but she still directed her comment to Lucas, lowering her voice just a little as if Riley wouldn't be able to hear her then. "She's pretty."
Lowering his voice the same way and leaning towards her a bit, Lucas confided, "I think so too."
Flattered by the round of compliments, Riley lightly grasped Lucas's forearm in a silent gesture, at the same time saying, "Aw, thank you, Shayla. I think you're really pretty too."
She took the comment in stride, merely nodding matter-of-factly. "My mommy says I look like her."
"And now they're going to think I'm conceited and tell you that you're pretty like me, " her mother said with wry humor. It was obvious that the little girl didn't understand the irony and she instructed, "Why don't you just tell Riley thank you for the compliment."
"Thank you, Riley," she said dutifully.
Now it was Riley's turn to say fondly, "You're welcome."
"Now how about you turn around in your seat and stop bothering the nice kids," her mom suggested.
"She's fine," Riley assured her.
Given the okay, her mom didn't push it, and let Shayla stay where she was.
Satisfied that she wasn't being made to sit, the tiny Belle wannabe started waving her wand around again. But it was obvious from the gauging looks she kept flicking their way that she was really just putting her cool new toy on display and wanted them to acknowledge it.
Lucas didn't disappoint her. "So you got a magic wand today, huh? What are you planning to do with it? You aren't gonna turn me into a frog or anything are you?"
"No," she replied gigglingly, her tone saying she thought he was silly.
"Good. 'Cause they eat flies, you know. And I really don't think they'd taste very good."
Shayla just smiled, clearly unsure whether he was still playing with her or if that was a true fact. A speculative light had entered her eyes though. Now that he'd put the idea in her head, she couldn't resist it, and she started waving her wand in his direction with more purpose.
"Ickity-bobbi-boo!" she said cutely, the last word coming out forcefully as she pointed the wand at his face.
Lucas gasped dramatically, and for a second Shayla's big brown eyes widened, as if she was afraid she really had performed some kind of magic on him.
And in the next moment...
"Ribbit," he deadpanned, and the little girl convulsed in laughter.
Her childish giggles were heart-warming, and Riley couldn't help but laugh too. As she watched Lucas continue to ribbit and stick his tongue out at her in imitation of a frog, Riley's laughter faded into an affectionate smile. She'd never seen Lucas like this, so sweetly adorable and playful. She guessed somewhere in her mind she'd known he was good with kids. He'd always been great with Auggie, and later, with Ava too, when he started seeing her more often at their house. But they'd both been a little older than Shayla. There was a gentleness to his teasing of the little girl that stole Riley's heart, and she felt like she was falling in love with him all over again. That this boy, who was so attractive and had so much going for him, and could have easily turned out to be arrogant or entitled because of that, was instead such a gentle, caring person- honestly one of the best people Riley had ever known- it just made him seem incredible. She was proud of him and touched by him at the same time, and she just felt so fortunate that he was part of her life.
Their playtime was brought to an end when the lights in the theater went down and Shayla's mom made her turn and sit for the movie that was about to begin.
Riley shifted in her seat to get closer to Lucas, and he smiled over his shoulder at her as she slipped her arm underneath his to twine them together and hug herself to his side. She kissed his smiling lips as the curtain over the screen began to go up, a heartfelt, lingering caress that he happily returned.
"What was that for?" he asked in a hushed tone, his eyebrows raised quizzically.
"Because you're amazing. And I love you," she told him warmly, hugging his arm.
Touched, pleased, and unsure what had brought it on, he dropped his own kiss on her lips and replied, "I love you too."
She dropped her head briefly to rest on his shoulder, but then the movie started, and they had to put on their 'opera glasses' as Minnie called them when her voice came over a speaker to get the production started.
The film was a cute compilation of musical numbers from different Disney movies, arrived at by way of Donald Duck, who had tried on Mickey's sorcerer hat. It had sent him away in a stormy whirlwind of magic, where he got caught up in the musical productions from 'The Little Mermaid', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'The Lion King', and a few others.
When it was over and they were leaving the theater, Shayla and her family ended up a little ahead of them. A man, who was most likely her father, was carrying her in his arms, and she caught sight of them over his shoulder.
"Bye, Lucath! Bye, Riley!" she called out to them, waving.
"Bye, Shayla," they both replied.
"Don't go turning anyone else into frogs with that wand," Lucas said teasingly.
"I won't," she giggled.
They melded with the crowd outside, and then they were gone.
"Looks like you two made a new friend," Topanga said with a soft smile. Like Riley, she'd observed the interaction between Lucas and the little girl, and it had left her feeling even more fond of the young man who was practically a part of their family. He couldn't have made it more clear that he was going to make a wonderful father some day."
"Yeah, she was a cutie," Riley said in reply.
Auggie claimed Topanga's attention then, asking her when they could stop and get something to drink, and Riley and Lucas fell behind the others as they moved on to their next destination.
Riley was still feeling a certain amount of tenderness towards him over the way he'd behaved with Shayla, and it was reflected in her eyes as she looked up at him.
Lucas caught the look, and once again, his expression turned quizzical. First the kiss in the theater and now this look. He wasn't sure what he'd done that seemed to have made her go all gooey, but whatever it was, he was all for it. As soon as the thought took shape in his head he had to pause for a moment of amusement at himself. That had definitely been a Riley kind of saying- going all gooey- and it had slipped into his thoughts so effortlessly.
"What's that look?" he finally asked, as they walked several feet behind her parents.
She shrugged a shoulder, her expression still soft. "You just- you were really good with her back there. It was sweet."
"Who? Shayla?" And at her nod, "She was a sweet kid," he said, as if that explained it.
It was just like him to deflect and maintain that the sweetness was all on Shayla's end, but she let the comment slide. "She sure seemed taken with you," she said lightly instead.
He chuckled softly. "Yeah, well, I was taken with her too, I guess." He hesitated a beat before confessing, "She was sort of what I've imagined our little girl would be like if we ever had one."
Riley looked up at him again, this time in surprise. Actually, surprise was too mild a word. She was sort of blown away. "You think about that kind of stuff?"
"Well, yeah. Don't you?"
"Yeah," she admitted, "But I guess I thought that was because I was a girl and that's what we do. You know, imagine what our wedding will be like, and our future husband, how many kids we'll have...that kind of thing."
"And...am I there, when you imagine those things?" he probed lightly.
Riley bit her lip, but the corners turned up at the light of anticipation that was bright in his eyes as he waited for her answer watchfully.
"Yeah," she softly confessed. "You have been for awhile."
The brilliant smile that lit his face pretty much took her breath away, and it made her happy to know that her answer had made him so happy.
"Well I imagine those kind of things too. With you. So, either it's not just girls that do it, or I'm a total girl," he said humorously.
Riley laughed and twined her fingers with his, covering the back of his hand so it was sandwiched between her palms. "The last thing I'd ever call you is girly, Lucas Friar, so let's just go with the other one."
Lucas laughingly agreed. "Sooo... in these imaginings of yours, how many kids do we have?" he fished.
With a small grin at his curiosity, she readily confessed, "Three. Two boys and a girl. What about you?"
"I've always thought two. But three would be good too," he said easily, the extra addition something he was more than willing to adapt to.
"I've just always sort of wished for a big brother myself," she explained. "I mean, I love Auggie to death, and I love being a big sister, but I've always thought it would be kind of nice to have an older brother too. You know, to talk to and look out for me or whatever. Josh is the closest thing I've ever had to that. He's sort of been like a big brother to me."
"Yeah. I can see that. You two are pretty close," he agreed.
"Yeah, but we were so far apart when we were growing up, I didn't get to see him all that often. It would've been nice to grow up together. So that's why I'd like our daughter to get to experience that- being a big sister, but having a big brother too."
Lucas didn't think she was even aware that she'd said 'our' daughter, so she had no idea how it affected him to hear her say it, but he really liked the sound of it.
He'd told her the truth, he really had imagined having a family with her some day, but hearing her describe the family dynamics she'd been dreaming of made the picture in his head even clearer.
He could see it so easily; a little boy with dark blonde hair and the Matthews' curls, a girl with golden brown hair similar to Shayla's and a bright sunny smile, and an older boy with dark hair and eyes like his mother's. He could imagine them all sitting around on the front porch under a starry Texas sky, Riley snuggled in his lap as they lazily drifted back and forth in the softly creaking porch swing and proudly watched their children playing together and laughing.
The longing he felt for that warm scene was so acute it made his chest ache a little. It wasn't like he wanted to rush right out and marry Riley so they could get started on that family right away, he wasn't ready for anything like that at all. But it was a future he really wanted to have. Some day. And that longing he felt told him that Riley Matthews was the girl he wanted it with. That was why he could so often tell himself that going to college so far away from her was just a bump in the road. And with that future beckoning in the distance, he felt sure they could make it over the hurdle so their paths could merge together again.
He was broken from his thoughts when Riley asked softly, "Hey, where'd you go?"
He blinked, and the far-away look cleared from his eyes. His expression was a tiny bit sheepish, but on the whole, it was warm and loving as he answered. "On a porch in Texas, with my wife in my arms, and our three kids playing around us."
The picture he painted melted Riley's heart and her features softened further. "Yeah? That sounds really nice. Was I there?"
The green of his eyes glinted with tender sentiment as his lips curved up gently. "Yeah, you were definitely there."