The seat was really big and Owen couldn't touch the ground with his feet. They kind of hung there in the air. He couldn't see very much, except for the seat in front of him which was dark blue and the carpet was grey and the walls were white. They looked like plastic and not like the walls in a house. Mum was on Owen's right side and Lewis was on Owen's left side and Dad was sitting on the other side of Lewis. Owen kicked his feet again. He wanted to get up and look around but there were lots of people all over putting their bags into the little cubby holes above their heads and taking off their jackets and getting pillows. Little mini-pillows that were the size of Owen's head. Not really much room for a big person's head.
Owen already had his belt on and he was bored with waiting. But Mum said that while they were on the aeroplane he had to sit still like a good boy and not get up, or ask her to get up, unless he needed the toilet, because it wasn't ok to just go wandering around the plane to have a look. It wasn't very safe to do that. She said he could maybe have a look at some other places on the plane when after they had landed in the other city and everyone else had left. But she wasn't sure and so he shouldn't get his hopes up. Owen didn't really know what his hopes were or how he apparently 'got them up' but he knew it was one of those funny things adults said that meant he shouldn't get excited and expect it to happen because it might not.
Owen was looking up at the dials and knobs way above his head when he felt Dad's arm against his chest. He looked down to see Dad stretched all the way over, all the way over Lewis, holding out a piece of paper to Mum. She looked surprised too as she looked over at them. Owen wanted to tell her to open it quickly! so he could see what it was. But Dad sometimes told Owen that sometimes he 'did his head in'. Owen didn't really know what that meant exactly but he knew that when Dad said it, it meant that Owen was annoying him, usually from talking too much, or being too excited about something so that it bubbled up inside him and made him bouncy, so Owen didn't say anything this time. He could wait. Like a big boy. He was a big boy.
Mum took the note and opened it. She smiled and turned back to look at Dad. Owen looked at Dad too. Lewis was grinning and so was Dad but they didn't say anything and Owen didn't like not knowing. He didn't like being small and not knowing things big people did. "What does it say Mum?" Owen asked eagerly, bouncing a little in his seat. He wanted to climb up and lean over her arm to see.
"It's for me," Gillian told him, turning the slip of paper away a little, conspiratorial.
Owen pouted, disappointed. "Aw." He made the face that Dad said meant trouble was brewing. Owen didn't know what Dad meant when he said that but he was usually teasing Owen and he didn't like it when Dad made fun. Especially when he was already feeling grumpy inside. Mum gave him the note next anyway, and he read a few words easily that he had learned in school. But he didn't know what they meant.
I CAN HEAR YOU THINKING FROM ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE
It turned out the note wasn't that interesting after all. Then the little TV screen in the back of the seats turned on. Owen let out a little 'ooooh!' but he also had to remember to be quiet because there were a lot of other people around right now. There were a lot of things he had to remember but he had to be good because if he was good then he was going to meet Mickey Mouse. The show that played on the TV was boring too. It was about how the seatbelts went on and how there were yellow masks in the ceiling and lights in the floor but if they did have a crash there were big yellow slides to go down. That would be cool.
"We're moving!" Owen suddenly noted.
"Yeah," Mum confirmed. She placed her hand on his shoulder and pushed him back to his seat. He wanted to see out the windows but they were very small and all the way over there, while he was in the middle of the plane. "We're going to take off soon," Mum told him.
That was exciting too! Owen had never been in a plane. Neither had Lewis. Dad said he had loads of times and Mum said she had too. But Owen's friends at school hadn't so he was going to have a really cool story to tell when he went back to school. Mum said he didn't have to go back to school for ages. That was cool too!
Owen asked Mum where they were going now. He knew they were supposed to fly but the plane was still on the ground. "We're going to the middle of the runway to take off," she told him. But aeroplanes didn't flap their wings like a bird so Owen wondered how that was going to happen. Specially with all the people sitting there and the bags that Dad said would go along the moving belt to behind the wall and then someone would put them on the plane. He said they were below them right now. Planes were very tall up so maybe they had lots of room beneath.
The plane suddenly started moving forward very fast. Faster and faster until it made Owen's tummy feel funny. He looked up at his mother, concerned. She put her arm around him and rubbed his shoulder. "It's ok," she told him and he didn't even have to say he was scared because Mum knew stuff like that. The noise of the engines was so loud Owen wanted to block his ears. Lewis had turned down his aids which Owen thought was pretty cool sometimes when something was very noisy. Lewis let him wear an aid once. It felt funny. And the noise was really weird when Owen listened through it.
Owen felt his own ears get all blocked up and funny and his stomach felt like someone had grabbed it from behind and pulled and then it all eased off again and he felt fine. Mum let him go. "We're in the air now," she told him.
"We're flying?" Owen asked, looking up at her again.
She nodded with a smile. Mum was pretty when she smiled. "Yeah. What do you think?"
"It's like Superman."
PJ
"Cal."
"Hm?" He was suddenly aware. Sounds first, birds, people, his wife. Then feelings, his legs and arms and where he was in the bed, and his wife's hand on his shoulder.
"Time to get up honey."
He gave a groan and she moved away but he did open his eyes and start to force himself to wake properly. He could hear her waking the boys in the bed next to theirs. The room was a relative size for a moderate resort, but there was one room, one bath, and that meant Cal and Gillian got one bed and six year old Owen and ten year old Lewis were sharing the other. It meant absolutely zero fooling around. Which was a shame, because whenever he got the chance, Cal liked to christen a new bed. Any excuse for a christening. He was hoping for maybe a quick feel up in the shower or stolen kisses. Those were fun too.
The boys didn't have to get up straight away but Cal did. Firstly, he needed the bathroom. Then he got dressed and helped finish packing the day bag with snacks, hats, sun block, towels, a spare plastic bag, camera, spare batteries, a spare SD card and whatever else Gillian had put out. She had made the bed and was in the shower now. Cal grabbed his phone off the charger and double checked he had everything he wanted for a day at a fun park, especially his wallet and the tickets to get in. Then he nudged the boys again, encouraging them to actually get out of bed this time.
Lewis gave a sigh and straightened up. He was growing his hair longer and the first thing he did was finger comb it into place. Cal hid a grin as he walked around the bed to get to his youngest. Lewis was going to be eleven next week and it appeared he was already turning into a pre-teen. Then the boy picked the sleep out of his eyes and swung his legs to the floor. He sat on the edge of the bed he put his hearing aids in from their case on the bedside table. Then he stood and wandered towards the bathroom. He knocked and Gillian called loudly for him to come in. Owen needed more direct intervention to get up. Cal had to pull back the blankets and sit him up. Then he went to open the curtains and Owen sat there blinking, subdued. Cal could hear Lewis talking to his mother over the shower in the other room.
"Come on Wen," Cal went to his son again and placed a hand on his shoulder, getting him to stand. Get him moving, that would help him wake up. They were going to have to get dressed and then head down to the resort restaurant for breakfast. Sometimes breakfast was a good wake up assistant. Lewis came out of the bathroom and Cal knocked to let Gillian know that Owen was also going to use the toilet.
"Get dressed Lew," Cal directed. The boy went to the wardrobe he was sharing with his brother. "Shorts," Cal added. He had to say it louder to get Lewis's attention. "And t-shirt. It's gonna get warm." He made an 'O' hand by his mouth and moved it up, while opening his fingers, like steam rising. He was in t-shirt and shorts himself in preparation, a rarity. The shorts, not the being prepared part. This was Florida. Lewis dressed and Owen emerged and Cal also helped him get dressed. Gillian was out of the bathroom, wearing tiny denim shorts and a tank top that made Cal do a double take so fast he suspected he strained his neck. They took the day bag and headed down for something to eat.
"Dad are we going to see Mickey?" Owen asked, his eyes bright now. He had scrambled eggs and baked beans on his plate.
"Yes," Cal confirmed.
"And Donald," Owen went on. "And lots of fun rides? Can we get candy floss? And a picture with Mickey?"
Cal started nodding and kept on while he finished his breakfast. He'd gone for scrambled eggs, beans, toast and bacon. It was rare to get a full cooked breakfast. It was not part of Gillian's culture. She was eating toast and fruit. Lewis cereal. Cal exchanged a look with his wife. "Looks like Owen is awake now," she noted. Cal gave a grin and Lewis asked if he was allowed more orange juice.
After they ate they headed for the bus stop and waited with a group of other families who were also headed out to Disneyworld. Today they were going to The Magic Kingdom. Then one of the water parks and the day after would be Epcot. By then Gillian figured the boys and the adults would be exhausted so she planned a day at the resort, by the pool, relaxing and conserving energy. She had also planned for them to go to Universal Studios and then they were relocating to the Atlantic Coast of the Florida peninsula so Lewis could go to Cape Canaveral and Gillian could spend some time at the beach. She had planned most of this holiday on her own.
It was eight thirty in the morning and already hot. Cal was in a sweat and dreading that the day was only going to get warmer. This reminded him of his honeymoon. The heat. And later when they were on the beach and Gillian would be in a bikini, he was looking forward to that too. She had tried it on before they left and that had been a very entertaining little fashion show. Owen leaned against his father as they waited. Cal pushed him away a little and he looked up, curious and a little hurt. "It's hot buddy," Cal told him. "Too hot for lots of leanin' all right? I don't like it much."
"Hug?" Owen asked instead.
"Quick hug," Cal conceded. He bent a little to put his arm around his son's shoulder. He gave him a squeeze and moved him away again. Perhaps he should wear tiny little denim shorts and a tank top. Because Gillian looked happily cool over there with Lewis. The bus arrived and they climbed on. It was luxurious and, thankfully, air conditioned. Owen sat at the window with his father, his nose pressed against the glass to see. He wanted to know where the big castle was and where was Mickey and how long it would take to get there? Cal figured Owen got his chattiness from his mother. Seriously. Of course when they pulled up at The Magic Kingdom the boys were almost hyperactive with excitement and even Cal felt a little thrill. He hadn't been to any of the Disney franchises, except the movies. They queued and had their bag checked and were finally through the gates. They all stopped and stared up at the Cinderella Castle for a moment, struck with the size and beauty and the reality of being at Disneyworld.
Gillian opened the map and made suggestions for the first places to visit. It was the start of summer and it would get crowded quickly, so they headed for the rides that were popular and that the queues for would get out of control. They walked all the way to the edge of the park to start with the Pirates of the Caribbean, then Splash Mountain and once they were off that ride, straight to the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad next door.
"Oh man!" Lewis enthused as they headed around the one of the lagoon's with Tom Sawyer's Island in the middle. "The bit where we were screaming down and then," he showed with his hand what he meant, then suddenly jerked it to the right. "Errr!" He mimicked the screeching sound of brakes. Owen bounced along beside him as they walked ahead adding his two cents here and there about exciting bits. Gillian took Cal's hand.
At first, standing in line didn't seem like a big deal. Owen swung from the cordon ropes and talked to the kids behind him in the line. He relived the rides he had already been on and Lewis showed him where they had already been on the map. But as they got closer to midday he got more restless. Gillian produced snacks to tide him over one more line for the Haunted Mansion ride and suggested they stop for lunch afterward; they had started their day rather early. The park was huge and there was still so much to cover but she knew her children's limitations and to some extent, so did Cal. He didn't spend as much time with them as she did, but he knew the signs that Owen was fading and he knew that sometimes the kid faded fast. And then it would be impossible to drag him around.
Cal beckoned Lewis to sit with him on the Haunted Mansion ride. Not because he wanted to avoid Owen, all right it was a little of that, but also, they were essentially at Disneyworld for Lewis's birthday. Even though his actual birthday would fall when they got home. And the money for the trip had really come from Gillian's parents. Lewis was the kind of kid who needed something big like this, something extra special. Owen was usually pretty easy to please but Cal felt Lewis just needed a little more.
"Havin' fun?" He asked his nearly eleven year old. Lewis looked up and gave him a smile. He nodded. If Lewis wasn't talking, that was usually an indication of 'not good'. Cal put his arm around his boy. "Me too. I'm lookin' forward to meetin' Mickey."
Lewis gave a shy smile.
"Did you know, when I was a kid, Mickey was drawn in black and white?"
Lewis shook his head.
"It's true," Cal went on. "And movies were silent and we didn't have cars."
Lewis laughed. "Dad."
Cal gave him a grin and the ride suddenly jerked forward. Cal took his arm back and held on to the rail like he was supposed to; had to set a good example. A few days later would be more fun for Lewis because Epcot was aimed at bigger children. The Magic Kingdom was more Owen orientated. And Cal was looking forward to that as well. Anything that brought Lewis out of his shell was a good thing. He was always on the lookout for a formula with Lewis, a sure fire way of getting the kid to talk and interact. He didn't think Lewis was depressed or reserved, but he often hung back and observed and Cal didn't want him to feel like he was slightly on the outside of their family. That wasn't right. But finding some sort of magic solution was so far elusive. Perhaps the point was that he was meant to keep trying. Perhaps there wasn't one thing, merely the fact that Cal made the effort.
They bought hotdogs, hot chips and water from a food outlet and sat in the sun at tables set with candy striped umbrellas. After eating they moved to watch the Electric Street Parade go by and dosed up on sun block. Cal was even stickier with sweat now and grateful for some shade; it felt disgusting rubbing on lotion. The park was crowded now, especially where they were sitting to watch the parade go by so Gillian reminded the boys to stay close to her and Cal. She didn't want them to get lost so it was very important they kept an eye on their parents and on each other. She'd given them this speech before and told them were they should go if they did get lost or separated. After speeches, sun block, refuelling and the parade, they went to stand in line to meet Mickey, which Owen found very exciting. It was a long wait for a few quick seconds of photos. The person in the suit was four feet tall and didn't say a word. Owen was enthralled, almost star struck, while Lewis seemed more warily fascinated.
After that it was Space Mountain. Of course now the park had filled it up the line was ridiculously long. Gillian consulted her map again, calculating how many more rides, how much longer they were going to have to stand in line, how long they had left to get around to everything else that wasn't a ride at all but something fun to interact with or just to see. Cal watched her thinking and then he felt small hot hands on his arm. They pulled and jerked Cal to the side. He looked down to find Owen pretending to swing off his arm. "Owen," Cal pulled his hand back.
"I need the pee pee Daddy."
"Use your big words," Gillian told him absently.
"I need to go toilet too," Lewis spoke up, making a 'T' hand shape and shaking it slightly back and forth.
"All right," Cal responded, scanning around for the nearest bathroom. He saw one just across the way. "There's one over there," he pointed.
"We'll go," Lewis volunteered.
Cal hesitated. Gillian looked up from her map. Sometimes he hated when she did this, left him to make the decision. Most of the time they agreed but sometimes it would be good to have a base line. Was it ok to let his ten year old take his six year old to use the toilet on their own? Yes most of the time it was. But in a place as crowded as this with so many strangers around? Uhm.
"Ok but you stick togetha," Cal warned firmly. "Like glue. And you hurry back here straight away. No wanderin' off. And do not leave without the otha."
"Ok Dad," Owen said quickly, scooting easily under the barrier.
"Lew," Cal grabbed his shoulder before he could do the same. "Be the big brutha ok?"
Lewis nodded and followed his brother. Cal watched them walk across the open space to the toilet block and disappear inside. He turned to his wife who had not spoken up in objection. "Wrong decision?" He asked anxiously. Maybe he should go over there.
Gillian focussed her attention from the toilets to him. "It should be fine." But she didn't sound certain. On other occasions she had told him that the boys were growing up and they had to trust them. Cal wondered now if that was more about convincing herself than him.
"Lewis isn't a little kid anymore right?"
"Right," Gillian agreed.
It was just so crowded. And Cal started to regret letting them go. Especially because he couldn't see so well around all the people Just when he was starting to get really antsty and Gillian was checking her watch the boys were back. "You guys moved forward heaps," Lewis noted.
"We thought you'd got lost," Owen added.
Then the sky opened up.
PJ
After Space Mountain it was Buzz Lightyear's Space Rangers Spin and the Astro Orbiter, then to the Tomorrowland Speedway. "I'll race you Dad!" Owen announced as he rushed forward with Lewis to queue in the line for the racing cars.
"Did he mean in the car or to the queue?" Cal asked Gillian as they walked up behind their children.
Gillian gave him a slight smile. "How about in the car? Seeing as he already beat you to the line." Cal gave a chuckle. Gillian checked her watch. "Do you think we should have dinner after this?"
"The boys seem to be holdin' out all right," Cal noted.
"I was thinking more about the fact that it could get crowded at the restaurant later."
Cal considered that. "But we'd have to drag them all the way back down the park again," he indicated over his shoulder. The rest of the rides on their list were at this end.
"That's a good point," Gillian mused. Her feet were already aching from all the walking and standing. It would just be a matter of time before the boys started to complain, once the sugar and adrenaline started to be overwhelmed by the fatigue factor.
"Or," Cal continued. "We could split up. One of us goes to get food. The otha stays with the boys on the rides. We can text to meet up somewhere in the middle."
"Now that is a good idea," Gillian agreed pleased. "So do you want to stay or go?"
"Up to you," Cal offered.
"Dad we're nearly there!" Owen turned to holler as they moved forward a meter.
"Well considering you're the favourite," Gillian went on. "Why don't you stay with the boys and I'll go to get food?"
"Is that so you can pick somethin' with less processed carbohydrates and food dyes? Or so you don't have to suffa through the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh?"
"Definitely to avoid Pooh," Gillian responded.
Cal laughed again.
"Are you ok? You're red in the face."
"Hm?" Cal asked confused.
Gillian pressed the back of her hand against his cheek. "You feel warm. Are you burnt?"
Cal also pressed his hand against his cheek. His skin didn't feel fiery. "I think I'm just warm. I dosed up pretty well on sun block."
Gillian gave him a smile. "Naw are you just over excited?"
Cal gave another grin. He looked up. The sky was clear and blue again. After the downpour the air had cooled to bearable but Cal's tolerance for heat was pretty low anyway. It wasn't likely to rain again and he had run out of splash rides. He looked at his wife again, exposed skin and happy grin. "And yep. I'm excited."
Gillian laughed and they moved forward to the head of the line. They would have to wait for the next round of races before they were allowed on. One of the park staff approached. "Is everybody over fifty-four inches tall?" He surveyed Owen.
Cal put hand on the boys shoulder while Gillian answered that no he wasn't, he was only forty-three.
"Then he can ride as passenger," the attendant answered. He moved further down the line to talk to other families.
Owen turned to look at his mother aghast. "I don't want to be a passenger. I want to be a driver."
"I'm sorry baby but you're just not tall enough."
"You can ride with me," Lewis offered.
"You're not old enough," Cal noted. Children had to have adult supervision in their cars.
"No I don't want!" Owen protested, looking more agitated, his voice getting louder. "I want to drive my own car!"
Uh oh.
Cal looked at Gillian but she didn't even glance at him before crouching to deal with the potential nuclear meltdown. Lewis turned to stare too and so did the kids behind them. Cal shifted slightly so he was crowding Gillian and blocking the other children.
"Owen," Gillian started. She placed her hands on his wrists and looked up at him. "I'm sorry you're not allowed to drive but there is nothing I can do about that."
Owen opened his mouth to give her an angry growl.
"Listen to me," Gillian raised her voice over him but kept her tone even. "You can either ride with me or Dad in a car. Or you can wait over there for us to finish."
Owen glared but he kept his mouth closed. Then he pulled his hands out of her grasp and folded his arms over his chest, his eyes darkening. Gillian waited and Owen either held out for a while and then caved, or was thinking about his decision, but after a while he mumbled something and turned away. Gillian got to her feet again. "What did he say?" Cal asked quietly.
"He said he wanted to think about it," Gillian responded just as softly. Cal watched his youngest son for a moment. He stood still with his gaze down and Cal could tell he was fuming or was upset. He could feel the energy coming off him. But he wasn't going to intervene because that had the potential to just frustrate the kid more. It was better if Owen came back to them of his own accord. And he would, given some time. Lewis kept his distance for a while too, studiously ignoring his brother and that anything was wrong. Then he shifted a little closer and Cal watched as he put an arm around the six year old's shoulders. Owen recoiled from him for a moment, then gave in for a hug.
Cal put his arm around his wife, low, so it was resting in the small of her back. She turned to him and gave him a smile. It was too hot for hugs, but he felt the need to physically connect with her in some way. It grounded him and reminded him how great a wife she was, how great a mother was, how great a team they were.
The previous riders disembarked their vehicles and the park attendant returned to allow the next group on the ride. Gillian asked Owen if he made a decision about what he wanted to do. "I'm not very happy," he told her.
"I know baby but I can't do anything about that right now. Can we work on it after the ride? I'm going to get some dinner and Dad's going to take you on some more rides ok?"
Owen gave a little pout. "I'll ride with you," he mumbled again.
"Great!" Gillian enthused. She took his hand and led him towards the car. She let him pick out their colour and climbed in with him. Cal followed Lewis right to the lead car, which was racing red. He slung the day back from his shoulder, feeling the cool shift of air against his sweating back, then climbed into the low vehicle. The cars were on rails so Lewis could only really decide how fast they went but he was in the driver's seat. They both put on their seatbelts and an attendant came to check to make sure they were all ready to go. As soon as they were given the go ahead Lewis put his foot down and the car jumped forward. Cal wondered if he should take this as any indication of what it was going to be like to teach the teenage version of Lewis to drive.
Scary thought.
He lost track of Gillian as they went around the track but afterwards he caught sight of her grinning and Owen was actually smiling. Gillian later admitted she let him lean over and take the wheel. They met up again afterwards and the boys put in their requests for food. Then Cal walked them towards the back right of the park while Gillian headed all the way back down to the main street, which was by the entrance. The Barnstormer was another ride with a height restriction that Owen did not yet meet. Cal wondered if they should have waited a bit longer for the poor kid, to give him a chance to have grown, but to be honest, he had not thought about height restrictions. And it was obvious Gillian hadn't either. Or she would have suggested they wait herself.
Lewis went on the rollercoaster ride by himself while Cal waited with Owen, whose mood seemed to be depreciating quickly again. Cal took him over to a bench to sit. "Ooph," he sighed. "My feet are sore."
Owen didn't say anything.
"Did you know I'm a younga brutha?"
Owen looked up at him sharply. He shook his head. Cal nodded. It wasn't a new story, but one not often told. "It's true. I wasn't allowed to do any of the things my big brutha did eitha." But that was because his mother or father or Thomas wouldn't let him, or at least tried to stop him. It was a prestige thing. Whereas, in this instance, with Owen, it was beyond Cal's control if the boy went on the ride or not. "Yep," Cal mused. "I know what it's like to be smalla."
"It's pretty stink," Owen scuffed a toe against the paving stone.
"Can be," Cal agreed and left it at that. "Means you don't feel very good inside huh?" He looked down at his blond haired son. Owen shook his head pitifully. "Yeah," Cal agreed with sympathy. He gave the boy's shoulder a squeeze.
"It looks like so much fun," he looked up wistfully to the rollercoaster train racing along its track.
"It does," Cal agreed. It actually looked like one of the fun rides he probably would have enjoyed. They were whittling their way down to the smaller children rides now. Dumbo (which they had laughed about, remembering many years ago the kid at school who had teased Lewis for having funny ears), Winnie the Pooth, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party (which was one Gillian actually wanted to go on), Snow White and Peter Pan. They were running out of time too though, it was getting progressively later and they still had to get the boys home to bed. Owen would fade. Dinner would tide him over for a while, but still, eventually he was going to fade.
"You know the good thing about bein' small?" Cal went on, a thought suddenly occurring to him. If Owen got tired there was a chance he would be carried back to the resort. Which meant piggy back rides from his Dad. Which Cal would refuse to do if the boy was bigger. Here was the hook.
"What?" Owen asked.
"Piggy back rides."
Owen's face brightened up.
"I can't really carry Lewis around for long anymore," Cal went on.
"Will you have me one?" Owen asked eagerly.
"Maybe late-a?" Cal counter-offered. "When you get really tired and your legs fall off. I'll make sure you still get to go on all the rest of the rides." He leaned down to give Owen a nudge with his shoulder.
Owen smiled. "Cool."
Cal's phone chimed. He dug it out of his pocket. It was from Gillian. She reckoned she was going to be twenty minutes. Cal figured they might get through the Dumbo ride in that amount of time before they met up again. Once Lewis finished with his rollercoaster, which he gushed about, much to Owen's chagrin, Cal put them both on the two-seater Dumbo ride. He text his wife back again.
WEN NOT HAPPY BUT 2 HIS CREDIT HOLDIN IT 2GETHER
Cal sent the message and waved as the boys went past where he was leaning on the fence, the backpack at his feet to let his back cool again. He was going to have a cold shower when they got back to their room. Freezing cold.
2ND IN LINE. WEN IS A CHAMP. TAKES AFTER HIS DAD
Cal smiled and hit reply as the ride started to wind down.
WAS THINKING REWARDS 4 BOTH OF THEM BEIN SO GOOD 2DAY. WHAT U THINK?
Owen waved as he went by again and Cal raised his hand enthusiastically.
SURE. GETITNG FOOD. MEET U AT CASTLE
Cal sent a quick 'yep' of acknowledgement and straightened up, pushing his phone back into his pocket. And his feet were hot. He was on the verge of doing more complaining than the boys. They were all smiles as they came off of Lewis's ride. Cal told them Mum was getting dinner and they had to meet her at Cinderella's Castle in the middle. Dinner consisted of burger packs in convenient cardboard carry boxes, with soft drinks and a ton of ice and little packs of fries. Cal probably could have done with two but Gillian said something in a quick murmur about dessert and so he figured he could pig out on a cold ice treat shortly. After they ate they sat for a moment, pouring over the map and debating what was a priority of what was left to see.
"Look Mum it's Goofy!" Owen suddenly pointed.
"Quick," Cal got the camera out of the pack. "Get a photo." He handed it to Gillian, who gave him a slightly disparaging expression as she got up to go over to the larger than life character and get a photo of her boys with him. They had seen Mickey and a gazillion other characters over the course of the day, wandering around. The boys had had photos with everyone. Cal wondered if they had actually found everyone now. And he looked at the map again. Really, what was the point in going all the way to Florida if they weren't going to go on every ride and go to every show and meet every character they could find? If they headed up that way first and did those four rides, then back down for the Wishes Night Time Spectacular (which was a massive fireworks display), then headed over there for the last two... Cal calculated the timing in his head. They also had a shuttle to get back to the resort to factor in...
PJ
"Nearly there buddy," Cal murmured to the six year old on his back, whose head was hung over his father's shoulder. The grip around his neck was practically non-existent at this point and he was pretty sure Owen was just about asleep. Every so often he'd perk up to recount a particular ride or how cool the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House had been, from which he'd taken a lot of inspiration for his own tree hut he was going to go home and promptly build. Lewis was traipsing behind with Gillian, snail's pace. To be fair, they were all on a snail's pace, exhausted and sore and hot.
Gillian unlocked the resort door and they piled inside. She left it open for some of the cooler night air. Cal directed Lewis straight to teeth. He put Owen down on the bed. The kid just sat there. Gillian started to undress him and Cal went to get his toothbrush. Lewis's eyes were red as he stood in the mirror but he was still alert. Cal gave Owen the brush and he dutifully moved it around his mouth while his mother pulled off shoes and socks, then made him stand to undress. Cal closed the curtains and kicked off his own shoes but didn't want to sit down until he couldn't move again. He'd be in agony otherwise.
When Owen was in his undies Gillian sent him to rinse out his mouth. Lewis undressed for bed too and climbed in. Cal approached for goodnight hugs. Lewis's skin was cool. He gave his Dad a kiss. "I had such a cool time today Dad," he told him.
"That's good," Cal gave him a smile.
Gillian said goodnight while Cal went to get Owen, guiding him to bed. Lewis told her he had an awesome time too while Cal tucked Owen in, giving him a quick wordless kiss. Then he went to the shower. He was seriously dying, hot and gross. He set the water fairly mild and turned it down further once he was in. When he felt his core temperature had come down he got out again. The boys were asleep already and the door was still open. Cal awkwardly slipped on some underwear around his towel, in the relative darkness, and then a clean pair of shorts. He found Gillian outside, sitting on one of the chairs that belonged to their room. She looked up at Cal as he came out and gave him a smile. She also looked incredibly tired. "Feel better?"
"Yeah," Cal murmured. "But exhausted. Dead on my feet."
"Me too."
"Boys are asleep," he went on. "Let's go." He held out his hand and she reached for it, letting him pull her up and take her to bed.