Alex and Lexi sleep the majority of the plane ride while I read The Wall Street Journal. I occasionally glance over at the two and smile at the picture. Alex's head is on Lexi's back, and the little girl's head is in her mom's lap. I resist the urge to take a picture because I know that Alex will kill me if I wake her up. I do text Max on the plane and tell him that I don't need a ride from the airport. Alex got Harper to agree to pick us up and not say a word to anyone. She was so shocked that Alex and Lexi are actually coming to New York that she said yes on the spot. Of course, Harper did later tell me that keeping the secret was making her extremely nervous and jumpy. Coincidentally, it did inspire her next creation, a dress made entirely out of springs that Lady Gaga wore to the Grammys that year.
About 20 minutes before the flight is going to land, Alex wakes up from her nap and stretches out her arms. Lexi remains peacefully sleeping in her lap. Alex smiles down at her daughter before looking over at me. "Whatcha ya reading?" she asks me with a yawn.
"Wall Street Journal," I answer proudly. No matter what happens in my day, I always take time out to read the Wall Street Journal. If I don't, then my whole day feels off. It's a curse.
"Dork," Alex fake-coughs into her arm. I roll my eyes at her. Still, it's comforting to know that, no matter how old we get, my little sister will always be insulting me.
"Well, at least I'm interested in what's going on in the world," I shoot back with a superior smile. Alex glared at me.
"Hey, I try to keep up with the news as much as I can. Having this one and working limits my free time." Alex defends, pointing down at her slumbering daughter. I feel defeat coming on when I realize she has a valid argument. "Plus, every once in a while, I glance down at the newspapers under my feet while painting and read sections of them." This makes us both laugh. That is probably the closest Alex will ever get to actually reading the newspaper.
Our laughter wakes up Lexi. The tired little girl looks up at her mom, love and admiration in her eyes. "Mommy, I'm hungry," the little girl states with a frown. Alex pretends to be deep in thought, which makes Lexi giggle.
"Well, I guess it was a good thing I packed snacks then, huh?" She pulls out a tote bag and starts going through it carefully. I see many different snacks in the bag and realize another change in my sister. Having a kid has made Alex more prepared in a way. The Alex I knew would've never anticipated a need for anything. "Here, have some Nutter Butters," she says, handing Lexi a plastic bag full of them. The little girl gives her mom a radiant smile.
"Thank you, Mommy!" Lexi shouts cheerfully. Alex kisses her daughter's forehead.
"You're welcome, sweetie," she responds sweetly. Lexi starts to happily munch on her sugary snack. After a few minutes, she taps me on the shoulder. I turn around to see that she is holding a Nutter Butter out to me. I ruff up her hair.
"Thanks, kiddo," I thank Lexi, taking the Nutter Butter and shoving it into my mouth. This makes the little girl giggle. An old lady sitting across from us shoots me a glare. Lexi simply makes a face back at the old hag. Alex looks torn between laughing and lecturing her daughter.
Finally, it's time for the flight to land. Alex grabs Lexi's hand and squeezes it tightly. Both girls look terrified as we go down. I pat their joined hands reassuringly. Alex gives me a tight smile. She's always hated the landing on airplanes. It makes her extremely nervous. I can hear Alex's sigh of relief as we land. Lexi looks up at her mom. "Mommy, will everyone like me?" she asks Alex nervously. The question breaks my heart a little bit. Who wouldn't like Lexi?
Alex stroked her daughter's curls. "Of course they will, honey. They might be a little surprised and mad at Mommy, but I guarantee that everyone will adore you. How could they not? You're the cutest little girl in the world." Lexi's grin returned. I carefully grab our carry-ons from the storage above our seats. We get off the plane and go to meet Harper. Lexi is the first one to spot her.
"Aunt Harper!" the little girl screams excitedly, running over to Harper and giving her a huge hug. "We missed you!" Lexi ads with a pout. She definitely has Alex's pout. Harper smiles down at the little girl.
"I missed you guys, too. My mornings are way too quiet without you and your mother waking me up." This makes me smirk. I'm not the only one who gets the rude awakening in the morning.
Alex makes her way over to her best friend. "Hey, Harper," she greets her friend nonchalantly, like it isn't a big deal she is standing in the JFK airport. Harper rolls her eyes at the typical Alex greeting she just received. Lexi lets go of her, and she gives Alex a hug. Surprisingly, my sister doesn't pull away.
When the hug is over, Harper says, "I can't believe you're actually here. How's the gallery?" Alex grins like she just ate a canary. "That good?" Harper asks with a raised eyebrow.
"I brought the review with me. You can read it later." Alex replies with a modest shrug. Huh, modesty from Alex Russo. Never saw that coming.
Harper keeps asking Alex questions as we walk to get our luggage. Most of them are about Lexi, but I catch a few about Quinn, Jamie, and Beck. I am amazed at how casually she asks these questions, as if she sees these people every day. Then again, Alex did say Harper is heavily involved in her life. Finally, Alex turns the tables. "So, how are you? Any guys on the horizon?" This question makes Harper start to blush. That only gives Alex more incentive. "What's his name?" she presses on, her eyes already plotting on how to get them together.
Harper breaks down after a few minutes of Alex's probing. "His name is Adam, and he is a stylist at Marie Claire. I met him through my friend who does the styling for Disney Channel. He's nice, funny, and can cook."
"The three must haves in a relationship," Alex agrees with a teasing smile. "If most guys realized how much being able to cook turns girls on, they'd sign up for home ec like that." She snaps her fingers.
Lexi looks up like a light bulb went off in her head. "Aunt Harper, can you get me the outfits from Shake It Up?" Harper and I both laugh at the Alex in her that just showed up. I should've guessed that any daughter of Alex's would get that out of our conversation. Luckily for the little girl, her aunt adored her.
"Yep. If you're a good girl during your trip, I'll send you three of your favorite outfits from whatever episode you want when you go home." Harper offers with a sly smile. Alex shoots her friend a grateful look.
Lexi quickly agrees, and we go outside where a taxi is waiting. The ride to the Sub Station feels longer than ever. I can see Alex nervously fiddling with her hair. "Everything will be fine," I whisper to her reassuringly. She only gives me a nervous smile. We pull up to the Sub Station and get out of the taxi. I grab our bags and walk to the door. Alex picks up her daughter and waits for us to go in before following.
I go in and see my dad counting money behind the register. "Hey, Dad," I shout over as a greeting. He looks up at me and smiles.
"Hey, Justin, Harper." My dad studies my face before asking, "How was your trip?" He walks towards the stairs and shouts, "Everyone get down here now! Justin is home!" I feel more nervous as I hear everyone running down the stairs. I see my mom, Max, his wife Lisa, their daughter Isabelle, and for some odd reason, Zeke. My mom traps me in a huge hug.
"It's so good to have you home!" she exclaims happily. Everyone else starts to ask me questions but I stop them.
"I have a surprise for you guys," I say anxiously. As if on cue, Alex walks in the Sub Station. You could see everyone's jaw drop. Lexi is still situated on her hip, hiding in her mom's shoulder.
"Alex?" Max asks, his face full of disbelief. I'm not sure what the reaction is since no one is saying anything. Lisa, being the only one who's never meet Alex, walks to her and introduces herself.
"I'm Lisa, Max's wife," she states casually. I can tell Alex is grateful to Lisa for breaking the silence.
"Alex, nice to meet you," she responds while trying to readjust Lexi. Lisa looks at the little girl curiously.
"And who is this?" she asks softly. Lexi only tries to bury her head deeper into Alex's shoulder.
"Lexi, don't you want introduce yourself?" Alex whispers softly. Lexi nods softly, and her mom puts her down.
"My name is Lexi," she states proudly in her adorable way. You can tell that everyone, though confused, takes an instant liking to her. Still, they all look baffled by her. Everyone looks over at Alex for an explanation. The moment she has been dreading is finally here.
Alex takes a deep breath. "Lexi is my daughter," she tells them with an apologetic look.
"Your what?" both our parents shout, shock evident on their faces. Max's eyes bug out, and Isabelle starts crying from the shouting. Harper and I look at each other. It's going to be a long night.