Laura smiled in contentment as she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. She'd been saving for this trip for years, and now, thanks to the generosity of her parents last Christmas, her dream was finally coming true.
She and her twelve-year-old twins were accompanying her friend Jackie from work and Jackie's teenagers, Roger and Sally, to visit their family in London.
They'd just boarded the airplane in Atlanta, Georgia and were now soaring high above the clouds. It was pitch black outside, and although Laura was quite tired, she found it difficult to go to sleep half sitting up. She'd doze off and then jerk awake a few minutes later, groggy and disoriented.
At last the red, orange, and yellow rays of the rising sun were bathing the interior of the airplane, and Laura was roused from a light slumber. She looked over to see that Jennifer was still asleep but Jeremy's eyes were open.
"Are you all right?" she asked him.
"Yeah, but I'm hungry! When are they gonna feed us?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure it will be soon."
Jennifer blinked awake. "Huh? Where am I?"
"On the plane to England. Don't you remember?"
"Oh. Yeah." Jennifer yawned.
A few minutes later, a breakfast of cereal, juice, and yogurt was served. Laura was starving and ate every bite.
She'd barely finished when the airplane began to land. After it came to a complete stop, she and the others lined up and headed for the exit.
Inside the airport was a long, red, carpeted hall, and at it's end, Jackie's family was waiting to meet them. Mr. and Mrs. Wright were an elegant middle-aged couple, both with salt-and-pepper hair. Mrs. Wright's was curled in a stylish wave. A dark-haired man of about thirty-five and a little girl of about eight stood with them. The little girl had light brown hair done up in pigtails, and she was swirling around and around on one foot.
All three adults hugged Jackie, Roger, and Sally in greeting.
"Mum, Dad, Michael, I'd like you to meet my friend from work, Laura Bishop, and her children, Jeremy and Jennifer," said Jackie.
Mr. and Mrs. Wright smiled and shook hands with Laura and the twins, and then Laura shook hands with Michael.
"Hullo, Laura." As she shook his hand, she thought he had the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. "This is my daughter, Karen."
"Hi, Karen," said Laura, but the little girl just kept spinning around, oblivious to her.
"We brought two cars, as we haven't enough room for the lot of you in one." Mrs. Wright sounded apologetic. "Michael, can you take Laura and her children along with Karen in yours?"
"No problem," Michael said amiably. "Come along, Karen, let's go back to the car."
Karen stopped spinning and let her father take her hand. He led them outside to his red Ford Escort. He opened the door to the back seat for Laura and the twins, and then he and Karen got into the front seat.
"Did you have a pleasant flight?" he asked as he was pulling onto the main road.
"It was fine, thanks," Laura replied.
As they rode along, Laura looked out the window at the rolling landscape as it whizzed past. She was unaccustomed to seeing so many hills and valleys.
"How charming!" she remarked.
Michael grinned.
"I've always thought so, too."
Karen began to babble in what sounded to Laura like meaningless gibberish.
"These are Aunt Jackie's friends," Michael told her. "They've come from America to visit us."
Karen began to babble excitedly. Laura picked up one word: 'telly'.
Michael chuckled. "Right, just like the programs we watch on telly sometimes."
Soon he was pulling up in front of a two-story red brick home. Laura saw Mr. and Mrs. Wright's white Vauxhall Cavalier was already there, and the family was getting out and walking toward the house.
"I hope you lot are hungry," said Michael. "Mum's outdone herself."
"I've never had English food before," said Laura.
"You're in for a treat. Mum's cooking is the best."
Once they were inside, Laura saw a large table with many place settings. The table was laden with food. Mrs. Wright gave the names of each dish: shepherd's pie, black pudding, stargazy pie, bangers and mash, scones with clotted cream.
"Is that fish heads sticking out?" Jennifer whispered to her mother.
Laura jabbed her in the side with an elbow.
"Sh!"
Both twins had looks of trepidation on their faces as they took their places around the table. Silently, Laura prayed neither of them would say or do anything to embarrass her.
