"It's so good to see you both again!" Laura said as she embraced Michael at the airport.
"It's lovely to see you lot again as well." Michael smiled as he hugged her back, then offered a hand to Jennifer and Jeremy.
"Hi, Karen," said Laura. Karen gave no indication of having heard her. Laura was disappointed but not surprised.
"Shall we be on our way, then?" asked Michael.
They stepped out into the frigid January air. Laura was glad she'd worn her warm winter coat and had insisted on the twins wearing theirs. She drove the short distance to the motel.
"I feel so bad that we don't have enough room for you," Laura said as she parked.
"Please don't," said Michael. "It's perfectly understandable. I know the three of you share a small apartment. I don't mind staying in a motel at all. Would you like to stop in for a bit?"
"Can we, Mom?" asked Jeremy.
"Sure," said Laura. "I don't see why not."
The motel was two stories high and painted brown. Michael's room was on the second floor. The group went up the stairs and down a hallway.
The motel room turned out to be very nice. It held two double beds with green print quilts. The walls were painted white, and there were curtains at the window which matched the quilts. The carpet was the same shade of green, and there was a dresser and chair across from the beds. A television was in the corner, and there were paintings over both beds.
"Everything looks so nice!" said Laura.
"Not bad for the price," Michael agreed.
Laura sighed. She still felt bad about all the money Michael was spending on this trip, including the plane tickets, the motel, and whatever he needed to buy while in the United States.
"Well, at least you don't have to pay for a taxi," she thought out loud.
She felt Michael's fingers on her chin as he raised it to look into her eyes.
"Please, Laura, let me worry about that. It was my choice to come here, and to me, you're worth it."
She smiled, and to her surprise, her heart began to flutter.
She hadn't felt this way in so long, she'd forgotten what it was like.
"Come on in!" said Ginny. "I'm so glad you all could make it."
"Thank you," said Laura as she, the twins, Michael, and Karen entered the house. Ginny and Matthias had planned a get-together for Laura and her guests.
Matthias sat on the sofa beside Robin and Paula, while Lili and Benny sat on the love seat.
"This is Michael and Karen," Laura told the others. "Michael and Karen, this is my cousin Ginny, her husband Matthias, her daughters Paula and Lili, and her son Benny."
"I go by 'Ben' now," said Benny.
"This is Robin," said Laura with a proud smile. "He works at the supermarket at the mall where that pottery store is that I worked at during the holidays."
"Don't you still work there?" asked Laura.
Paula shook her head.
"It was just for Christmas. I work in one of the offices at the college now, filing and answering the phone."
"That sounds like good experience," said Laura.
Karen played with her lips, making smacking noises.
"It's all right, Karen," said Michael. "She gets nervous when she meets new people," he explained to the others.
"No need to be nervous around us, Karen," said Ginny. "We don't bite."
Karen continued making the smacking noises, oblivious to her words.
"Refreshments and drinks are on the table," said Ginny. "Help yourselves."
"Thanks," said Laura, noticing with displeasure that Jeremy had already taken a plate and was stacking it high with crackers, chips, and cookies.
"What grade are your kids in?" asked Robin. "They're twins, right?"
"Right," Laura told him, carefully selecting two crackers, two cookies, and a couple of grapes. "They're in seventh grade. How long have you been working at the supermarket?"
"Two and a half years," said Robin. "I'm trying to save up enough money to go back to college." He moved closer to Paula to make room for Laura and Jennifer, who'd walked over to the sofa with full plates and soft drinks.
Laura wondered how old he was. She could tell he was a bit older than Paula.
"What were you taking in college?"
"Radiology."
Karen began making whooping noises and dancing around the living room.
"Karen! Stop it this instant!" Michael scolded.
Karen stopped dancing and stood still, screaming at the top of her lungs. Michael didn't say a word. He just went to his daughter and held her tight, just as he had in the park in London.
"She's autistic," he explained to the astonished onlookers.
