“Flight 342 direct to Newark now boarding, first class passengers only please,” a voice over the loudspeaker said.
“Well that’s us,” I told my daughters and wife.
“Take care, honey,” Mom said kissing my forehead lightly. “Call us the second you land in Newark.”
“I will,” I promised.
“Anya say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa,” I said over my shoulder to my daughter who was falling asleep in the baby-sack that was strapped to my back. I turned around so that my parents could get at the baby. “Zoë, you too,” I told my four year old. She was saying her good-byes to her cousins, chatting up a storm like she usually did. I knew that I’d have to stop her before she really got started or we’d never get on the plane. Zoë rushed over to her grandparents and kissed them good-bye.
“We’ll see you in a week,” Isaac told me. He outstretched his hand and I accepted it but then he pulled me into a hug. He patted my bag and whispered into my ear loudly, “don’t forget to book the show this time, all right?” I shoved my brother off me and rolled my eyes. He was referring to an event that happened last time we joined up in NY to play a show. I kind-of forgot to call the venue and tell them that we were coming. It was an honest mistake, I swear!
Zac gave me a high five and I made him promise to bring Amanda to NY to see the show.
Mack waved me good-bye. I shook my head remembering how Zac was when he was Mack’s age, he never let anyone touch him and neither did Mackie. Mackenzie was definitely another Zachary, he took after his older brother way too much that it was scary.
I gathered up some of the carry-on bags, mine and my girls’, and kissed my parents good-bye. “Tell Gen that I will miss her,” I told my dad.
“I will tell her,” Dad promised. I nodded and Clare, Zoë, and I made our way towards the gate
“Taylor!” A voice yelled from down the hall. I looked up and saw my baby sister running towards me.
A smile spread out across my face as she ran towards me and jumped up on me. “Whoa, watch the kid!” I warned. There was no reason for me to say it because she was being careful not to disturb the-Anya-on-my-back knapsack. “I didn’t think I’d get to see you before I left...” She let go of my neck.
“Taylor, I hopped on a bus and got here as fast as I could. I thought I was going to miss you.”
“Well you didn’t,” I said with a smile.
“I know!” She hugged me again. I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her feet off the floor. “I love you, Taylor!”
“I love you too, Gen.” I placed her back down and she let go of my neck.
“Promise me that you will call me tonight?”
“I promise,” I assured her.
“Good.” She hit me on the arm lightly. “Now go before you miss your plane. She gestured towards my wife and daughter at the gate. “You’ve got family waiting for you.”
I smiled down at her and leaned down, kissing her cheek lightly. “Good-bye, Genieve.” I walked over to my family and boarded the plane.
When we were settled down in the plane, Zoë at the window seat, me in the middle with the baby on my lap close to my chest, and Clare in the aisle seat, my wife asked “what was that about?” I knew that she knew what happened but she asked anyway. She could read me like a book, she could tell that everything was fine with me and Zoë but she wanted to hear me say it.
I placed my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer to my body. I gazed out the plane’s small window at the airport where the Tulsa Hanson Clan was waving non-stop out the huge glass window to the plane that they knew we were on. I smiled at the site of my brothers and sister, parents, niece and nephew at the window waving like there was no tomorrow. I hugged my wife and held Anya tightly to my chest with my other arm. Zoë put her head on my shoulder as the plane started moving. I smiled lovingly at the family Clare and I had created and said, “just something that should have happened a long time ago.”