There was an air of bubbling anticipation within.
Miriam dug into her bag, "Does everyone have their chewing gum to pop our ears when we’re in the air?" She asked.
Jack rubbed along his forehead, "Are you sure we shouldn't have just rented a private plane? That way we could have it all to ourselves with the kids?" He questioned.
Margaret looked back at him and arched an eyebrow, "Do you know how much money that would have been? We are going to check our bags like everyone else!" She exclaimed.
Simon Sr. knew he shouldn’t suggest spending money while his wife was around, but he had to put it out there, “It’s about two-thousand dollars an hour? So, about eight-thousand dollars.” He answered. He was about to say “That’s do-able” when he saw his wife glare at him as though she predicted the words that had yet to leave his mouth. It was enough to shut him up, “Yeah, probably too much.” He muttered.
Cherish arched an eyebrow at Simon with the GPS in her hands. Private plane and renting a large cabin in the woods. That all sounded like problems she wished she had. She narrowed her eyes at him with a little smirk.
He caught on to how she felt. He she would never let herself step foot onto something that expensive and caught onto him. He saw similarities between her and his mother,
She looked down at the screen again, "Which airport is it?" She asked.
“Tampa International.” He answered placing the car into drive and following the path.
After a busy, traffic filled ride, they arrived at the airport and rolled into the rental car return wing. With the kids loaded up in the stroller, the rolling bags with the women and the heavier ones with the men, the large family returned the car and strolled through the parking garage towards the elevators.
Cherish clenched her jaw together as they all squeezed in and went down to the terminal. She glanced up at Simon and cleared her throat, "I guess now is a bad time to say this is my first plane ride and that I'm terrified, right?" She whispered.
Simon met her gaze. Despite her confession, he didn’t seem surprised and simply nodded. With all she’d told him about her life, he figured that her mom or Todd never gave her the luxury to travel. Still, he nudged against her since his arms were full and tried to bring her comfort, “That’s normal. I brought Dramamine, gum, and neck pillows. Don’t worry, I’ll show you what to do.” He whispered in response. He figured none of those items would assist with her fear, but at least they were travel aids meant to help.
Cherish smiled and nudged him back, “Thanks.” She replied. Nodding, Simon made her think that he knew what he was doing. He didn’t.
Simon Sr. watched them from the corner of the elevator and noted, as everyone else did, how protective his son was of Cherish and they all had their fingers crossed.
After getting their bags checked, their tickets distributed, and through security, Cherish took in all the sights of the airport. The little expensive shops were illuminated, and the terminal hall smelled of strong coffee and sweets. Once at the terminal, she strolled over to the window and looked at the behemoth that was supposed to take them to Colorado. They expected that thing to fly?
Cherish stared at it silently while the parents and Simon waited or watched the people. Soon their seats were called, and Simon brought her on to first class with him and the others. The walkways were far narrower than she thought they would be, and it stunk. She smiled at the pilots and flight attendants before they loaded their items and sat down. She instantly went for the seatbelts only to find that they simply went over her lap. Cherish's eyes widened before she looked at Simon again, "H-how is this supposed to save our lives if we go down?" She whispered.
Her nerves were locked and only grew worse when the door shut after the last traveler. The pilot switched on the prerecorded messaged that went over the safety protocols and warnings. By the time the part with the oxygen mask came, Cherish was in a full-on panic. What the hell had she gotten herself into? Passing out? Low oxygen? The seats were flotation devices? She wanted to cancel the trip and go home, but before she could do anything the plane began to taxi.
Oh no.
Simon had his eye on Cherish as her courage steadily declined. Reaching over, he took her hand and grabbed her attention. His hold was firm, and he gave her an assuring nod while leaning into her ear, “I promise nothing will happen.” He stated boldly. Cherish clenched her jaw, gripped his hand, and nodded. Taking out a package of gum, he unwrapped a piece for her and held it out, “Chew on this.” He said.
Jasmine reached out and pinched the gum from Simon’s fingers. Cherish quickly took it from her, “Thank you!” she said in a sing-song tone causing the little girl to clap her hands. Her arm tightened around her daughter’s body as she bit down on her bottom lip. She glanced around at the other seasoned travelers. Everyone was calm, the cabin was quiet as were the kids. She took deep, calming breaths to soothe herself. Jasmine chewed on her soother while Jr. snoozed away on Miriam’s chest.
After a few minutes, the plane jerked to a stop, and the pilot’s voice echoed over the speaker, “Attendants prepare for take-off.”
Cherish rolled her lips in as her eyes rolled shut and her head fell back. Her breath was hitched as the plane geared up and jerked into action. She quickly laced her fingers with Simon’s and held
