Before she knew it, Cherish had fallen asleep on Simon’s shoulder while Jasmine preoccupied his other. Simon glanced down at her cuddled into his side and felt at ease. Slowly, he passed Jr. to his father before lowering his head on her curly hair.
Jr. played with his grandpa’s face unknowing that they shared the same features; a carbon copy from Sr.’s own duplicate.
Time drifted by before the stewards made their final roll down the aisle and patted Simon along his shoulder, “We’re getting ready to land, sir. Would you please lift the trays and give us any trash?” He asked.
What felt like a moment, Simon blinked up at the man bleary eyed with his glasses askew on his face, “Oh, okay. We’re here?” he asked redundantly before he caught himself, “Of course we are, thank you.” He whispered. Taking off his glasses, he cleared the sleep from the corner of his eyes before he gently nudged Cherish.
She clenched her eyes tightly together before they opened. Lifting her head, the first thing she noticed was how significantly colder the cabin was. Shivering some, she looked between Simon and Jasmine running a hand along her little arm to make sure she was warm.
The moment Jr. saw Cherish’s hair move, he leaned over into the seat causing Simon Sr. to return him where he wanted. Simon pulled out a couple of knitted caps. He passed one to Cherish and pulled the other over his daughter’s bald head. Simon placed the glasses right on his face, ‘We’re here.” He murmured. He turned his head and looked behind him to see that his parents. They were all awake; except for Jack.
Cherish glanced out of the window and saw that they were still shrouded in white without an indicator of where land was. With Jr. in her arms, she tapped on the screen and saw they had less than twenty minutes before they'd land. Good. She needed to use the bathroom and Hell would have to freeze over before she would get up from the seat. Cherish kissed Jr. on his cheek before she looked to Simon, "So how bad is the landing?" She asked.
Simon cleared his throat, “There’s a bump when we land, but other than that it should be smooth.” He answered. Strapped in and ready, they could feel the plane descending and he took her hand in comfort. He hoped that it would be a better landing for her sake.
Cherish held onto Jr. with her left arm while Simon had her hand. The first thing she saw once they’d dipped from the clouds were white blanketed peaks. Trees dotted along the majestic mountains. Closer inspection revealed clusters of buildings and roads. Thanks to the scenery, her grip on his hand was loose and relaxed. She smiled at Jr. while pointing to the window, “Look, look over there, love. What’s that? What’s that right there?” she asked as he stared.
Margaret smiled at her husband as she bit her bottom lip and rubbed against his arm. She watched Cherish and Jr. interact before her gaze lingered to her son who simply took in how Cherish reacted.
Her excitement captivated him because she acted like Jr.’s true mother; a title she justly deserved. As she held his one and only son to the window, she touched a piece of Simon’s vulnerable heart which feared that Jr. would grow up without a mother.
Cherish glanced over her shoulder and nodded towards the window, “Here, let Jasmine see too!” she exclaimed excitedly.
Snapping him out of his thoughts, Simon joined in with his little girl. Lifting her up to the window, they crowded around each other while Jasmine’s grey eyes grew wide at the light. She didn’t understand what she was looking at. Her little fingers clenched tightly on Simon’s hand and he kissed the back of it gently. The parents also took in the views with elated chatter and chuckles.
Soon everyone had once again gotten in their seats and buckled up. Cherish braced herself for the landing. Her stomach dropped several times in unison with the plane but once they skidded to a stop, she found that the takeoff was far worse.
As they taxied to the gate, large dunes of snow were pushed off the runways and snow blowers made it their priority to keep the them safe and free of ice. The family wasn't in a rush to leave as the passengers crowded the front to exit. Simon preferred the colder months and the snowy hills outside were a welcomed view.
Cherish rubbed her hands together and blew into them as she looked over a landscape she'd never witnessed in her life. She thought palm trees were a marvel but snow, that was exciting; freezing. She shuddered a bit before looking to Simon and rubbing her arms, "I don't think I have anything thick enough for this weather. I bought a couple of leather jackets from Ross, but this looks like I'm going to die." She admitted.
He smiled a bit and cleared his throat, “You’re right. I brought extra sweaters, so you can borrow mine.” He said.
Margaret stood and leaned over the back of their chairs, "Oh my gosh! We are here! Hanukkah starts tomorrow, Christmas is in three days! Blending our holidays is going to be amazing!" She exclaimed.
Cherish then looked to Simon with a huff, "And expensive." She whispered to him snickering.
With the holidays on, work behind him, and nothing but family as his responsibility, Simon could properly relax. Blowing a laugh, he bumped shoulders with Cherish, “But worth every penny. What do you normally celebrate?” he asked.
She tilted her head back and thought about it for a long while, “That’s
