First Class Voyage

15.

DAY 13 – AT SEA

Mark and Katy were finally emerging from their cabin. Katy had called Janie and said she would be up by the pool sun tanning. Janie was going crazy wondering what had kept them occupied overnight in San Juan.

“This is not like you,” Matt said as he stood in the bathroom shaving. Ella sat on the counter, covered in shaving cream with a comb in her hand mimicking her father. “What’s up?”

“I know,” sighed Janie. “I just feel it. I can’t describe it. There is more to this story. I feel it.”

Matt wasn’t going to argue with her. First of all, he had learned that arguing with his wife was pointless; he would never understand how her brain worked and how her idea of logic was formed. And secondly, when it came to gut feelings, she was usually right. Of course he would never admit that out loud, and never within earshot of his wife!

“Well, maybe she’ll fill you in today,” Matt said.

Janie piled the breakfast dishes back on the room service tray and shoved it outside their cabin door on the floor in the hallway. As she came back in, Matt took her in his arms and held her tight.

“Let’s just not have a repeat of the inquisition of last night,” he mused.

“Fine,” she whined, but grinned at her husband.

“Who wants to go play in the pool?”

“I do!” yelled Ella.

*****

“It was breathtaking,” explained Katy. “The cottage had these huge doors that folded back and when you lay in the bed it was just like you were on the beach. Amazing!”

“So, Mark just rented a house for you for the night?”

“Yeah,” Katy said hoping Janie would leave it at that.

“Huh,” she said. “That sounds very romantic.”

“It was,” sighed Katy. “Incredibly romantic.”

“Huh,” she said again.

Katy watched Janie chew on the inside of her cheek, not overly convinced she would let it go. But after a few minutes, with no more talk of their ‘disappearance’, Katy began to relax.

Janie waved at Ella who was splashing in the water with her daddy and Mark. Tyler and Adam had just arrived and were jumping in the pool so Ella’s interest in her mother waned.

Katy rolled over onto her stomach and buried her head in her arms. The warm sun felt glorious on her skin.

“So you had no idea he’d done that?” continued Janie.

“Done what?” asked Katy, her hope fading.

“That he’d rented a house.”

“Nope.”

“Huh,” Janie said for the third time.

The baby started to fuss and after several minutes of him not settling down, Janie decided to head back to their suite and feed him. She asked Katy to let Matt know where she had gone and left the pool.

She walked through the coffee bar on her way to the elevator and caught sight of her mother sitting at a table with Lester. They were laughing and apparently having a great time. Her mother’s eyes were bright and as Janie stood and watched for a moment she wondered when the last time she had seen her mother so…so happy.

The thought saddened her. Yes, Patty was her mother, but she was a woman first. And didn’t she deserve happiness too?

*****

When Matt noticed Ella starting to shiver, they climbed from the pool and he wrapped her in a large fluffy towel and laid her on a chaise.

“My sunglasses,” she ordered.

Matt raised his eyebrows and waited.

“Pease?” she grinned.

Matt took her glasses from the bag and propped them on her nose.

“You should be on the French Riviera,” giggled Katy.

Ella crossed her ankles, put her hands behind her head and laid back in the warm sun.

“That’s quite a little diva you’ve got there,” Katy laughed.

Matt stretched out on the chaise on the other side of Ella and Mark headed off to get some drinks. Katy rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes.

Mark was strolling back from the bar as a man walked in front of Katy’s chair.

“Nice!” he drawled. “I’d like to get me some of that.”

“Back off!” snarled Mark. “That’s my wife you’re talking about.”

The man scurried away and Katy propped herself up on her elbows. She looked up at Mark and grinned. He smiled at her and then he turned his head slowly to see Matt’s jaw open wide.

“Wife?” he mouthed.

“Shit!” Mark muttered. “Sorry,” he said to Katy.

She grinned and sat up.

“What the hell?” Matt said, clambering up to a sitting position. “Janie was right, dammit! You two were up to something!” He looked down at Ella, fast asleep cocooned in the towel.

Mark sat on the edge of her chaise.

“We didn’t plan it,” he began. “It was a spur of the moment thing.”

“In San Juan?” Matt asked.

“Yeah,” grinned Katy.

“So that’s why you guys didn’t come back to the ship.”

“We haven’t told anyone. Please don’t say anything.” Mark pleaded.

“Well, congratulations!!” Matt grinned. “This is great!!”

“Thanks,” said Mark.

“Oh shit!” Matt said, the smile disappearing from his face. “You can’t ask me to not tell Janie. She would KILL me if she found out I knew and didn’t say anything.”

“I’ll tell her,” said Katy. “I’ll go do it now,” she smiled. “Then you won’t get in trouble.”

“Thank you,” Matt sighed. “And really, congratulations.”

*****

Katy knocked on Janie’s door. It took a minute for her to answer. She was changing a diaper.

“Hey,” Janie smiled. “Come on in.”

Katy followed her into the living room. It would have been a spacious room, but there were two portable cribs set up, a couple of strollers and some toys scattered. She took the baby from Janie and moved Ella’s giant stuffed dolphin off the chair and sat, cuddling little Christopher.

“He’s growing like a weed,” she grinned.

“I know! He can only wear a few of the three month clothes now. He’s a chunk!”

“Oh my sweet little boy,” she cooed. “He’s drunk!” she laughed.

“Yep,” Janie chuckled.

“So this morning,” Katy began, “I didn’t tell you the whole story.”

Janie’s eyebrows raised and she sat down, her interest piqued.

“Really?” she said.

“No,” Katy said as she rocked the baby. “Something else happened in San Juan, something we hadn’t planned on, but the opportunity presented itself so we jumped on it.”

Janie scooted to the edge of the sofa, staring at Katy, not knowing what was about to be confessed.

“Mark took me to this beautiful old cathedral,” she continued. “He had been there several times on his many trips there and he knew the priest and he came out and talked to us and… well…we hadn’t planned on doing it, but Mark has been carrying the papers with us everywhere we go and…”

“You got married,” Janie whispered.

“We did,” Katy grinned. “We got married.”

Janie sat motionless for several seconds and then squealed with delight. “YOU GOT MARRIED!!!!”

Christopher’s little body jolted and he screamed his little lungs out. Katy stood and tried to soothe him as Janie threw her arms around her best friend’s neck and held her tight while they laughed and cried and laughed some more.

“I am so happy for you!” Janie beamed.

“You’re not mad?”

“Why on earth would I be mad?” Janie was horrified.

“Because we did it just by ourselves. We didn’t tell anybody.”

“Of course I’m not mad!” Janie laughed. “I’m thrilled. Thrilled for you both. This is wonderful!”

“Just do me one favor,” Katy asked, a seriousness in her tone.

“Of course,” sobered Janie.

“Don’t tell anybody, at least not ‘til we get home.”

“Not even Matt?” Janie asked.

“Mark just told Matt.”

Janie visibly relaxed. “Oh, good,” she smiled. The smile disappeared quickly as she spoke the name. “Maureen!”

*****

If Katy didn’t love her job as a nurse so much, Janie would have suggested she go into acting. Katy was brilliant at pretending that there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary for the rest of the day and all through dinner. Janie was duly impressed. But she didn’t know just how long she would be able to keep it up.