“I could have driven you or sent a car,” I tell her.
“I drove so I’d have a car nearby in case I needed to be able to make a fast getaway when we return. I’ll likely be sick of you people by the end of the trip.”
“A ray of sunshine as always,” Candy says before walking away and joining the kids.
We board first and get settled into our seats. I give Chipper the window seat, and Candy does the same with Cricket. I sit in the aisle seat with Balthazar and Lizzy Anne in front of me. My father bitches a little until he gets comfortable. Before we even take off, he falls asleep and remains out for the rest of the flight. I suspect Lizzy Anne drugged his ass.
During the takeoff and landing, Chipper gets nervous and looks to his mother for comfort. Candy tells him to hold onto me like Cricket is holding onto her. The boy isn’t sure about cuddling with me, but I take his little hand and squeeze it.
“What amusement park do you want to visit first?” I ask.
Chipper looks to his mother for reassurance again. Relaxing, he scoots closer to me and shrugs.
“The one with the castle.”
“Sounds good. Does that one have the Pirates of the Caribbean ride?”
“I don’t know.”
“We’ll check once the air waitress lets us use our phones again.”
Chipper smiles. “She’s called a flight attendant.”
“Yeah, well, she can be called whatever she wants, but she’s a waitress.”
The boy likes the waitress thing and refers to her that way the entire flight. He says I need to tip her too since she’s a waitress. I decide to do what he says considering the kid managed to get through the flight without crying or puking.
We take a private shuttle to the Disney World resort. Balthazar and Lizzy Anne are dropped off first at their hotel. I go inside to make sure they get checked in safely.
When I return to the shuttle, the twins are dozing against Candy by using her tits as pillows. We arrive at our hotel, and the kids awake immediately. They’re suddenly excited like only children, or a tweaker can get excited. Happy kids mean a happy Candy, and I’m looking to make my woman smile.
I reserved us a two-bedroom suite with savanna views. The kids love the idea of having their own room. Candy looks at our room with the two beds and smiles.
“This bed is for fucking, and this one is for sleeping,” she whispers while the kids stand on the balcony and point at animals.
“And the rooms are far enough apart that you can be noisy without waking them.”
Candy claps her hands, and I think she’s ready to tell the kids to take a nap. They’re wide awake of course, so we unpack and prepare to visit the Magic Kingdom.
I call Balthazar on the way to the park and make sure he’s okay. Lizzy Anne said he was soaking in his big tub. I take that as a positive sign.
Hanging up, I look at Candy with her arms wrapped around each kid. She’s smiling so widely I bet her face will hurt later.
“One day during our trip, I’ll take Balthazar golfing.”
“Can we come?” Chipper asks.
“It’s real golf, not the miniature kind.”
“Our grandpa likes to golf,” Cricket says. “He makes business deals at the course. I want to make business deals too.”
“What kind of business deals?”
“The kind where I win.”
Even though she’s clearly serious, I laugh at her expression. The kid wants to rule the world. No doubt she just doesn’t want other people to rule it.
We arrive at the park, and I need a minute to deal with the sheer mass of bodies around us. Babies scream, kids cry, parents meltdown, the happiest place on earth looks like a fucking horror show.
“No one except us four matters,” Candy announces. “We don’t hear anyone else. We don’t see anyone else. We’re here alone.”
The kids nod and get ready to push through the crowds of unhappy people. I take a deep breath and focus on my woman and her kids. No one else matters. The noise disappears. The people fade away. I am at this family place with my family, and I refuse to care about anything else.
Candy sees me prepared and takes my hand. Cricket has her other hand, and Chipper holds onto his sister. Together, we are an unstoppable team with only one goal. To eat a lot of overpriced food, stand in long fucking lines for silly rides, and embrace the cheesiness children love.
THIRTY SEVEN - CANDY
If not for our reservation, we likely wouldn’t have gotten a table. The restaurant is packed when we arrive. I know Hayes hates these crowded spots, and he’s likely sick of so many people. He shows none of his annoyance, though.
Standing over everyone around him, Hayes owns this place as he does everywhere we go. I love how people move out of his way. When they try to hold their ground, he gives them a look that gets their asses moving. Well, except for the little old ladies near our table. He patiently waits for them to pass us with their walkers.