All Aboard Andi's Dream Ch. 01

"We will start boarding with anyone who needs extra time..."

Paul had to nudge Andi to get her to close her laptop and get ready to board.

"Any newlyweds traveling with twins, please board now, any newlyweds traveling with twins..."

The people waiting to board chuckled at the announcements, but Sandy and Madeline left their parents behind and walked onto the jetway, pulling their carry-on bags and wearing their shades, their noses in the air like they owned the airline. As the embarrassed couple had their boarding passes checked, the flight attendant said, "Ernie and Mary Kraft say bon voyage."

Andi probably didn't hear because she was scrambling after Sandy and Madeline, but Paul did. "Pardon?" he asked.

"Ernie and Mary Kraft say bon voyage," repeated one of the attendants, and then she pointed over her shoulder to the passenger assistance desk behind her. Over there was one of Ernie and Mary's granddaughters, waving to Paul. Was that one Gwen or Sarah? Paul could never keep them straight. He waved back and thanked the attendants, then dashed to catch up with his bride. Paul didn't think that Ernie was the kind to pull a gag like this. 'Well played Ernie', he thought.

The family had first class seating, and it was decided that Paul and Madeline would sit on one side of the aisle, Sandy and Andi on the other. The twins complained about the seating, but Andi played the parent card and sat the two on separate sides of the aisle with a separate parent each "because I say so." Actually, it was the airline that didn't want the two toddlers seated side by side without a parent at hand. Both twins refused window seats. They wanted to sit in the aisle to be nearer her sister.

All through loading, the twins looked at each other. The agony of their separation was painted plainly on their faces, their eyes filled with tears. Occasionally, little hands would reach across the aisle for each other. Silently fat tears crept down their faces to collect on quivering chins.

Their silent suffering broke the hearts of the entire cabin crew, and the flight attendant tried to cheer them up, but Sandy and Madeline's world didn't include anyone but their sister at this moment. "They're so pitiful," said the flight attendant as she handed Andi a glass of cranberry juice and a small bottle of vodka. "How old are they?"

Andi looked at her suffering babies, and her heart ached for them. "They just turned five in November," she said as she sipped the cranberry juice and slid the bottle into her purse.

"Oh my gosh, I would have guessed three, maybe early four. Preemies?" and she sat another bottle of vodka on Andi's tray table. Andi looked at the bottle and picked it up while the flight attendant said, "from one twin mom to another."

Andi smiled and said, "Thank you. They were born at 28 weeks, they're never apart." Andi upended the vodka into her cranberry juice.

Boarding was complete, and the passengers were settling down and buckling in, but the twins were reaching out to each other, the flight attendants could barely look at them, their tiny sad faces and their big tear-filled eyes... finally, a fellow in a uniform walked slowly down the aisle and stopped at where the twins were reaching out to each other. He stood there until they looked up at him in terror. He tipped his hat back and crouched down and asked, "What's wrong here, you two? I can't fly this big old metal bird with sad little girls onboard." Both girls looked like they were going to run away screaming in terror. Eventually, Sandy whispered something. "I didn't hear you honey, what did you say?" the man asked.

"Use your words," encouraged Andi.

"My sister is sad. She should sit with me," said Sandy bravely.

The man with the fancy uniform and the shiny metal wings smiled. "Well, when we take off, we like to have all parents sit with their girl, so they don't get scared. You need to help your mama, and your sister has to help your papa. Once we get up in the air, you two can sit together. Is that ok?"

Tear filled twins nodded slowly.

"Good, would you like some coffee, or wine, or maybe a juice box?"

"Juice box please," they softly chimed, unsure of what this man was getting at.

The man took two sets of wings out of his pocket and showed them to the girls. "You're on my crew now, and I like a happy crew. Copy?" He waited for them to acknowledge what he said, then he handed the wings to Andi and Paul. "Mom and Dad can perform the pinning on ceremony once we're airborne, ok?"

A steward appeared and handed the captain two juice boxes, straws already inserted, and the captain handed them to the twins. "Are we good? Can we head to Florida now?" The girls each gave him a thumbs up as they sipped their juice and he smiled. "Good. I'll let the tower know we're ready to go." And he rose, spoke to the steward, and entered the cockpit.

The steward leaned over Sandy and said to Andi, "If you would like, after we reach altitude, you can swap seats," and she pointed toward Madeline.

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

Not long later, the airplane pulled on to the runway and started its take-off roll. When they flew from Denver to Buffalo, the twins were seated side by side with their mother in the aisle seat. Back then, they were together and busy with their stuffies and their baby stuffies and they were isolated from the trip. They had the bulkhead to their right, and their mom to the left, and seat backs in front and behind them; they were blocked in safely. Now they're hanging out over the aisle and are part of the aircrew. This was scary stuff.

Finally, the aircraft reached altitude and Madeline found her seat belt was released. She didn't know or care who released her, she just knew she was free, and she practically dove across the aisle. She scrambled up onto Sandy's seat and the twins hugged, rocking from side to side. While they were reunited, Andi got up from her seat and stepped out into the aisle. "Ok, you two, if you're going to sit like this, you both have to wear your seat belts."

"Awww mom!"

"Do you want the captain to come out and take those wings back?"

"Oh kayyy,"

Andi strapped Madeline in, then she sat down with Paul, who was reading a newspaper. She set up her laptop and started checking a few things; she logged into her bank and checked her accounts, then sat up in shock. She refreshed the screen, and the information was the same. Andi looked at her disinterested husband. "Honey?"

"Yes, dear?"

"It says here that my student loans have a zero balance."

"Isn't that odd..." Paul turned the page to see what the sportswriters were saying about the Bill's chances next year.

"It looks like a payment for the full amount was made on the 26^th."

"You don't say... Looks like everyone in the NFL has decided that the Bills need better receivers."

Andi put her finger on Paul's cheek and made him turn his head toward her. "Would you like to know how that makes me feel?"

"Tell me," he said.

"Let me show you," she whispered huskily in his ear, then she pointed over to the twins, who were sound asleep, leaning on each other, their heads touching. "Safe, secure, and loved." She gave him a kiss, "Thank you so much," then she lay down, put her head on his lap, curled up and went to sleep.

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ORLANDO!

If Paul and Andi had decided to turn around and go home after landing in Orlando, the twins would have been happy. They thought the Orlando airport was incredible and the highlight of the trip. The twins weren't excited about the long walk from the airplane through the terminal, but when they got to the train station, they suddenly realized they were in paradise. They could see palm trees through the enormous windows and there was a little train waiting for them. Stepping into the section where you board the little train, they could feel the muggy Florida heat. Madeline turned and yelled, "Mom! It's summer!"

Paul and Andi hauled their carry-on luggage and the twin's car seats onto the train and slumped down in their seats. They looked at each other and sighed. "We made it this far, old man." She held her hand up for a high five. As he patted her hand, she said, "This was the easy part."

"I was afraid of that."

The twins ran from side to side of the train car, looking out of the windows, and it wasn't until they neared the main terminus that they noticed that they were in front looking out of the front window and there was no driver on the train. "Who is driving?" demanded Sandy. "There has to be somebody driving."

"There's nobody driving," explained Paul. "The whole train is a giant robot and the only thing it knows how to do is go back and forth, even if no one is riding."

"That's just silly," scowled Madeline. "where are its eyes? Where is its mouth?" with the absolute certainty that all robots have eyes and mouths.

"Maybe they are at the other end of the train. Maybe it's going backwards and you're looking out of his butt!" grinned Paul.

Madeline smacked her hand down on Paul's knee. "That's just silly! You can't look out a robot's butt!"

"What?" demanded Sandy, who wasn't paying attention.

"Poppa says we're looking out of a robot's butt!"

"You can't do that; everybody knows you can't look out of a robot's butt!" said Sandy with absolute certainty.

"Robots don't have windows in their butts!" agreed Madeline.

"Silly Poppa!" And with that they went back to watching out the front window as they approached the main terminal.

"Silly Poppa," scolded Andi with a smile.

"Hey, they stopped worrying that we don't have a driver," grinned Paul.

"You're settling into this Poppa job pretty well," said Andi with a little kiss.

"Aww," said an older woman, who watched the twins explore the small train car. "They're adorable!"

"They're slowly becoming Poppa's girls," said Andi, as she leaned her head on Paul's shoulder.

"Is this your first trip to Orlando?" asked the older woman.

"Not mine, but it is theirs," said Paul, indicating with his finger that he was talking about Andi and the twins.

"We're on a Family Honeymoon," said Andi. "We just got married," she said as she kissed Paul.

"And I adopted her girls... our girls," said Paul.

"We're going to Mickie's house!" cried Madeline, throwing herself on Paul's leg.

"Are you! What are you going to do when you get there?" asked the lady as Sandy sat down cross-legged in front of her.

Madeline jumped off of Paul's leg and sat next to Sandy. and they began listing their anticipated adventures, starting with a planned tea party with Ella and Anna. Paul and Andi scooped the twins up as Paul reminded Madeline, "You don't even like tea."

"But I like parties!" she said just before Paul started tickling her tummy, causing her to squeal and giggle.

"Ok you guys, we're coming into the terminal. Time to settle down."

"Oh Kayyyyyy," moaned the twins as they attempted to calm down.

"I must say, for a first-time dad, you're doing a good job," said the woman as she corralled her carry on and prepared for the train to stop.

"Told ya!" whispered Andi, with a nudge to Paul's ribs.

Soon the train came to a stop, and the doors opened automatically. The girls stepped into the main Orlando terminal, ready for their vacation to begin. It took a few moments for them to recognize it, but the twins had come face to face with the largest Christmas tree they have ever seen. The tree is forty feet tall and covered with 44,000 lights, surrounded by a ring of palm trees all decorated for Christmas. They stood at the base of the behemoth and gaped in awe at the majesty of the tree. Then they noticed that the great room they were standing in was ringed by six stories of hotel suites. Some of the hundreds of balconies had people sitting and watching the parade of people far below. Sandy and Madeline started waving at the people on the balconies, but no one waved back.

Then they saw it, the Mecca for five-year-old girls: the Disney souvenir store. Their sharp little five-year-old eyes saw Disney Princesses, Disney Superheroes, and Disney Cartoon characters, and their little transmissions dropped into drive immediately. They were three steps into their sprint for Disney treasures when they were snagged by their parents. "Hold on you two," ordered Poppa.

"We have to get our bags and our car first," said Momma.

Madeline pointed at the store shelves that were calling to them, "But...!"

"That's for people who are leaving," said Poppa. "We're going to Mickie's house, and they have much nicer stuff there." Big puppy eyes filled with tears, lower lips pouting out, tiny chins quivering... Paul was putty in their hands. "We can look, but we will save our buying for Mickies House."

"KAY!" and they were gone. There was nothing but a vapor trail leading to the Disney store. "They own you now. You know that, right?" said Andi, as they tried to catch up with the girls.

In the store, the twins gasped in awe at the multitudes of Anna and Ella stuff. Of course, they wanted everything, but they were handicapped by parents that were raised poor and didn't believe in splurging. After about ten minutes of looking, Paul said, "Ok girls, we have to go get our baggage or they're going to give your clothes away."

"Oh Kayyyyy," moaned the twins, and they reluctantly followed their parents to the baggage claim.

From the little trains that take you to the main terminal, to the giant Christmas tree, to the hotel balconies overlooking the terminal, to the huge Disney store, they had a great time at the airport. Even collecting baggage was fun. They got to chase their suitcases around the baggage carousel until Poppa grabbed them. But then they stepped outside, and it was so warm! The sun had set, yet it was still warm! When the sun sets in Denver and in Buffalo, it gets cold, but here in Florida it stays warm. This was odd and magical to the girls.

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Welcome Home

"Ok, honey, I'm going to need some help navigating here," said Paul as they threaded their way through the central Florida wetlands in their rented SUV. The roads to their destination were both well marked and confusing as hell at the same time. Their resort, Shades of Green, isn't part of the Disney resort system, but it used to be, so signage was there directing them to their destination, but there was not as much signage as the pure Disney resorts. To get to their resort, it appeared that they were headed to the Magic Kingdom, but they were just cutting through a corner of the Magic Kingdom's main parking lot. Finally, with a lot of help from Andi and her paper maps, Google Maps, Waze, and the road signs they found themselves on a road with Christmas decorations hanging from the streetlamp poles, every decoration was an illuminated tin soldier. They turned on to another road and came to a military style guard shack in the middle of the road that had a barrier with a stop sign which blocked their forward progress.

A uniformed guard stepped out of the shack and in a jovial voice said, "Good afternoon folks, welcome home! I need to see your ID cards." Paul handed his military ID to the guard who regarded it, then turned to Andi. "ID please?"

"Sorry," she said and handed the guard her driver's license.

"Do you have military ID?" said the guard as he handed back the card.

Andi looked at Paul, confused, but Paul just smiled. "This is a military installation; they want to see your military ID."

Andi said, "I don't have a... oh wait," then she remembered the new peach colored military dependent's ID card in her wallet. Because she isn't active duty, it didn't occur to her to think of it as a military ID. "Sorry, I'm new to this," she said, blushing. It took some work to get the card out because she slid it into a tight pocket so it wouldn't get lost, and she had to fight it out of her wallet. She handed that to the guard who regarded the card and noticed that it was a brand-new card. "Newlyweds?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," she answered shyly. "Three days."

He handed the card back and with a huge smile said, "Congratulations, Colonel, Ma'am, and welcome home." He stepped back to the guard shack and, as the arm blocking their path, raised and saluted Paul sharply. Paul, Sandy, and Madeline returned the salute and drove on to the hotel.

Shades of Green used to be a Disney owned and operated golf course and country club, but the odd rules that Disney used to determine membership automatically spelled its failure. It was purchased by AFRC, Armed Forces Recreation Centers, who have rest and recreation centers in Hawaii, Seoul Korea, and Bavaria, Germany. It's a home away from home base for military active duty, retired, veterans, and their dependents.

"This is beautiful!" gasped Andi as they approached the main building, and she was right, AFRC works extremely hard to present exhausted GIs with a place of beauty where they can relax with their loved ones.

They stopped at the main entrance and got out. The Bell Captain stepped up and shook Paul's hand. "Welcome home! Just checking in? Need a hand with your luggage?"

"Thank you, yes sir," said Paul.

"When you get your room number, let me know the number and I'll get your luggage to your room." The smiling Bell Captain and an assistant were fast and efficient, and they emptied their rented SUV and stacked the bags on a cart while Paul and Andi led the girls inside.

Paul and his girls walked into the lobby and stopped at the registration desk. "Checking in?"

"Yes ma'am," said Paul and the girl behind the counter began the checking in process which included a long briefing as she gave Paul and Andi maps to navigate the multiple buildings, restaurants, athletic center, golf courses, swimming pools and the BX and Commissary.

The registration process took more time than Paul was used to, but this is a large resort and there was a lot to learn, and Andi had her hands full keeping an eye on the girls. The lobby had a gigantic Christmas tree reaching 25 feet up to the vaulted roof, a massive fireplace, huge comfortable chairs, a waterfall, a coffee kiosk, and an ice cream vendor. Once the paperwork was completed with a cheery "Welcome Home" Paul went out to park the car, and shortly the Bell Captain arrived in the lobby with a cart full of Jarecki luggage. and he led Andi and the twins to their room.

The suite was large and comfy. It was a studio with a living room, kitchenette and dining area, and a bedroom. The couch was a futon and was going to be for the girls while the honeymooners got the bedroom. The suite featured a patio that was just feet from the huge horseshoe-shaped swimming pool and not far away was the Mill Pool, which was the children's swimming pool. Finally, the Bell Captain extended his hand, not for a tip, but to shake Andi's hand. "I understand you're a gold star daughter. Thank you."

"My mom always gets a gold star," insisted Sandy, thinking of the gold stars her mom gives them for completing their schoolwork and finishing their chores.

"No, he's talking about my father, Grandpa Dan." Andi always insured that the twins were filled with stories of Dan Roberts, her dad. "Thank you," she said. "I only wish the girls had met him."

Paul showed up just then as the bell captain hung a gold star on their door. "I was told that you requested we didn't put the second gold star up," said the Bell Captain.

Paul's expression went ice cold. "She didn't die with honor," was all he said as he entered the room. He was still angry over his wife's death that was caused by her infidelity.