And They Lived Happily Ever After
The whole weekend was not going how Marcus and Abby had expected it to go. Moving Clarke into her tiny dorm room at college was no one’s definition of a good time, but it was supposed to be simple. Then Abby had made it into their single family vacation of the year and Bellamy and Octavia, who were Marcus’s adopted children, would be joining them. Marcus protested, claiming that Bellamy and Octavia would have no interest in helping their step-sister move into a tiny room that barely fit her bed. And then he realized why both Abby and the kids wanted it to be their yearly vacation.
Clarke was going to college in Orlando.
Orlando was the one place Marcus Kane adamantly refused to spend time. He had no desire to parade through an overpriced theme park and stand in line all day. He would rather go camping or visit a big city (or electrocute himself, honestly). “Florida Beach” sounded nice, “Disney World” did not.
But he had never taken Octavia or Bellamy, which made them want it even more, and Abby was apparently a huge Disney nut and had been since childhood. While Marcus had spent his childhood in the woods behind his house or at his grandfather’s cabin, Abby had spent her childhood traveling the world with her parents and seeing everything an up-and-coming young woman wanted to see.
So he had been hopelessly outnumbered when they had taken a family vote. They were going to Orlando.
Planning had become a nightmare. Moving Clarke in was already enough of a hassle on it’s own. She had to figure out how she was getting everything to her dorm and what she was bringing versus her roommate. They had to figure out, as a family, how they were getting to Orlando with all of Clarke’s things. Everything would not fit in one car with everyone loaded in, which meant they would have to drive two cars or fly down while someone (read: Marcus) drove.
Of course, Marcus and Abby (well, not really Abby) managed to create a vague guideline of the trip and what each member of the family had to do before they could leave.
The day of departure, things changed a little. Octavia and Bellamy had spiraled down the argument rabbit hole and were refusing to speak to each other. So Marcus’s solo trip turned into a boys trip, while Abby drove the girls and the other car.
He didn’t mind having Bellamy along as his passenger. They got along well, shared similar tastes, and had the same philosophy on road trips (GET IT DONE!). The girls on the other hand did not share the same mentality, so when they pulled into the hotel to receive a text saying, “ Stuck in traffic, will be there in an hour or so. Love you!” Marcus wasn’t surprised.
Moving Clarke into her room wasn’t too bad either. He and Bellamy carried the heavy objects in, then got out of the way of the girls. They managed to catch a campus tour, which was simultaneously entertaining, enlightening, and exhausting (at least to Marcus, Bellamy wasn’t too into it but it meant not being in a room with his sister, so he wasn’t going to complain).
The girls still weren’t done setting up the room when they got back from the tour, so Marcus was once again sent off with Bellamy, this time in search of pizza. As they sat in the restaurant, waiting for their order, Bellamy struck up a conversation.
“So, why do you hate Disney World?”
“I don’t hate Disney…”
“Well, you’re only here because we made you come.”
“I came to help move Clarke in.”
“Marcus Kane, you know what I mean.”
“No I don’t, Bellamy Blake. Enlighten me.”
“You have been a grump this entire time. You were no help planning or packing and you’re avoiding every conversation we have about the parks. So, what is your deal?”
“Its stupid,” Marcus grumbled.
“Well, I’m stupid so I'm sure I’ll understand.”
Marcus looked up. “Bellamy, you are not stupid. Just because you decided not to go to some fancy, big college doesn’t mean you’re not smart.”
“That was a joke and you’re just trying to avoid explaining yourself.”
Marcus huffed and opened his mouth to respond when a disheveled teenager stepped out with two large boxes.
“Uh, a large meat lover and a vegetarian for…” he glanced down at the paper, “...Mark?”
Marcus jumped out of his seat and scrambled for the pizza, eager to escape the conversation. Bellamy followed him with a sigh.
They rode back to the hotel in silence and pulled up just in time to meet the girls, who were sweaty, hungry, and tired from the organizing. They had met Clarke’s roommate Raven, and next door neighbors, Harper and Monroe. This was shared as they devoured their food and watched some stupid animated Disney movie (WHY?, Marcus complained to himself, did it have to be a cheesy Disney movie).
Things only got worse when Clarke and Octavia began to loudly discuss their plans over the television. Abby and Bellamy would occasionally chime in with something they wanted to add to the intimidatingly full schedule. Marcus sat bad in mystified horror wondering what he had gotten himself into as the girls laid out everything they wanted to do.
That night, after Bellamy had slunk off to the couch and Clarke and Octavia were snoring, he laid in bed with Abby curled up next to him. She rubbed her face sleepily into his side and looked up at him.
“Is there anything you want to do, Marcus?” She asked softly. Uncertain of what to say, he grunted softly in response. Abby sat up a little, evidently more awake than he gave her credit for. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. I'm just…” he rubbed his face, clearing the long wisps from in front of his eyes. “Never mind, it’s stupid.”
“What is it?” Abby asked.
“I know this sounds silly, but I’m nervous. There's going to be so many people there and a lot of screaming kids. And what if something happens to one of our kids. Bellamy is a boy and he’s used to crowded situations but the girls… I’m worried they’ll get separated or something will happen to one of them or both of them and there will be nothing we can do to help them.” Marcus sighed.
Abby ran her hand down his face. “Hey, it’s alright to be nervous. But you have to trust our kids. The girls will stick together and Bellamy will stay with them. They’re smart and they know what to do if something happens,” Abby soothed.
“But what if…?”
“Marcus,” Abby said a little more forcefully, “did you know that Disney has plainclothes and uniformed officers all over their parks, who are trained in hand-to-hand combat, crowd control, and how to spot a person in distress? There are cameras everywhere and the cast members are trained in how to handle hazardous situations. There will be a lot of people there and there is no assurance that nothing will go wrong, but we have done everything we can to make this safe.”
“I’m still nervous.”
“And that’s okay. We will always worry for our kids, especially our girls. It’s a part of being parents. So is the anxiety of letting your kids have more freedom than you think you’re ready for. It’s a part of them growing up.”
“Are you sure you want to release our daughters into one of the world’s largest theme parks?”
“Yes.” Abby said confidently.
“And how do you feel about that?”
“Terrified.”
Their alarms went off obscenely early in the morning. Marcus was out of the shower and dressed before any of the others were out of bed. He returned with breakfast, an assortment of pastries, and coffee, to find the others finally dressed and ready to go. They ate on a crowded bus on their way to the Magic Kingdom. Marcus let the girls lead, hanging back and following their lead. He endured the long waits, the overpriced food, and the tacky souvenirs that the girls were infatuated with.
He did have to commend Abby. As a woman of many talents, she was an expert at planning and executing a Disney trip. They were able to get through a surprising number of rides and see nearly every show on their first day. Marcus had no idea how they would sustain the pace through the whole trip.
That night, while the kids played in the pool, Abby turned to him with a sly smile. “So, I was thinking...”
“Yes?”
“You seemed to trust the girls to go off on their own this morning. And they were very conscious about check in times and being smart.”
Marcus’s stomach dropped. “What are you saying?”
“The girls don’t want to go to Epcot tomorrow. They want to spend another day in the Magic Kingdom. I talked to Bellamy and he volunteered to go with the girls and give us a day to do whatever we want. Without having to work around the girls.”
“Abby…”
“Marcus, do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you trust Bellamy?”
“Yes...”
“Do you trust the girls?”
“Yes, but Abby this is a big step.”
“We’re about to leave Clarke in Orlando all by herself.”
“Don’t remind me,” Marcus groaned.
“My point is, this will be a test run. They’re both nearly adults. They can handle it.” Abby put her hand up to stop Marcus’s protest. “And if they can’t, Belleamy will be there.”
Marcus sighed, then nodded cautiously. “Okay.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Check in times will still happen, but I am going to suppress my fears and do it.”
Abby grinned. “The girls are going to love you.”
The next morning, Marcus found himself waving to the kids as they boarded a bus and took off away from him. Abby held his hand and smiled beside him. As the kids disappeared around the turn, Abby turned to him.
“So, how do you feel?”
“Freaking out a little, but it will go away.” He felt his stomach drop again, so he changed the subject. “So you said you wanted to go to Epcot?”
“Yep,” Abby pointed off in the distance. “And that's the bus?”
They managed to secure seats on the bus and Abby leaned her head against his shoulder as they rode. She looked up at him, smiling contently. “I have a surprise for you.”
“You do?” Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow. “And what is it?”
“A surprise, Marcus. And telling you now would just defeat the purpose of it.”
“Not even a hint?”
“No.”
Marcus leaned away, looking down at Abby. “Abby, this better not be anything too fancy. I don’t need some crazy expensive dinner or plastic souvenirs. I just want to spend time with you…”
“Marcus, I promise you it will be something you’ll enjoy.” Abby giggled. “Just relax. You’ll see it when we get there.”
“It? It’s an it?” Abby smiled coyly. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
Hopping off the bus at their final stop, Abby took his hand and led them into the park. She dragged him past the big ball and off to the right. They passed crowds, water features, and bathrooms, making a beeline for something. Abby pulled him to a Nemo themed area and he stopped.
“Abby, I hate this movie. It is the most annoying movie ever. Octavia made me watch is a million times when she was little and, so help me God, I will go insane if I have to watch it again.”
“I thought you liked fish?”
“Not the obnoxious ones.”
Abby laughed. “We’re not going in there. We’re going around the corner.”
Abby led him around the corner and past the ride to a set of sliding glass doors. “Okay, get ready.”
“For what?!”
Abby dragged him through the doors and into a cavernous room. It was still early, so the space was nearly empty with the exceptions of a few waddling toddlers and their guardians. All around them were an assortment of aquariums, ranging from watercooler size to a monstrous floor to ceiling wall. Abby squeezed his hand twice.
“Welcome to the second largest aquarium in the United States!”
Marcus gaped. “How did you…?”
“Octavia mentioned it to me when it came up in her research. She said you loved aquariums and would take the two of them whenever you could. So I thought you might enjoy this one.” He drifted off towards the shark area with her close behind. “Oh, and I have another surprise!”
“Abby,” Marcus went defensive again, “this is more than enough.”
“Shut up. I booked us a reservation for the restaurant on the other side of the building. We have a table up against the glass. But that’s not for a few more hours, so we can do whatever you want until then. The only thing we have planned other than that is meeting the kids for fireworks at the Magic Kingdom at 8.”
Much to Marcus’s surprise, Abby seemed happy to let him drag her to all the sights and regale her with his aquatic knowledge. He was the same way at lunch, hypnotized by the fish swimming by their table. The trance was only interrupted by a text.
From least favorite child (Octavia): So, how did you like your surprise
-You knew?
From least favorite child (Octavia): I put it together
-This is why you’re my least favorite child <3
From least favorite child (Octavia): Is that a heart? So cute
From least favorite child (Octavia): Also, thanks for giving us free reign
-You better not make me regret it
From least favorite child (Octavia): I was planning on it. Gotta go. Love u
-Stay safe, love you too
The surprise kept Marcus in a pleasant mood all day. He even humored Abby in her adventure through the world showcase and indulged her eat-around-the-world plan (they had unanimously vetoed drink-around-the-world, which sounded like a very expensive hangover). He tried the dried crickets (not his thing), the gelato (a solid choice for a hot day), a pumpkin spice pretzel (just plain ew), and school bread (that had no right to be as good as it was). He ate more than he could handle, but it made Abby happy and any way he could repay her was good for him. They took the monorail to meet the kids and Marcus turned back to the train loving little boy he was as a child (“It's an elevated train, Abby! We have to take the train!”).
That evening, as they sat in the grass waiting for the fireworks crowd to dissipate, Marcus turned to Abby.
“You know, maybe Disney isn’t so bad.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah. Maybe I just haven’t had the right people to go with before. It can be kind of fun.”
“Would it be more fun if we rode the skyliner tomorrow?”
“Yes!” Abby laughed at the eager response. Marcus let out a chuckle of his own. “In all seriousness. This has been a great trip so far.”
“Oh yeah?”
“But I could think of one thing to make it better.” Marcus cupped Abby’s face and kissed her. The kiss deepened, but was broken when a bright light flashed behind them.
“Clarke, what the hell?!” Bellamy’s face was tomato red. “I said no flash.”
“And you ruined the moment!” Octavia chimed in helpfully.
“Well, they ruined the picture…”
“Hey!” Abby protested.
“...but I think I got a good one before they moved.”
Wiping the grass off himself, Marcus stood and helped Abby up. “Next time, make sure your photography is a little more considerate.” He pulled Clarke in a little closer and whispered, “Make sure you send that to me.”
“I’ll edit it first.”
He flashed her a thumbs up then turned to the group. “So what do we do now?”
“Last one to space mountain is a rotten egg!” Octavia shouted, barely finishing before she took off. They lost Bellamy and Clarke to the crowd as they followed close behind, leaving the adults alone.
“And she wonders why she’s the least favorite.”
Abby tucked herself into his side. “So, are you happy?”
“Yes.” Marcus replied. “And now, I’ve got a surprise for you when we get home.”
“Oh! What is it?”
Marcus smiled coyly. “A surprise.”
Days later, Abby’s heart filled with joy when she spotted two new pictures in their house. One was a laughing family of five in front of the Epcot ball. The other was the silhouette of a castle and two lovers, with a frame that read “And they lived happily ever after…”