Cherish and Simon- the First Year

by Eva Morian

  He caught on to how she felt. He she would never let herself step foot onto something that expensive and caught onto him. He saw similarities between her and his mother,

  She looked down at the screen again, "Which airport is it?" She asked.

  “Tampa International.” He answered placing the car into drive and following the path.

  After a busy, traffic filled ride, they arrived at the airport and rolled into the rental car return wing. With the kids loaded up in the stroller, the rolling bags with the women and the heavier ones with the men, the large family returned the car and strolled through the parking garage towards the elevators.

  Cherish clenched her jaw together as they all squeezed in and went down to the terminal. She glanced up at Simon and cleared her throat, "I guess now is a bad time to say this is my first plane ride and that I'm terrified, right?" She whispered.

  Simon met her gaze. Despite her confession, he didn’t seem surprised and simply nodded. With all she’d told him about her life, he figured that her mom or Todd never gave her the luxury to travel. Still, he nudged against her since his arms were full and tried to bring her comfort, “That’s normal. I brought Dramamine, gum, and neck pillows. Don’t worry, I’ll show you what to do.” He whispered in response. He figured none of those items would assist with her fear, but at least they were travel aids meant to help.

  Cherish smiled and nudged him back, “Thanks.” She replied. Nodding, Simon made her think that he knew what he was doing. He didn’t.

  Simon Sr. watched them from the corner of the elevator and noted, as everyone else did, how protective his son was of Cherish and they all had their fingers crossed.

  After getting their bags checked, their tickets distributed, and through security, Cherish took in all the sights of the airport. The little expensive shops were illuminated, and the terminal hall smelled of strong coffee and sweets. Once at the terminal, she strolled over to the window and looked at the behemoth that was supposed to take them to Colorado. They expected that thing to fly?

  Cherish stared at it silently while the parents and Simon waited or watched the people. Soon their seats were called, and Simon brought her on to first class with him and the others. The walkways were far narrower than she thought they would be, and it stunk. She smiled at the pilots and flight attendants before they loaded their items and sat down. She instantly went for the seatbelts only to find that they simply went over her lap. Cherish's eyes widened before she looked at Simon again, "H-how is this supposed to save our lives if we go down?" She whispered.

  Her nerves were locked and only grew worse when the door shut after the last traveler. The pilot switched on the prerecorded messaged that went over the safety protocols and warnings. By the time the part with the oxygen mask came, Cherish was in a full-on panic. What the hell had she gotten herself into? Passing out? Low oxygen? The seats were flotation devices? She wanted to cancel the trip and go home, but before she could do anything the plane began to taxi.

  Oh no.

  Simon had his eye on Cherish as her courage steadily declined. Reaching over, he took her hand and grabbed her attention. His hold was firm, and he gave her an assuring nod while leaning into her ear, “I promise nothing will happen.” He stated boldly. Cherish clenched her jaw, gripped his hand, and nodded. Taking out a package of gum, he unwrapped a piece for her and held it out, “Chew on this.” He said.

  Jasmine reached out and pinched the gum from Simon’s fingers. Cherish quickly took it from her, “Thank you!” she said in a sing-song tone causing the little girl to clap her hands. Her arm tightened around her daughter’s body as she bit down on her bottom lip. She glanced around at the other seasoned travelers. Everyone was calm, the cabin was quiet as were the kids. She took deep, calming breaths to soothe herself. Jasmine chewed on her soother while Jr. snoozed away on Miriam’s chest.

  After a few minutes, the plane jerked to a stop, and the pilot’s voice echoed over the speaker, “Attendants prepare for take-off.”

  Cherish rolled her lips in as her eyes rolled shut and her head fell back. Her breath was hitched as the plane geared up and jerked into action. She quickly laced her fingers with Simon’s and held onto him tightly. Jasmine’s body fell back against her mother’s chest and stared ahead with a widened gaze. Her head rolled to the side and she stared up at her father with confusion. The trays rattled from the turbulence and the strength of the engine, “Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck.” Cherish muttered to herself while viciously chomping on the gum.

  After a few harrowing minutes, they were coasting nicely and Cherish felt as though she could finally breathe. The seatbelt light shut off with a ding which she did not heed. Simon took a full breath and turned to her, “So, how was your first time?” he asked.

  Looking at him dully, She didn’t bother to answer because the look of deceit and torture was written all over her face. Now, she would have preferred being cramped in a van with them for over twenty-four hours than go through that again. Her silence was loud and clear which only caused Simon to quickly turn the other way.

  Looking forward, she released his hand and shook her head slowly from one side to the other. Jasmine leaned over in her mother’s hold and placed both hands on Simon’s arm. She pulled herself into his lap. Cherish waited until he had a firm hold on her and glanced back at Jr. on Miriam’s chest; unphased. Blowing out, she watched as Margaret crossed one leg over the other and leaned into her husband’s side; whispering. They both held contented smiles on their faces as she pointed out of the window. Jack grunted to himself before he leaned over and kissed his wife on the side of her head. Silently, he crossed his arms and grabbed one of the attendants for a pillow.

  Cherish faced forward again and bounced her leg. The whole atmosphere in the plane was one she’d never experienced before. It felt weird; out of place. Clearing her throat, she leaned into Simon again, “How long is this flight?” she asked.

  Simon reached out and tapped the screen on the back of the seat in front of them. He turned on the map function with showed the path they would take and where the plane was, “Three hours and forty-two minutes remaining.”

  “Oh, lovely. I’ll count down the seconds of impending doom.” She muttered rubbing across her face.

  Simon tried to remain optimistic for her, “Have you thought about going skiing with me? I know you said, “I’ll think about it.” to get me to leave you alone, but you really meant, “Nope. No way in hell, Simon.”. It might be something worth experiencing and I can teach you all I know oh grand, beautiful goddess.” He said blatantly in hopes of buttering her up. His mouth held a smirk and those pleading blue eyes caused his father to eavesdrop on them.

  Cherish’s gaze wandered over to Simon’s before she leaned against the back of the seat with a sigh. Jasmine patted across his chest with one hand and chewed on a teething ring with the other. She rolled her eyes and faked innocence, “Me? Beautiful? Oh, do go on.” She laughed.

  Simon held Jasmine’s little hand as he went on to feed into his little romanticized act, “Glorious and radiant. Think of how fascinating and glowing you’ll be with me. Dancing over snow in our skis with your hair flowing behind you in a tight-fitting ski suit.” He answered in an over the top fashion for.

  Cherish closed one eye and narrowed her eyebrows together, “Uhuh…mhm. Yes, wait…why does my ski suit have to be tight?” she asked. “Besides, won’t it be frigid, won’t I have to sit around and stay with the babies and make sure they don’t freeze to death?” she questioned.

  Simon paused at her obvious questions and tried to play cool and dignified, “Hey, whose fantasy is this? I have my reasons.” He replied.

  Cherish arched an eyebrow and nodded over exaggeratedly, “Oh, my bad, it’s a fantasy. I should have known. I think you have a problem since I found your Ghetto Booties Next Door: Volume One when I cleaned under the bed last weekend.” She answered.

  Simon Sr. had to bite his tongue and pretended to read one of the magazines. For a
moment, Simon felt as though he was baptized in frigid water and embarrassed that she’d found one of his dirtier secrets. He looked genuinely shocked and his face flushed all while Cherish smiled smugly in his direction. He rubbed the back of his neck before he tried to save face and reverted to answer Cherish’s second questions. He cupped his hand and blatantly said, “You won’t have to watch the kids. That’s what we brought those guys along for.” As he implied that the vacation was just for them, it was clear his aim was to get a rise out of someone.

  Sr. kicked the back of his son’s seat without comment causing him to laugh. Margaret narrowed her eyebrows together and followed suit with another swift kick. Cherish bit down on her bottom lip and began to laugh with him.

  Soon their laughter died down and the in-flight movie started. Jr. began to fuss and kick his pudgy feet because he woke up in a place he didn’t recognize. All he wanted was Cherish’s comfort. Crying out, Simon stood, took him from Miriam, and passed him over to Cherish.

  Trading seats in such a cramped space was less than ideal. Cherish tried her hardest to lean away from Simon as he brushed by and sat down; but not before she caught how Simon Sr. stared at them. Looking from side to side, she wet her lips before she sat down in the spot closest to the window and proceeded to cover herself from passengers’ eyes to feed Jr. She got comfortable against the window and shut her eyes.

  Now that he was a pro, it didn’t take Jr. long to be topped off. Simon followed up with melting snacks for he and Jasmine. How loud the plane was made these children less than pleased, but after a while Jasmine settled off the sleep and Jr. continuously pinched a puff and stuck it in his mouth.

  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 a good question.” She mumbled to herself. Without truly answering, she shrugged her shoulders softly which told Simon she didn’t celebrate anything; ever.

  He was left unsatisfied and it only made him want the vacation to be great for her first holiday. Deep down, he wanted her to experience all the great traditions he got to do as a child.

  Margaret squeezed her son’s shoulder before she slipped into the aisle and opened the compartments for their carry-on bags, “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but peanuts can only do so much and I’m starving!” she expressed.

  Cherish unhooked her seatbelt and lifted Jr. with a nod, “I have to pee more than anything else.” She said.

  Jack pointed towards the back, “Why didn’t you just go during the flight?” he asked.

  Miriam nudged her husband gently while Cherish licked her lips and smiled, “I was too busy wondering when we’d fall out of the sky to move, but now I’d love to make a stop.” She answered with a laugh.

  After gathering their items, they exited the plane and made their way into Denver International Airport. Margaret hooked her arms onto Miriam and waved t
o the boys, “You all handle the bags, Miriam and I will get the keys to our rental!” she called.

  Cherish sucked in a deep breath before handing Jr. to Simon and giving a wave, “I’ll meet up with you guys in a minute! I have to go!” she announced hurrying off and disappearing into the crowd.

  Simon stood with the twins in his arms while he waited with the other men for their luggage and car seats. They each held a significant weight now; especially his boy. Simon Sr., on the other hand, went ahead and gathered their bags with Jack’s help.

  Margaret signed off for a large van, alike to the one they returned in Florida, before she took her wallet and left with Miriam. The latter glanced meekly at the stronger and louder mother and gave her a simple tug on the arm. She wasn't flashy or someone who went out of the way to speak about how she felt; especially with a group. Margaret slowed her pace as Miriam said what she needed, "Thank you for this. It’s been hard for Jack and me these past months. We didn't know what to expect from you all once we returned home but you and your family have done everything to include us. To see Jr. and Jasmine is such a treat."

  Margaret inhaled a deep breath before she turned fully towards Miriam and gave her a strong hug, "You and Jack are our family. You are Simon's parents just like us. You both are lovely people. We want to surround ourselves and include you in everything that happens with those babies and our son. Don't you ever forget that." She expressed. Miriam's face flushed red as she nodded and wiped her eyes.

  Once the car seats were off the baggage carousel, Simon placed the babies into their carriers and strapped them in. Setting each by the bags, he kept an eye on them.

  The wives waited a few minutes for Miriam to regain her composure before they rounded the corner and met the men. Miriam stood beside her husband while Margaret arched an eyebrow and spoke to her son, "Where is Cherish?" She asked.

  In an instant, Simon started to worry as he looked around in a circle, “She’s in the bathroom, but it’s been a while.” He muttered wondering if she was lost. He then motioned to the babies, “Watch them, I’m going to find her.” He said.