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“I said, don’t peek!” Dale put his hand over my eyes. “Bad girl.”
I stuck my tongue out at him but I don’t know if he saw me. The cabbie had the air conditioner on—it was August in Florida at nine a.m. and already ninety degrees. I think I started sweating the minute I stepped off the plane.
“Can I at least guess?” I asked. I was trying to think of what it might be but was drawing a blank.
“Shh.” Dale kissed the top of my head. “Take a nap. You were strung so tight on the plane I thought you were going to snap in two.”
“How do you know? You were sleeping!”
“I just know.” He peeked under his hand and I blinked up at him. “Close those pretty eyes and go to sleep.”
I was tired—he was right, I’d been so tense on the plane I practically jumped out of my seat every time we hit a little bump. I knew, statistically, I had been safer in the plane than I was now in the taxi, but for some reason my body didn’t like that logic. I relaxed against Dale, leaving my eyes closed, and did just what he told me.
I drifted off.
“Sara?”
Dale’s voice woke me. He sat up fully, taking me with him as I opened my eyes, stretching and yawning before I remembered.
“Where are we?”
“I wanted you to see.” He pointed out the cabbie’s front window and I blinked, clearing my still-fuzzy vision.
I looked up at the sign spanning the freeway just as we passed underneath it.
“Walt Disney World?” I blinked at him, a half-smile already on my lips. “You’re kidding me? Walt Disney World?”
“I know it’s for kids, but you never got to go.” He shrugged, looking sheepish. “I thought we could go be kids for the day.”
“Walt Disney World!” I squealed, throwing my arms around him and bursting into tears at the same time.
“Hey!” Dale looked alarmed, pulling back to look at me. “Are you okay?”
“I just…” I was crying so hard, my voice was halted and hitched in my chest. “Never… thought… I never… got… to go…”
“I told you I was going to give you everything you ever wanted.” Dale cupped my wet teary face in his hands, kissing each cheek “And I meant it.”
I threw my arms around him again, still crying, but they were happy tears.
“Here.” The cabbie handed back a Kleenex box, taking one for himself and dabbing at his eyes.
“Thanks,” I sniffed, wiping my wet face as we approached the gates.
“I’ve made this drive a hundred times, Miss,” the cabbie said as he pulled over to let us off. “From first timers to cancer kids, I’ve dropped them right here—and this is the only time someone’s actually made me cry. Damnit.”
He reached back for the Kleenex and I handed him the box. I saw his name on the visor and a little jolt when through me. His name was Benjamin Grouse. Ben.
“Thank you.” I didn’t know if I was thanking the cabbie or Dale but they both said, “You’re welcome.”
“You have the time of your life!” the cabbie called, rolling down the passenger side window so we could hear him as we climbed out of the back seat. I asked Dale if we should pay, but he said Chelsea had taken care of it.
“We should give him something…” I opened my purse and leaned down to hand him two dollars.
“Thanks, Ben.”
“Thank yourself, lil miss.” He smiled, dropping me a wink. I wasn’t sure what that meant but the feeling came through all the same. “You stay all the way to the end, for the fireworks. It’s a helluva show.”
“We will.” I gave him a little wave and moved back as he pulled away from the curb.
