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"You were the one who couldn't decide which bathing suit to bring," Madison replies smoothly. "You were all, 'do you think Landon will like this one or this one'?"
"I was not!" Kyra says hotly.
Maddy and I crack up, then high-five each other.
"Oh, so that's how it is?" Kyra says, although she's chuckling now too. "You two against me?"
"No comment," Maddy says with a grin.
The plane is right on time, so we board without any issues. On it, Kyra falls fast asleep. That leaves me and Maddy, half watching Madagascar, and half eating every can of Pringles we can get our hands on. On what must be the fourth, Maddy casts me an assessing sidelong gaze.
"What?" I ask.
"Nothing," she says, all innocence.
"Tell me," I say.
"Make me," she shoots back, sticking out her tongue.
I shrug. "Alright. Guess we're full of Pringles now, is that it?"
Maddy sighs. "Fine. Don't tell Mom I'm telling you this. But I think she really likes you."
"What makes you say that?"
She shrugs. "Dunno. Anyway, you have to promise to keep it a secret."
I do a motion of zipping up my lips and throwing away the key. "You have my word."
The flight is pretty uneventful. Eventually Maddy nods off too. That leaves just me, munching on the remainder of the Pringles.
When we arrive, it's a quick walk through the airport to catch a taxi. It takes us straight to our hotel - the Four Seasons in Disney World. On the outside, it's just a tan, vaguely Spanish block of a building, but on the inside, it's all chic furniture and staff who know what you want before you even know it yourself.
We end up meeting up with Harley and Greyson at the rooftop steakhouse, all dark grey stone and some sort of giant red paper ornament overhead.
"Kyra," Harley says, grinning like she means it as she shakes her hand, "great to finally meet you. I've heard a lot."
"Hopefully mostly good things," Kyra says, only half-joking.
"This guy was always a fan," Harley says with a wink as she leans in. "He thought you were the best thing to happen to our Landon."
"Did I say that?" Greyson grumbles.
"You did," Harley singsongs.
"Remind me not to tell you things," he says, deadpan.
"What about you?" Kyra asks. "How's your little boy - I think Landon told me his name is Dakota?"
"He's having a nice weekend with Grandma," Harley says. "I swear, sometimes I think he loves her more than me. Probably since he gets unlimited cookies at her house."
After some more pleasantries, we sit down, order and start eating.
It feels so easy, natural, being here with them. Harley and Madison hit it off right away.
"I hope I get a little girl just like you," Harley confides in Madison, after cracking up at how Madison moved her fries into the shape of an anteater.
"If you're lucky," Madison says with a giggle.
"If you two ever want babysitting on this trip, just let me know," Harley says.
"Will do," Kyra tells her.
She's wearing the kind of smile that I know from experience is real. I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding in.
This is actually going well.
Before I know it, it's time to take a protesting Madison up for bed. "Mom, we barely saw anything!"
"It's 10:00 PM, Maddy," Kyra says sternly. "Two hours past your bedtime."
"We're on vacation."
"You're exhausted," Kyra says. "I saw you nodding off in the cab ride on the way here."
"Was not."
"I'm not having this argument with you now." She takes Madison's hand. "I promise we can have a grand tour tomorrow - and go on any rides you like."
A sly grin. "Any rides?"
"Any ones you're old enough for."
I rise to join them.
"It's fine," Kyra says, "you enjoy yourself. I'll be back in fifteen."
"I'd rather join," I say, coming along.
Sure enough, up in their room, we've barely read the first page of her Arthur book before Madison's out like a light. Kyra strokes her head with a little chuckle. "I knew that trip tired her right out."
"Her and you both," I say with a smile. "You were conked the whole plane ride."
I take her hand and lead her to a side door. "I need to show you the best part." I open it to show her an even nicer room, all marble floor and black and blue furniture. "Got a room right beside."
"Oh yeah?" she says, making for the bed. She eyes me sleepily. "Think I might... take a nap, if that's OK?"
Although her on that bed has my thoughts going elsewhere, if my girl wants a nap...
Enough with that 'my girl' BS.
"Sure," I tell her.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm about to pass out myself. So, I cuddle up next to Kyra's already asleep form and wrap my arms around her, and less than a minute later, I'm asleep myself.
