“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my entire life.”
The flight to Anchorage is a breeze and the boys are a whirlwind of excitement when they get to the airport. “Look at that plane!” Wyatt yells as soon as we get to our gate.
“You think we’ll crash?” Colton asks.
“Hey, maybe they’ll give us parachutes to wear,” Ash suggests.
Moira leans into my arm. “Too bad I didn’t bring any earplugs. I don’t think they’re going to stop talking until we get there.”
“Are you excited about the flight?” I ask her. “You don’t look the least bit nervous.”
“It takes more than a jet to scare me.” She eyes her sons to indicate that they’ve made her fearless.
After we board and the kids freak out over how cool the inside of a big plane is, they all start to look a little weary.
“Did they get any sleep last night?” I ask Moira. She and I are sitting in the two seats on the side of the plane and the boys are in the three middle seats.
“Not much,” she says. “None of us did.”
As a result, all five of us fall asleep soon after takeoff, making the flight feel like a fraction of how long it really is. None of us wake up until the captain announces our descent into LAX. The boys can barely contain their shouts of delight whenever the plane drops or turns. Wyatt loudly declares, “Landings are the most dangerous times on a plane. We could all die!” He sounds ecstatic.
A lady in front of him turns around and glares at him, so he adds, “But we’re good. I mean, heck, I can’t die before going to a Dodgers game, can I?” That doesn’t seem to make her any happier.
When LA comes into view, I can tell everyone, including Moira, is shocked with the way the city seems to stretch out forever. As I take it in with fresh eyes, I realize how intimidating this would feel to someone who has never left the state of Alaska. A city this big might feel like it would swallow you up.
Moira seems awfully quiet. I’m hoping it’s just because she’s tired from all the work it took to get ready for today, but if I had to guess, I’d say there’s something else on her mind. When the plane finally reaches the gate, she sternly announces, “Boys, you need to listen to me. This airport is bigger than the entire town of Gamble. That means no wandering off—not even for a second. You stay with Ethan and me the entire time. Is that clear?”
They don’t appear to be listening too intently, so I offer, “Let’s divide and conquer. I’ll watch the twins and you watch Wyatt, but we’ll all stick together.”
“Sounds good.” Yet, she still looks worried.
We manage to get our bags and exit the airport without losing anyone, although there were a few dicey moments when all three boys jumped up on the shoeshine chairs and again when they caught sight of Cinnabon.
When we reach the sidewalk where the taxis are waiting, the mid-afternoon California sun hits us. Palm trees sway in the light breeze, but they don’t do much to suppress the heat. Even though I love Alaska, I’m happy to be home again. There’s an energy about LA that makes me feel like I can take on the world.
“Look! A limousine!” Wyatt shouts, pointing to a sleek black limo sitting in the cab line-up.
“Cool! I’ve never seen a limo before outside of the movies!” Colton says.
“Do you guys want to take that back to my place?” I ask.
“Seriously?!” Wyatt’s eyes are practically popping out of his head.
“Yeah, of course,” I tell him, as I push the luggage cart toward it.
“You can just get in a limo? Just like that?” Ash asks.
I point to the driver who’s standing next to the car. “You see his sign?”
Colton shouts, “It says Ethan Caplan! That’s you! Is thatyourlimo?”
“It’s the limo my assistant called and arranged to meet us,” I tell him. “I figured we needed some extra room.”
“Ethan …” Moira says, looking worried.
I shoot her a wink and a smile. “I promised this was going to be the best vacation you’ve ever had.”
Once we pile in, the boys busy themselves checking out the mini-bar, the TV (which Moira tells them not to touch), and the sound system. Wyatt searches around on the satellite radio until he finds a song by Drake, then the three of them groove along as we cruise down the 405 to my house.