Once Upon a Romance (A Dream Come True Book 1)

by Alex Bailey

  Darren set his menu on the table and took her hand in his. “Then let’s not do it, Sophie. We don’t have to go”

  “You don’t have to go.” Sophie was irritated with Darren’s inability to understand how important the trip was to her niece. After yanking her hand from his grasp, she downed her wine in hopes it would give her some perspective.

  “You don’t either. You can send your niece down on a plane. Let the grands pick her up at the airport and take her to the merriest place on the planet until Daddy arrives.”

  “Happiest,” she seethed. Her irritation had boiled over to full blown anger. How could he be so insensitive?

  “Huh?”

  Sophie stared at the Irish landscapes to calm herself by imagining she was on the hill beside the lovely thatched-roof cottage. “You said merriest place on the planet, but it’s the happiest. ‘The Happiest Place on Earth.’ And that’s Disneyland.”

  He jerked his hand backwards as if swatting a fly behind his ear. “It doesn’t matter.”

  Sophie breathed in slowly and deliberately. Imagining herself in Ireland had not done its job. She was beginning to think Darren had no idea how she felt about her niece, in spite of all the weekends spent with Ariel and constant babbling on about her. Let Ariel fly to Florida on her own? For a trip to honor her mom who died only ten months ago? She raised her volume to an outside voice, “What kind of suggestion is that?” She picked up her water glass to calm herself and took a sip, hoping the water would do what the full glass of wine and the Ireland imaginings had not done—soothe her.

  Seemingly unaware of her tone, he said without skipping a beat, “One that will get us on the slopes a few days earlier. Look, I know you care about the kid.”

  “She means everything to me,” seeped out through gritted teeth.

  “But she’s growing up. She can do this by herself. You don’t have to be there to hold her hand.”

  Sophie’s anger at Darren’s lack of understanding drove her to slam her water glass onto the table. A few patrons eyed her then looked away. Usually, Sophie would have been mortified to have strangers look at her that way, but when her anger flared, she didn’t care what people thought.

  Darren smoothed back a wayward lock of his hair and leaned in, “Calm down, Sophie. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  He definitely didn’t get it. He was correct, though; it wasn’t a big deal. It was a huge deal. There was no way she would leave her niece alone on a plane while going on a mission to pay homage to Ariel’s mom and Sophie’s best friend. Sophie removed the napkin from her lap and calmly laid it on the table, then grabbed her bag and stood. “If you can’t understand this, then you can’t understand anything about me.” With her heart’s pace rivaling the opening guitar riff in “Johnny B. Goode,” she marched out of the restaurant.

  Chapter 4

  When Sophie returned home, she opened her laptop and was stunned to see over a thousand likes and fifty-eight comments on her Facebook post. She ran down the list of suggestions and stopped when she saw a response from Professor Disney himself:

  “I’m also spending my Christmas in WDW. You’ll love it. It’s the most magical time of year. Decorations are everywhere. Literally. Even the Jungle Cruise is decorated. Some suggestions: Boma’s at Animal Kingdom Lodge, great food and even if your niece is a picky eater, there’s plenty of kid items. Get tickets to the MVMCP. Make sure you walk out to the water at MK or GF to see the electric water pageant—a light-up boat parade. At dusk, there’s a special ceremony to light the castle. I think folks have pretty much summed up most of the holiday traditions. Hope you and Ariel—great name by the way—have a magical time.”

  As much as Sophie appreciated all the suggestions, her head spun out of control. WDW was Walt Disney World, but she had no idea what MVMCP was or half the things the people wrote. Disney people, she realized, had their own secret language. She clicked the “like” button on each person’s comment and wrote to Professor Disney.

  “Thank you for the information, I’ll have fun sorting it all out.”

  Fun? I’d rather be buried in sand, with my honey-coated head peeking out, watching a swarm of bees approach. But I know someone who does think this is fun...Hyun. I’ll invite her over to help me figure things out. That thought gave Sophie the relief she needed and headed to bed. She would be able to fall asleep and forget all about the stress of her upcoming nightmare-before-and-on-Christmas trip.

  SOPHIE AND ARIEL STOOD at the LAX airport’s floor-to-ceiling windows, anticipating their boarding call when a jet took off. Ariel squealed in delight, “Aunt Sophie, that’s gonna be us soon!”

  If only. Their plane was stuck in Chicago in an ice storm and another plane had to be diverted to pick them up. “Let’s go up to the counter and ask the nice lady how much longer it’s going to be, Ariel.”

  “Again? We asked her twice. I think she’s getting sick of us.”

  Sophie tried to curb her frustration. She didn’t want to take it out on the one person she’d made the trip for, but her anxiety was building, and a delay only added to her tension.

  “Can I just stay here and watch the planes while you go?” Ariel turned back to her plane-viewing.

  Sophie hesitated. She wasn’t one for letting Ariel out of her sight, especially not in a crowded airport terminal.

  “Please?”

  How could she say no to the angelic face staring up at her? “Tell you what. Come over here and sit down where I can see you from the desk. You can still see the planes taking off.”

  “Okay.” Ariel followed her to a row of black vinyl seats hooked together at their armrests within view of the terminal information desk, but still in view out of the floor-to-ceiling windows, with planes on the tarmac.

  “Please stay right there and don’t move.” Sophie took Ariel’s headshake as her agreement and stepped over to the service desk.

  The same woman who had told her twice that the plane was on its way, told her a third time that it was still on its way and should arrive shortly. Sophie gave her a quick smile. “Thank you. It’s just that—” Sophie turned around to get a view of—Ariel! She’s talking to a stranger! She knows better than to talk to strangers. That man could be anyone. He could be a child snatcher, a thief, or Captain Hook. Ugh! Where did that come from? This Disney thing is really getting inside my head.

  She rushed to Ariel’s side and sat next to her. The man was quite old, with snowy white hair and a beard. A red and green-striped cane leaned against his seat.

  Sophie did a double-take, for he was the spitting image of the actor Morgan Freeman. And it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility to run into celebrities, since they were in Los Angeles.

  “Aunt Sophie, this is Mr. Jeffries.” Ariel turned to her aunt, eyes wide, full of innocent joy.

  “Well, Jiminy Christmas, this must be the kind aunt you told me about.” When he opened his mouth to smile, he was definitely not Morgan Freeman—he was all gums. And he had light golden eyes that seemed to almost sparkle.

  “Yes. This is my Aunt Sophie. He’s going to Disney World too!”

  Sophie nodded.

  “I’ve got a real good feeling about this trip, Sophie,” the man said. “Gonna be a life-changer.”

  What could she say? Oh you have no idea! No, Ariel was sitting right in front of her. She couldn’t say that. She simply nodded again and pointed to a bank of windows behind them. “Ariel, do you want to stand over there and watch the planes some more?” Sophie would have to explain to her niece about talking to strangers. She was shocked that Natalie and Rick hadn’t taught Ariel better than this.

  “No, I can see them from here.” Ariel turned back around to talk to her new friend.

  Sophie’s attempt to drag Ariel away from a stranger ended when her phone rang. She drew the phone out of her bag and looked at the number. “Okay. Hold on a second, Arie. It’s Grandma.”

  Ariel continued her conversation with Mr. Jeffries, while Sophie answered her mom’s
call. “Hi Mom, what’s up?”

  “Sorry, dear,” Nellie said, “but I think we forgot to tell you that Dad won’t be able to pick you up from the airport. You see, we’ve had a bit of a disaster in the house. You know our friend, Jose, has been working on renovating the bedroom wing and the second bathroom. We didn’t realize everyone would be descending on us for Christmas, so we planned on him getting the work done, since no one would be using—”

  “Mom, I know all this. And I don’t need a—”

  “Right,” Nellie said, “but this is the part you don’t know. A pipe burst while Jose was working on the remodel. Flooded the house. He’s offered us the use of his beach house in Islamorada while he fixes everything. So, we won’t be there to pick you up. And we won’t be going to the parks with you and Ariel. I told Dad it would be fine. You know how he worries. You’ll be fine without us.”

  Sweat formed at Sophie’s temples, then her hands started to shake, followed by her heart increasing speed trying to catch up to her hands. Her face flushed. The one thing Sophie hated the most, was that her pale complexion flushed revealing her feelings more than all her other reactions. How can I handle this on my own? “Mom! What about the FastPasses?” She knew as soon as it left her lips it was a ridiculous thing to say, but her brain had frozen and she was surprised that anything came out of her mouth. Sophie didn’t give Nellie a chance to respond because her brain finally kicked in. “And we have plenty of space—a queen size bed and two bunk beds. You and Dad can take the big bed, and I’ll sleep in one of the bunks.” Sophie would’ve offered to sleep on the floor to keep her parents from leaving her on this trip.

  “Yes, we know. We’re already planning on staying with Ariel on Christmas Eve and Christmas night. But Sophie, this is Islamorada we’re talking about. And we’ll be spending a lot of time after Christmas with Ariel and Rick in the parks. So I think this is best.”

  This is not best! This is no-where close to best. It’s not even good! “Mom, how about this? How about you and Dad take the room with Ariel, and I’ll stay in Islamorada?”

  Nellie belted out a single burst of laughter. “Good try, Sophie. But your dad and I need to get away for a little mini-vacation. We don’t get out as much as we used to.”

  Vacation? You live in Florida! You practically live in Disney World, your beloved perfect vacation spot. But it was no use. Once her mom made up her mind, it was nearly impossible to change it.

  “So, we’ll be back on Christmas Eve,” Nellie said. “And don’t worry. Things always work out for the best. Especially in Walt’s World. Oh, I just need to be sure you can get a cab to the hotel, dear.”

  Sophie drew in a deep breath and then huffed it out. “Mom, I don’t need a ride.” She sounded just as frustrated as she felt. “I already told Dad we’re taking the shuttle.”

  “Oh, that’s right. They do have those lovely shuttles from the hotels. Because we live here, we don’t think about them anymore.”

  Boarding for their flight was called over the loudspeaker.

  Exhausted from frustration, Sophie hurried her mom off the phone. “Mom, Ariel and I are about to board the plane. I’ll see you on the twenty-fourth.”

  Mr. Jeffries, the man Ariel was talking to slowly rose and smiled and then waved to Ariel as he moved toward the boarding line.

  Nellie said, “Love you both. Enjoy your time with Ariel. Bye.”

  “Love you too, Mom.” And she did. But Sophie was annoyed with just about everything—the plane’s delay and having to tell her folks the same information over and over. She knew they were getting old; they weren’t all that young when she was born. And now, having to go to the most magical place without her parents and relive her childhood memories of her sister weighed heavily on Sophie’s mind. But she couldn’t let her mood spoil Ariel’s Christmas wish. Suck it up. For Ariel. Just smile.

  “Aunt Sophie, they called for us to board.” Ariel grabbed Sophie’s hand and the handle of her Barbie suitcase. “We should hurry to get the best seat.”

  Sophie took her own advice and smiled when she slung her white carry-on bag with yellow daisies over her shoulder. It had been a gift from Natalie, who never thought you could have too much color in your wardrobe or accessories. Her simple black leather cross-body purse hung on the opposite shoulder.

  “Not a problem. We have assigned seats. Even if we were the last ones on, we’d still get the best seats on the plane.” They took their place in line, and Sophie rested a protective hand on Ariel’s shoulder. “Ready for our big adventure?”

  “Absolu-te-tively!”

  When they boarded, Sophie stuck the carry-on bags in the upper compartment and took the middle seat next to Ariel, who was already staring out the window. “Is that our luggage?”

  Sophie leaned toward the window. A baggage handler slung bags and suitcases from a mobile cart onto a conveyor belt. “You’re very smart. Yes, that’s our luggage. It glides up into an opening under the plane.”

  “I’m glad Figment isn’t under there. He’d probably get scared being in there by himself.”

  Figment was Ariel’s purple stuffed animal dragon, the mascot of one of Disney World’s rides.

  A man in a business suit sat in the aisle seat next to Sophie. He stuck in his earbuds, reclined his seat, and closed his eyes.

  Before Sophie forgot, she needed to have a talk with Ariel about stranger-danger. She wanted no more mishaps with a niece who didn’t know the rules. Sophie said in a serious tone, “Look, I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Okay, what?” Ariel said without turning around.

  “That man you spoke with in the terminal. He was a stranger. Didn’t your parents teach you not to talk to strangers?” She didn’t want to sound too harsh, but she also wanted to make sure Ariel knew how dangerous it could be.

  “Yes, but he wasn’t a stranger.” Ariel faced her momentarily before returning to watch the luggage loading into the plane. “He sat next to me and introduced himself. He’s nice. He’s S—”

  “Ariel, he was still a stranger. Just because you know his name, doesn’t mean you know him. Please don’t talk to strangers anymore, okay?” She was tense enough and certainly didn’t need to start a fight with Ariel. She hoped Ariel understood what she was trying to tell her.

  “Uh-huh.”

  Shortly after their talk, the flight attendants gave emergency instructions to the passengers and the plane took off. Sophie leaned over and said to Ariel, “Are you excited yet?”

  “I’ve been excited ever since my dad told me you were taking me! I can’t wait. I can’t wait to thank Santa for my Christmas present.”

  Sophie smiled and eased back into her seat, while Ariel continued peering out the window. Breathe. It’s all for Ariel. You’ll make it through this. Just breathe.

  When someone started making a ruckus in the back of the plane, Sophie sat upright in her chair. There was chanting of some sort, but she couldn’t quite make it out. Like a wave at a football game, it came closer and closer until Ariel joined in. A Disney song, of all things. And by the time it reached the front of the plane, half the passengers were singing along.

  One-by-one, songs from Disney rides made the plane’s airwaves: “When You Wish Upon a Star”; “One Little Spark”; “The Enchanted Tiki Room”; and “It’s a Small World.” Sophie closed her eyes. She knew what was coming. No one could sing all those songs, without including her sister’s favorite. Get ready, because it’s coming. Brace yourself.

  When it started, Ariel belted it out. She could be heard above the crowd, even if Sophie hadn’t been sitting right next to her. Ariel bounced in her seat while singing the song, “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.”

  Don’t cry. Keep it together. Don’t cry.

  Sophie turned away from Ariel, just in case. The man next to her with the earbuds was completely oblivious. She envied him at that moment and had a fleeting thought of asking if he had an extra pair. Instead, she waited for the time to pass
, hoping to focus her thoughts on work, her grocery list, or getting her teeth cleaned at the dentist. Anything to not focus on that song. Her sister’s favorite song, from her sister’s favorite place on earth, and from her sister’s all-time favorite ride. Her sister. The one who was no longer there.

  Finally, her misery ended, and the passengers were giddy afterward. “Aunt Sophie, why didn’t you sing along? Don’t you know the words?”

  “Oh, um—I have a bit of a headache.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. That song had made more than her head hurt.

  “I’m sorry,” Ariel said while patting Sophie’s arm.

  Sophie looked into Ariel’s eyes, the color of Cinderella’s dress, and tried very hard to smile, but all she could give was a blink and slightly indented cheeks. “It’s fine.” She rested her arm around Ariel’s back, wishing she was as strong as her niece. Perhaps if she could get over the misery of having to go in the first place, she could see things through Ariel’s eyes and make this trip at least bearable. The other possible solution included lots of alcohol.

  AFTER THEY RETRIEVED their luggage, Sophie and Ariel made their way to the shuttle. They ended up in a large crowd and were sorted into various lines by lodging. The Animal Kingdom Lodge line was long, but Sophie told Ariel they shouldn’t have to wait too long. She wasn’t sure if it was true, but hoped it was.

  “What’s the first thing you want to do when we get there?” Sophie asked.

  “You mean besides check into our room?” Ariel grinned as she opened her bag, dragged out her Figment stuffed animal, and held it in front of her. “Figment, what would you like to do when you finally get home?”

  Sophie’s heart melted because Ariel’s imagination equaled Natalie’s. She and her sister used to take their own toys on trips and have conversations with them as if they were real people, too. Sophie had a Jasmine doll that she identified with, since Jasmine too wanted to escape her surroundings. Natalie’s choice was Goofy, obliviously and eternally happy.