The Best Vacation Ever

"Grammy, this is the best vacation ever!"

Virginia smiled weakly at her tiny grandson. They were standing in line for their third trip of the afternoon on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. She'd spent all her vacation days from work and not an inconsiderable amount of money on this vacation for Jordan. She was glad he was enjoying it. At five years old, he'd already had more bad times than any kid deserved.

When they got to the front of the line, the Disney cast member helped Jordan into his space cruiser, while Virginia stepped across to wait with the other parents.

"Mom's not going to ride?"

"She's my grammy!" Jordan corrected her with loud and boisterous glee.

Virginia nodded, stepping to the side to wait until Jordan got off the ride. In her late 40s, but still looking youthful, she was often mistaken for Jordan's mother, but she never took it as a compliment.

After Jordan finished the ride, they got ice cream cones and sat on a bench to watch the one of the many seemingly spontaneous character parades through the park.

"This is so great, Grammy," Jordan said. He couldn't stop talking about the new tricks he'd found for scoring more points on the Buzz Lightyear ride. His excitement was contagious. Then he paused for a moment. "I just wish Dad could be here."

She cringed. As many times as the subject came up, she still didn't know what to say. Jordan spent a week or so a month with David, and to her, even that was too much. Of course, there were many times, like this month, when David didn't see Jordan at all. Sometimes he claimed the absences were due to work. Other times, there was no explanation. Virginia didn't want to think about what trouble he might be in. She just took care of Jordan the best she could when David wasn't there. With no mother and David for a father, what else could she do?

"Jordan, honey ..."

"I know, Grammy. I know. Anyway, thanks for bringing me here." His face lit up with the most irresistible toothless smile.

After the parade, more spins with Buzz Lightyear, countless other rides, and the grand finale fireworks show, Virginia wasn't sure who was more tired, Jordan or her. She was glad she'd decided to splurge so that they could stay at one of the Disney resorts. A short monorail ride was vastly preferable to having to navigate the impossible parking lot at the end of a such a long day.

Jordan fell asleep on the way to the hotel, and Virginia carried him into the room and dropped him in bed, covering him with a blanket in the cool air conditioned room. As she was about to go take a shower, she noticed the red message light on the phone blinking. Afraid she'd wake Jordan, she decided to go to the house phone in the hall.

"I have a message. Room 310," she told the operator.

"One moment, please. Thank you for staying at the Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom Lodge," said the voice that was a little too generic to quite be pleasant.

Virginia waited and then listened. As soon as she heard the deep official-sounding voice, she knew. "This call is for Ms. Virginia Luther. This is Officer Adams with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Please all me as soon as possible at 614-555-1569. Thank you."

She slid down the wall in the hallway and sat silently on the floor, still holding the receiver. A short cell phone call confirmed what she already knew. David was dead.

She didn't get all the details but he was apparently killed in accident resulting from a high speed car chase.

She felt bad that she had no sense of personal loss for her son-in-law. All she could think of was Jordan. Hadn't he been through enough already? On the other hand, maybe this could be a new start for him. But how would they ever get from here to there?

As the events ran through her mind over and over, her fingers dialed the number she automatically called when she needed a real friend.

Ring. Ring. Virginia looked at her watch and saw that it was just past one in the morning.

"Hey, Ginny," the sleepy voice answered.

"Sorry to call so late."

"What's wrong?"

"It's David. He's dead."

"Oh, Gin. I'm so sorry. What happened? Are you still in Orlando?"

"Yeah. You know I always knew this was going to happen at some point. He was so damned irresponsible. So many problems. And ever since Rose..."

She stopped speaking, and silent tears came. While she could never cry for David, the anger she had for his role in bringing Rose's life to an early end was always simmering just under the surface.

There was a long silence on the line.

"How am I going to tell Jordan?"

More silence.

"He's lucky to have you, Gin."

"You know, I just can't tell him that his dad's in heaven with his mom now."

"You'll do the right thing. You always do."

"Why does it always have to be me? Why can't some other god damned person do the right thing for once? I am so sick of always being the one who has to fix things. I don't want to pick up the pieces of other people's problems any more." The anger dried her tears. She paused and tried to regain her even keel. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to take this out on you."

"That's what best friends are for. I wish I could do something more."

But there wasn't anything anyone could do.

After saying goodbye and sitting alone in the quiet hallway for awhile, Virginia walked down the thick carpeting to her room. She opened the door and saw Jordan's angelic face with the smile of the happiest place on earth still shining on it.

It was going to be a long trip home.
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999 words