Hank Menard stood at the ship's rail, one arm around his wife Veevee, as the crew finished securing the pulled-back gangway. He held a strip of paper ribbon curving across the gap to the cruise ship dock, where his daughter Lillian held the other end. His son Gary stood beside Lil, waving.
"Bon voyage!" Lil shouted.
"Have fun!" Gary said.
"I'll miss you!" Veevee shouted to Gary and Lil.
"Don't do anything we wouldn't!" Hank yelled. "No home improvement projects!"
Veevee shook with laughter beside Hank and whispered into his ear. "I hope they won't do half of what we would!"
Hank said softly back, "A nude block party? That was before they were born. I don't think they'll even get up to half of what we have planned for inside our stateroom."
Veevee hugged him tighter. "Mm-mm!" she said. "I'm so glad some of our 'special' friends could make it on the cruise."
As the ship got underway, Hank's paper ribbon straightened, stretched, and snapped. He let go of Veevee to wave to Gary and Lil. He kept watching and waving until they had vanished into the now-distant crowd on the dock.
When he looked around, Veevee was no longer at his side.
Hank wondered if he should go back to their stateroom, try and guess where she'd gone, or wait for her. Or maybe he'd look round the ship. But he didn't think he should keep her waiting long. |