Tate paced back and forth in his cell. He kept replaying what the lawyer had told him. "Two months, I can't even think about being in here another two months, I've been in here for years. I have to get out sooner." He already knew what he wanted to do. He just had to choose the right time and have it all work out the way he wants it.
Buck looked over at Katie who had dozed off while reading her book. She never could get through two or three chapters before nodding off. He's asked her before, how it is that she writes books without falling asleep but can't ever seem to read them for falling asleep. Daisy was on her phone going through her playlist and watching videos and Randy was eating peanuts and watching the movie. Buck was so happy that things worked out the way that they did so they could leave. He was excited to meet up with Matt again and reconnect.
A pocket of turbulence shook Katie from her sleep and made Daisy jump, clenching to the arm of her seat. "It's fine, dear," Katie reached over with her eyes still closed and patted Daisy on the leg. "It's just a little bit of turbulence, no worries."
"Yeah, we're almost there, guys!" Randy said, as he laid his peanut package on his tray.
Daisy couldn't wait to see California. She's never traveled further than her own backyard, relatively speaking. She was most excited about seeing how different it is compared to their home. The sights, the smells, the sounds, they all attracted her. She was watching different videos on her phone on the flight of different places in California. It looks so beautiful there. Her main goal outside of the fair, of course, is the beach. The warm, sandy shoreline, the pounding of the waves, seagulls, the thought made her giddy with excitement.
"How much longer?" Daisy asked.
"Ahh, there it is." Buck said. He wondered how long until she started asking. Katie laughed as she looked over at Randy rolling his eyes. She remembers trips they took as a child and she would ask that same exact question over and over again.
"I mean, I'm just asking but I seriously feel like we've been on the plane forever." Daisy said.
"Well, look at it this way," Randy said. "At least we don't have to stop at the rest area for bathroom breaks. We have one right here."
Sometimes the rest areas were Katie's favorite stops. She would pick up the brochures and read them in the car as they rode down the road. She and Randy would take short walks looking at everything around them. She tried to pick up one thing each time they stopped to take back with her as a momentum.
"From beginning to end, the trip to California is four and a half hours. I would say we have at least another hour and a half to two hours left." Buck said.
Daisy pulled her blanket over her head and sighed.
"Why don't you try to go to sleep, dear. It'll make the time go by a lot quicker than it will by constantly looking at your watch. Why don't you text Billy?" Katie asked.
Buck shook his head. "Boys, I thought we weren't going to like boys?"
"Katie used to count the trees as we drove," Randy spoke up. "She also use to count telephone poles, and look for out of state license plates."
"I don't think that is an option here, dad." Katie laughed. "If I see a tree, telephone pole, or cars go by our window, I will begin to worry." she winked.
"You could always count the clouds," Buck winked at Daisy reaching over to nudge her arm.
"Y'all are too funny," she smiled. "Let's talk about a spa day, mom." She gave Katie a mischievous smile.
Billy was so lost at home without Daisy and it was only a few hours after she left. Work wasn't the same either. She wasn't there as he passed by Violet's department. He had texted her all morning but it just wasn't the same. He began realizing that his feelings were growing stronger for her. He thought about her continuously, dreamed of her at night. He doesn't condone what his dad did but at the same time, he now understands at least a little bit, of why he would do that. The difference between he and Tate is that Billy is determined to not turn into his no good father. Billy sat at lunch that day at work and scrolled through his phone looking at pictures he and Daisy had taken days before. He imagined her sitting across from him at the picnic table. He has to find something to occupy his time while she's gone or he will go insane.
Daisy had dozed off and was awoken by Randy standing over top of her.
"Come on, sleepy head," he said. "We're here! Unless of course you want to stay on the plane and sleep."
Daisy sprung up from her seat and tried her hardest to look out the window.
"I don't know why you're trying so hard to look out of a small circle, Daisy," Buck laughed. Daisy reminded him so much of Katie with her child like excitement. "Let's go."
They made it off the plane, through the baggage area, and out the door. The sun was warm as it fell on their faces. The air smelled different, the breeze that blew by was warm and inviting. Daisy tried to take everything in as much as she could. She pulled her phone out of the pocket of her grey sweatpants and took a picture. She sent it to Billy to let him know that she made it there okay.
"Well, hello there, strangers," Matt said as he ran up to them. "It is so great to see your faces! We have missed you guys." He hugged each of them tightly. He stood back from Daisy. "My haven't you grown since the last time I saw you. Pretty just like your momma. Are y'all ready to head out?"
They all grabbed their bags and walked with Matt to his Suv. "Grace stayed back at home so there would be enough room for you guys." he said as he helped them pack their stuff in the back of the car. "We have lunch ready and waiting." he smiled.
"Finally, real food." Randy said. "Peanuts and coke just doesn't fill you up."
"Yes, Grace has been cooking all morning. She can't wait to see you." Matt said as they drove down the road. "So, what does everyone want to do after we eat?"
Billy held his phone tightly as he looked at Daisy's tired face at the airport. "Get some rest." he said under his breath.