A Family Vacation （Pt. 1） #2
It took us exactly twenty minutes to reach our first campsite, and we wasted no time settling in for the night before we dove into our dinner.
As promised, Kylie put on the classic that was Johnson Family Vacation, and the girls loved it.
I think they giggled for ten minutes straight after the scene with the alligator in the bed.
They thought it was so funny and ridiculous.
Kylie and I shared a look of accomplishment that we’d gotten them to enjoy something that we did when we were their age.
Many slices of pizza, snacks, and two movies later, the girls were dozing off on the couch as Kylie and I snuggled on the love seat a couple of feet away.
We let them sleep until the movie we were watching was over, and then we got them up and helped them get ready for bed.
Once they were settled, we got to work cleaning up the mess we’d made before locking up and heading to the master bedroom.
As much as we would’ve loved to shower together, the bathroom was not that big, and the shower damn sure wasn’t. So, we took turns cleaning up before finally retiring to the king-sized bed. There may have been a bit of messing around for an hour or so before we finally drifted off to sleep.
“Mama.”
My eyes fluttered open to see Miley and Sophia standing at the edge of the bed, waiting for us to wake up.
Kylie stirred beside me but continued to snore softly.
I decided to let her sleep since she’d been driving all day yesterday.
I’d volunteered, but she told me that she was fine.
I was going to take some of the hours today, though, no matter how much she protested.
“Hey, babies. How’d y’all sleep?” I ask, sitting up and stretching. They come over and give me hugs.
“We’re hungry,” Sophia says, and Miley nods.
“Well, let’s go fix breakfast, hm?” I suggest, and they nod excitedly. “Okay, y’all go pull out the ingredients while I freshen up a bit. I’ll be out in like ten minutes.”
“Okay, Mommy!”
They scurried off toward the other side of the RV as I lay back down beside Kylie. I wrapped my arm around her and leaned in to kiss her cheek softly. She groaned and stirred but eventually woke up after a few more kisses. She smiled up at me before pulling me into her arms.
“Morning, beautiful,” she greeted me as we shared soft kisses. “The girls must be up already, huh?”
“You know they are,” I chuckle. “I’m going to go make us breakfast, and then after we eat, we can start our day of adventuring. I’m curious to know where we’re going next.”
“Actually,” she says, sitting up. I follow suit. “I was wondering if you’d be okay with us stopping by to visit Anya for a bit. It’s been a while since Sophia got to see her, and since we’re not too far from where she is, I figured we’d stop by. I also wanted to introduce y’all.”
I nod quickly, cupping her face in my hand. After kissing her softly, I look deep into her eyes. “Of course it’s okay, Kyls,” I assure her. “I know how much Soph must miss her, how much you must miss her. We can definitely stop by to see her.”
“Thank you, my love,” she replies, pulling me in for a hug. “I love you so much.”
“And I love you as well, baby.”
We shared a few more kisses before Miley and Sophia came back into the room to see what was taking so long.
We finally got up and got ready for the day before joining them to make breakfast. As we sat down to eat, Kylie and I told them about the stop we were making before heading back onto the road, and my heart skipped a beat when Sophia’s face lit up at the mention of visiting her birth mom.
It was enough motivation for her to quickly clean her plate and then rush to get dressed.
An hour and a half later, we were pulling into the parking lot of the small cemetery where Anya was laid to rest. This would be my first time visiting, so Miley and I followed Kylie and Soph’s lead.
We’d stopped to get some fresh flowers along the way, and Soph was so excited.
She told us that pink was her mom’s favorite color, so when she saw the bouquet of pink roses, she knew that those were the perfect ones.
After a bit of walking, we finally made it to the spot where Anya was, and Soph immediately hugged the headstone tightly.
She then takes the old flowers and gives them to Kylie before replacing them with the fresh ones we’d purchased.
We all stand back and let the silence wash over us.
I took in the gorgeous headstone and wiped a few tears as my eyes landed on the picture of a smiling Anya etched onto the stone.
Below it were a few lines of text that read:
Anya Ramos
Beloved Mother & Friend. You will be missed, but we promise to always remember you. Even though your time on Earth was cut short, we are thankful that we got to be in your life and will forever keep you in our hearts.
May 30th, 1996 - March 28th, 2027
Before I knew it, I had tears streaming down my face.
I’d never get to meet her, but from what I’d learned from Kylie and Sophia, she was an amazing woman.
Even during the time she was sick, she was still doing the best she could to be present for her best friend and daughter.
I knew that she was now resting well and watching over them.
I hope she knew that her daughter now had so many people around her that cared for her just as much as she did, just as much as Kylie always has.
“Hi, Anya, my precious friend,” Kylie said, breaking the silence.
“I hope you’ve been doing well up there.
Soph and I have been really good down here.
She’s grown so much since you last saw her, huh?
Yeah, she’s an amazing girl. Guess what?
” She takes my hand in hers and brings it to her lips to kiss.
I can see the tears rolling down her cheek.
“Kilah and I made up, and she’s just as amazing as I told you.
Remember how much I used to go on and on about her?
” She chuckled, nodding. “As you can see, she has a beautiful daughter named Miley, and she and Sophia are the best of friends…they’re sisters.
We’re raising them both together as such. ”
“I know you’re smiling down on us right now,” she continued. “I miss you so much, my friend, but I know you’re peaceful now. Just know that I promise to care for and love Soph with all my heart. She now has so many others who feel the same, so you don’t have to worry about us being alone anymore.”
“That’s right,” I nod softly, wiping my eyes as well. “I promise to always be there for Sophia. I truly love her and Kylie, and I’m so grateful that they’ve come into my and Miley’s life.”
Sophia turns toward me and hugs me tightly as she sobs.
“I love you so much, Mama KJ,” she says, and my heart melts.
“Thank you for loving me and Mama, and even my Mommy.” I kiss her on the forehead, hugging her tightly.
She then moves on to Miley, and they hug like they never want to let go.
“And thank you for being the best sister in the world.”
“Always, Soph,” She giggles as they rock back and forth. “I couldn’t have asked for a better bestie and sister either.”
Finally, Sophia moves on to Kylie, and I watch as they share the sweetest hug ever.
Even if I didn’t know her, it’d be easy to see just how much she cared for this little girl.
She was the light of her life, and my heart felt so full just watching them embrace each other.
I was so thankful that Kylie had met Anya when she did, because I couldn’t imagine a world where Kylie wasn’t Soph’s mom.
I could feel Anaya watching down on us with a smile, and that made me smile up at the sky as I wrapped my arms around Miley.
Sometimes, blended families didn’t work, but ours did.
We kept each other going and picked each other up when times got rough.
I was so proud of the family we’d built, and I was excited to see all the things that our girls would accomplish in the future.
It’s been a long time coming, but I felt in my heart that this was the feeling that I’d always been longing for.
We stayed out there for another hour as Sophia and Miley recounted funny stories to Anya.
It felt like she was there with us, and as the wind slowly danced around us, I could feel myself at peace.
When I glanced over at Kylie, her expression seemed to mirror mine.
I smiled, and she winked. God, I loved that woman so much.
By the time we made it back to the RV, the mood all around was brighter, and the girls were excited to see where we were heading next.
Kylie informed them that it was a surprise, but instead of groaning like I thought they would, they simply said “okay” and then sat in their seats.
I glanced over at Kylie, and she smiled, shaking her head. She reached for my hand, and I obliged.
“Thank you for today, Ki,” she said before bringing my hand up to kiss it. “It meant so much to us.”
“I keep telling you, Kyls, it’s nothing,” I assured her, but she shook her head.
“No, it’s everything,” she corrected. “You’re an amazing woman, and the way you care for those around you is so beautiful. I’m so damn blessed to be the one to call you my wife. Thank you for loving me, for loving Soph.”
“Thank you for loving Miley and me,” I replied. We shared a kiss before pulling back to look at each other with a smile. “Now, how about we continue on this trip? I’m excited to see where we go next.”
“Even if it’s a cheesy tourist destination?” she teases.
“Baby, it doesn’t matter where we go,” I tell her.
I glance back at the girls and smile as they giggle at something on the screen of the tablet they’re looking at.
I turn back to Kylie, and her smile matches my own.
“As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters, right?
Just you, me, and the girls. Our own little family. ”
“Damn straight,” she nods, and I laugh, a deep laugh that I felt all the way in my soul.
As we drove toward our next destination, I found myself relaxing, a smile on my face.
After so many years of struggling with depression, anxiety, and the feeling that I’d never truly be happy, I knew that I’d never feel that way again.
I had my family. My girls and my wife. And I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.
They were my world, and that would never change.
To be continued...