The Sleepover

Vicki ...

Traffic on the Interstate Five corridor always seemed horrible, but having grown-up in the Seattle area, Victoria Glover recalled with a grimace, 'Fridays are truly their own special brand of hell on this strip of asphalt.' She was behind the wheel of her late model green and gray, Subaru Outback, headed south and in the middle of gridlocked traffic. It was late May and was promising to be a sunny weekend -- a pleasant change from the blustery, cold, and wet winter that'd finally released its relentless grip on the region a few days previous. Sitting behind the wheel, she tried to smile. The small station wagon wasn't the best looking by any means, but it was a trooper and was dependable. 'At least its paid-off and we're getting away for the weekend'. Casting a quick glance in the rearview mirror to see her son Danny in the back seat.

Glancing around at the many campers and cars towing camper trailers, it looked like many people had plans for getting into the outdoors this weekend. They were stuck in traffic as they headed south, to the Great Wolf Lodge, a vacation resort with a large indoor water park, near Chehalis, about an hour and a half south of their current location. Glowering as she shook her head to correct herself, 'Yeah, right! That would be a freaking miracle' she thought. Adding 'It's Friday, Vicki', which would likely extend that time to two-hours, at a minimum.

Known by Vicki to her family, friends, and those she helped, she was a mid-twenties, single mom who lived with her parents on Mercer Island, one of the upscale suburbs of the Emerald City of the Pacific Northwest. Her dad was a family practice attorney, who owned his own small law firm and employed her as a paralegal, specializing in educational litigation for kids with special needs. Glancing again into the fisheye rearview mirror to see her son secured in his booster seat, having a child with autism spectrum disorder along with a several other disabilities, had not only forced her to grow-up faster than she'd wanted to, but had opened her eyes to the grave disservice many children with disabilities experienced in obtaining an decent education.

Taking a deep breath and then slowly letting it out, she smiled and thought to herself, 'Change the attitude, Vicki. You're going to have fun', as the action helped to release the stress and negativity of the moment.

She was a natural, golden-haired blonde and people still described her appearance as angelic. At 5' 7", raising a highly intelligent and active young boy with disabilities had kept her on her toes and helped her to stay in decent shape. 'Not model perfect,' she thought, 'But still good looking.'

Thankfully, Danny's spirits were high, as she'd been preparing him for this trip for the past several days. Glancing in the rearview again at him, she smiled. He was the light of her life, and she loved him to death. His genes were a mish mash of hers and his father's. His medium height for his age and his build concealed the fact that he was quite strong. He had many of her facial features, with light skin, high cheek bones and thick, blonde hair. His bright blue eyes were magnified by the thick glasses he wore. When he was younger and not expressing many of the normal emotions a toddler would exhibit, she'd taken him to the doctor and discovered that fate had dealt him a shitty hand of cards.

Breathing another heavy sigh, she realized those conditions had helped to temper and strengthen not only him, but her as well.

With Danny having autism, briefings and preparation were something she'd gotten used to early on as a single parent. He was gesticulating with his hands, and making grunting and hooting sounds, as he sang along with the children's music that was being played over the speakers. They were on this weekend getaway for two compliments of a new soft rock station, and this was the closest thing to a vacation that she'd been able to enjoy since becoming a mom. She'd shown him pictures from the resort's web site and although he wouldn't be able to enjoy all the attractions, she knew he'd have fun because he was utterly fascinated the water. 'It's his form of stimming', she thought.

Most every autistic has some form of repetitive motion or action they use to calm themselves. Some spun plates or coins on end, others loved to turn lights on and off. Danny loved the water. He'd fill a sink and stand there to watch it drain or he would splash his hand in it. It was the circular motion that helped to calm him. Smiling at the memory that his stimming had caused a few problems at first, but she and her parents through patient persistence had helped to teach him about how much water he could allow in the sink.

He'd been born a few weeks after her high school graduation. Being eighteen during her senior year, a date for her homecoming the previous fall had gotten seriously out of control and the asshole she'd been going with had convinced her to have sex with him and had not only stolen her virginity but gotten her pregnant. She'd been the captain of the cheerleading squad and he a member of the varsity football team. When she found out that she was expecting, the son of bitch attempted to disavow all knowledge of her and her father, to quote "The Godfather," had made him and his parents an offer they couldn't refuse, concerning support.

Being pregnant during her last year in high school had forced her to grow-up faster than she'd ever wanted to. She'd lost many of her friends and she remembered many of the snide remarks that had been cast her way, behind her back. Hurtful words like 'Slut' and 'Bimbo' along with the hormonal hell pregnancy played on her young body bruised her ego, but never dampened her spirit.

She'd dreamed of becoming a lawyer and following in her dad's footsteps; however, raising a boy with significant special needs made fulfilling that aspiration a difficult undertaking. Instead of becoming a full-fledged lawyer, she settled for becoming a para and she found it was very rewarding work, as she felt she was truly helping people, many of whom who were like herself concerning the special needs of their child's education -- completely clueless, bewildered or lost when the dreadful diagnosis had been made. Now, pleasantly smiling as she looked at the traffic around her in the stop and go mess as she crept through Tacoma, she reflected on the fact she'd accomplished much in a brief time. Her mom had helped by caring for Danny while she attended distant learning classes over the internet, completed her assignments and drafted her papers. Her dad had provided a critical eye and helped her by providing advice on how to edit her assignments. His tough love had helped her achieve high marks and graduate at the top of her class.

Balancing the responsibilities of single parenthood and preparing for a career that would hopefully help her son, had helped to show how self-absorbed many of the so-called friends she had from high school were. In the few moments of free time she had, she tried to learn as much as she could about her son's conditions and in doing so, learned that many parents struggled to get the education their special needs kids deserved from the school districts they were a part of. That disparity had prompted her to approach her dad after graduating with her Bachelor of Science degree and asked if she could serve as the paralegal for his practice and help him litigate these cases.

In the year and a half, she'd been doing this, they'd won several significant cases against local school districts, and she was quickly establishing a name and credit for herself, as an advocate for those with special needs. She'd even been asked by an advocacy group to speak on the subject, at a recent conference, held over the internet.

Glancing again into the rearview, she contemplated what the weekend had in store, and she hoped they would have fun. She looked forward to spending time with him in the kids area of the pool, the story times and walking around the hotel. She let one of the hands that had been holding the steering wheel drop to her lap and she allowed it to brush the crotch of the black leggings she wore, as a smile crossed her lips at the sensation her exploration had produced. The thought crossed her mind it would've been nice to have some male companionship, but a little 'self-encouragement' was always fun, and she'd included a few small bottles of wine to enjoy in the evening, after Danny's bedtime.

Brushing a lock of golden hair from her blue eyes, she put the hand back on the steering wheel and focused on driving. The traffic finally eased after she passed through Olympia and as she drove southwards, she hummed along with her son. At one point Danny became extremely excited and he shouted, "Mom-mie, eng!"

Among the several disabilities, Danny had a speech impediment and although he knew several words, she'd discovered that he liked to use his hands, so she'd learned American Sign Language and had taught him words to help him express himself. While he'd been vocalizing, she saw in the rearview, he was signing 'Mother' and 'Sing', at the same time. She then realized the song "Puff, The Magic Dragon" had been playing and it was one of his all-time favorites.

Laughing loudly, she said, "Sure thing, Buddy," and joined him in singing the song, as the miles passed by.

She remembered showing him pictures of the lodge and telling him things they could do and one of them was a game called MagicQuest, which allowed the players to walk around the hotel and activate animatronic figures and videos at a variety of stations, solving puzzles that led to a dragon's lair and treasure. To help him identify with it, she'd told him they could find Puff and visit his house and he became overjoyed at the prospect.

She lost count of the number of times she hit the repeat button on her CD player as well as the miles that had passed. They had just started a new round of the song when she realized her exit was coming up, and she suddenly realized she was in the center lane and needed to get over. Breathing a quiet and exasperated, "Oh fuck," she pushed on the gas pedal. Her trusty little station wagon picked-up speed and she cut in front of a large white pick-up that had its turn signal on. As she took the off ramp, she heard the truck's horn blaring, and she raised a hand to wave at the driver. Sheepishly grinning and wincing at the sound of the horn, as well as the close call, she said aloud, "Sorry, Mr. Truck Driver," as she turned toward the huge brown building in the distance.

Derek ...

"Goddamn! Son of a bitch," Derek Anderson swore loudly, as he mashed his foot on the brake to slow his Ford F-150 down and hit the horn with the heel of his hand, after a small green and gray Subaru station wagon had cut in front of him and came perilously close to clipping his front bumper, before zooming down the off ramp.

Instantly from the back seat of the truck's crew cabin, came the stern, chastising voice of a young girl, "Daddy! Language. Jeez!"

Embarrassed that his daughter had corrected him, he glanced in the rearview as he too exited the freeway and said, "Sorry, Pumpkin," and followed it with, "Daddy was mad at another driver."

His daughter Amanda was buckled into her booster seat and sitting next to her was her American Girl doll she'd dubbed Brook. Tall for her age and intelligent well past her seven years, she had golden blonde hair that hung to her mid-back and blue eyes that could captivate any observer. 'God, she looks and acts more like her mom, every day that passes', he thought.

Looking up from the book she'd been reading, she asked with a chuckle, "You're not going to go all road rage, are you?"

With a broad smile, he chuckled and replied, "No daddy won't do that," and shared as he was driving down the off ramp, "We're almost there."

He was taking his daughter on a long overdue, weekend getaway. Living in Lakewood, Washington, he was the head coach for a fitness gym that was a short drive from his home in the rural suburbs of Tacoma. His days were a balancing act between work, caring for their home and supporting his daughter. Doing all of this on his own had been tough as a widower, but he'd managed it somehow. The bottom-line being, he was able to be there for her soccer games and dance recitals, cheering her on and trying to clap the loudest.

The previous Halloween when she'd wanted to dress-up as Elsa from Frozen, he'd found an extra-large adult costume of Anna that he was barely able to squeeze into, and proudly walked the neighborhood with her in drag. If she wanted to play dress-up and do a tea party, he made the time for her. At the same time, she liked doing some of the things he did. Just a few weeks before, she's run her first tough mudder event with him and made it through a few of the obstacles. Glancing at her while she was reading, he felt blessed to see her maturing into a young woman, who was so like her mother.

Breathing a heavy sigh, he wished Pat could see her daughter now and he knew that she too would've been proud of her. Sadly, four years before, she'd been stolen from them by a distracted semi-truck driver. He'd been a Captain in the U.S. Army Rangers, stationed at Joint-Base Lewis McChord, the combined Army/Air Force Base outside of Tacoma. He and the team he'd led had been deployed on a sensitive, national security assignment. Two-weeks into the operation, deep in the arid and mountainous reaches of bum-fuck, Afghanistan, the Major who was directing the mission had pulled him aside and shown him the AmCross message -- the notification sent via the American Red Cross -- a serious accident had occurred and that his wife had been killed.

Before he knew it, he was winging his way back to the states and the time seemed to flash by in a whirlwind. One moment he'd been in the Middle East and the next he was back stateside. He was met at the SeaTac International Airport by his in-laws, delirious from a lack of sleep, still dressed in his desert BDU's and lugging his duffel bag. He'd maintained his stoic composure until he saw them and when he did, his knees buckled, and he collapsed completely exhausted, both mentally and physically. Pat's parents took him into their arms and comforted his as best they could.

Wiping tears from his eyes and sniffling, as they approached the parking lot of the lodge, he remembered the conversation he'd had with Pat's dad, soon after her memorial service. Jim was a retired Pierce County Sheriff's Deputy and he'd shared with him the report of the accident. A long-haul truck driver had sped through an intersection, ignoring a red light and careened broadside into his wife's Honda Accord. Fortunately, little Amanda at the time had been spending the day with them when the accident had occurred, or she too would've died.

Jim shared that the driver had a record of violations and that he knew a particularly good lawyer that could represent him in court. Through the attorney, he pursued a case against the driver and the company the son of a bitch had been driving for. Fortunately, the corporation was willing to settle out of court for a healthy eight-figure sum and he'd used the lion's share of that money to set-up a trust for Amanda's education and future. With the rest he made some investments in mutual funds and bought the spacious home he now owned.

When his extended leave of absence was ending and after thoughtful consideration, he realized he needed to be there for his daughter. Growing up, his dad hadn't been there for him, and he wanted to break that template mold for his offspring. He resigned his commission and became a full-time dad. On his exit physical from the Army, they warned that he could suffer from depression, so to combat that he stayed busy by working out in the gym he'd set-up in the garage. After running several obstacle course races, he'd been approached by the owner of the franchise gym and had been offered the job of being their head coach. He looked over the training format and instantly fell in love with it. Not only for himself, but for others as well.

All this exercise kept his 6'6" frame lean and sculpted. As a Ranger, he'd prided himself on his fitness and Pat had appreciated not only his good looks, but his stamina as well. Working out and in turn training others prevented him from sinking into the dark depths of despair. Many of his female clients flirted with him and a couple had outright thrown themselves at him, offering him their companionship; however, he had decided to not date anyone he knew through work. Other women he met, the fit just didn't seem right.

He pulled into the resort's parking lot and began hunting for a spot big enough for his big, crew cab truck. As he passed in front of the austere main entrance with its carved wooden grizzlies and wolves, he spotted the green-gray outback that'd cut him off. The driver was a good looking blonde with short hair, wearing a snug, cream-colored turtleneck sweater and black leggings. As he slowly drove past her, he noticed she was parked in one of the handicap spots next to the entrance and was helping a boy out of the car and into an umbrella style stroller. She had a large duffel style overnight bag draped over her shoulder and once the boy was secured in the stroller, she picked up a cloth shopping bag from the pavement and began pushing the stroller to the entrance.

Vicki ...

She'd been fortunate to find a parking spot next to the front of the resort and whenever Danny was with her and she used the handicap parking pass, she had established a ritual. Turning in her seat, she smiled and brightly said, "Danny, thanks for helping mommy find a great parking spot!" To which he jubilantly gushed, cackled laughter, and signed 'thank you' back to her, which she knew he meant 'you're welcome'.

Unloading the car and getting her son buckled into the umbrella stroller had taken a little work, as he was so excited and once inside, she again reviewed what would need to be done once they got to the room, so that Danny's daily routing wouldn't be completely disrupted.

She looked around the cavernous lobby of the resort as they waited to check in, completely awestruck. The lobby was cavernously huge and although most of the exterior was modern in design, the main entrance and the interior of the main lobby had the rustic appearance of a backcountry hunting lodge. Across from where they stood was a tremendous stone fireplace, with flames crackling in the hearth and beyond that was a glass wall that looked out onto the water park.

The place was abuzz with activity, as people of all ages, makes and models were hustling and bustling about, in casual attire and swimwear. One of the few modern touches was the Starbucks coffee shop nearby. Fortunately, the line of guests checking in was moving quickly, as staff members assisted the steady stream of visitors. Glancing over her shoulder, she was amazed to see that in the few minutes since they'd arrived, six other couples and families had arrived behind her. 'Holy shit', she thought, as she viewed all the activity.

When she pushed the stroller up to the desk, she vocalized the thought about the place being so busy, and the cheerful young lady behind the desk with long red hair, in green and brown business attire responded with the dismissive wave a of hand and a chuckle, saying, "Oh, this is nothing. Typical Friday afternoon."

Shifting the overnight bag, so she could reach her smartphone, Vicki gave the attendant their reservation number. She noted the girl's name was Shirley and when she entered her information, she beamed a bright smile and said, "Why congratulations, Ms. Glover! We have your room all ready for you."

Shirley gave her a map and drew a circle around the room she would be staying in on the second floor. She then withdrew a large gift bag from beneath the counter and presented it to her. It contained two sets of fluffy wolf ears, two wands and a plastic card on a lanyard. Shirley instructed that the wands were for the MagicQuest games and that the key card on the lanyard would provide them free access to several of the activities in the water park and around the resort. Lastly, she handed her a gold key card and said this card would be good for their meals in the restaurant, adding they had a free breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the Lodge.