The Sleepover

As she pushed the stroller away from the check-in desk, a blond-haired girl holding one of those American Girl dolls, darted in front of her. Seeing her approach out of the corner of her eye, she turned it to the right and stopped, giving a cheerful, "Whoopsie," which caused Danny to cackle. The girl looked to be seven or eight and had a thick mane of hair that hug to her mid-back. She was wearing pink jeans, a white tee shirt and faded jean vest. As she darted past, she turned and said, "Sorry," as she ran through the crowd. She was struck at the angelic beauty of her bright blue eyes and the whimsical giggle in her young voice. With a smirk, Vicki thought that later in life, she was going to become quite the heartbreaker.

Her and Danny then made their way through the throng of people to the elevator, which they rode it to the second floor. Once there, they found their room was near the end of the left wing of suites and rooms. Using the key card to open the door, she was amazed to see the room had been designed in a rustic tent theme. Near the bathroom was a set of bunk beds within a semi-private area designed like a tent with door that had a privacy flap. There was also a queen-sized bed and next to it was a sofa with a wooden coffee table in front of it.

Knowing that it would be a while before they made their way to the water park, as Danny needed the time to acclimate to his surroundings, they walked around the room, and she showed him where the bathroom was and then they went to explore the tent. When he saw it, his eyes lit up and she could tell he was excited. The bunks were twin-sized and was larger than the day bed he slept in at her parents. He climbed onto the bottom bunk and sitting in the middle of it, was amazed at the room he had.

She let him have some time to enjoy his bunk as she unpacked their overnight bag and the food she'd brought. The room had a small refrigerator which accommodated everything, and she also saw there was a Keurig for making coffee in the morning. Looking around the room she admired the tastefully subtle woodland colors and décor of the room. She paused for a moment, when she heard the dull thud of the door to the next room over closing. "We have neighbors," she thought aloud and saw that there was door that could allow the room to become a suite with the adjoining room.

After that moment of silence, she breathed a heavy sigh knowing she needed to get Danny set-up for his afternoon video and then dinner. Her son like many children with ASD had rigid schedules they adhered to for comfort and security. She'd brought his favorite launchable meal and figured that while he was enjoying it with a Tom & Jerry video on his tablet, she could get changed for going down to the water park and then have a snack. She figured she could call room service later for herself.

As she was changing into the bikini, she'd bought a few days before for this trip, she realized it was the first time she'd donned a bathing suit in quite a while. It was pink with small black dots, and as she was tying the laces that secured the bra in place, she heard the door close next door. From the muffled voices she heard coming from the hall, it sounded like a father and daughter were heading downstairs. 'Mom must need some downtime,' she thought.

Derek ...

He estimated they were at least five stories above the main pool area, and they were in line for their turn to experience 'The Cyclone', a roller coaster style water slide. Amazingly, Amanda had met the minimum height by a hair's breadth, and she'd felt enormously proud of herself. They had slowly climbed the stairs over the last twenty minutes and were now half a story from the summit and being able to board the ride.

He wasn't the talkative sort by nature. Looking down at his daughter, she continued to gaze in wide-eyed amazement at the water park through the handrails. Being a single dad had forced him to open and be conversive. They idly chatted about things as he pondered recent events. It'd taken him fifteen minutes of slowly driving around the parking lot to find a spot big enough to bring his Ford F-150 to rest. Fortunately, it was late spring, and it was sunny, but there was a slight chilly breeze blowing through the lowlands. They would've gotten drenched walking the hundred yards if it had been a few weeks earlier in the year. By the time they entered the lobby and joined the line of people waiting to check-in, the young blonde was at the reception desk. Amanda was walking next to him clutching Brook in one hand and pulling a small, wheeled suitcase with the other. She looked around in slack-jawed wonder and exclaimed, "Holy smokes!"

As they joined the line of families waiting to check-in, she looked up at him and begged to go explore and look at the water park through the window. The excitement of the place had filled her cup to the brim, and she was bouncing from foot to foot, wanting to run around. 'Hell', he thought, 'What kid wouldn't want to run around in a place like this, after being pent-up in a booster seat for over an hour'.

With a smile, he replied that it okay and cautioned her to be careful, she beamed a bright smile and gave him her suitcase and took off, like a shot. The blonde had just finished at the check-in desk and was wheeling the umbrella stroller with her son away, when he saw Amanda was headed right for them. 'Oh shit', he thought and began to step in their direction, thinking he'd need to intercede for his daughter in the coming collision.

At the last second, Amanda side stepped, and the blonde turned the stroller to the right and avoided the accident. As she continued to run, his daughter turned and gave the woman a dismissive, "Sorry," and continued through the crowd. He heaved a huge, audible sigh of relief and shook his head, making a point to speak with her about her social graces.

He was pleasantly surprised that they were given a room on the second floor, near the end of the left wing. The friendly receptionist named Jeff had said, "The rooms at the end of each wing are usually the quietest, as there aren't MagicQuest locations near them."

After checking in and hearing the briefing concerning all the attractions, he asked for two sets of wolf ears that were pink in color and then went to find his daughter. From a distance, her stature, dress, and long golden tresses made her impossible to miss -- even in this crowd. He saw her standing at the observation window and silently took a position next to her. In a few seconds, Amanda looked in his direction and was surprised to see him. With a beaming smile, she immediately began talking a mile a minute, describing what she'd seen. She then took him by the hand and gave him a guided tour of the lounge area with the overstuffed leather chairs near the crackling fireplace, and then led him over to the log cabin and showed him the sign that announced there was a story time each evening. Holding his hand and hopping up and down, she begged to see it. He saw that was a little past her normal bedtime but said since they were on vacation it'd be okay, and she hugged his waist saying, "You're the best dad, ever!"

Kneeling he said he'd seen her near collision and instructed that she needed to be careful, as he placed her wolf ears on her head and swept her long bangs from her eyes and tenderly kissed her forehead. He then asked her if she could put his on and with a beaming grin amid giggles, placed them on his head and gave him a tremendous hug. Standing, he gave her the handle of the suitcase so she could wheel it and placing the strap of the duffel bag over his shoulder, they went to find their room. As they passed the animatronic figures, he mentioned they would need to pick-up MagicQuest wands and go exploring later.

They found their room and Amanda called dibs on the bathroom to change into her bathing suit. It seemed she was only in the small room a few seconds and came back out dressed and ready to go to the pool, in a pink two-piece set of bathing shorts and a halter top. She dragged the chair from the room's desk over to the vanity and climbing onto it looked in the mirror and started to put her hair into a ponytail. He stood in dumbfounded amazement as she looked at him in the mirror, and chastised him saying, "Come on, dad! Hurry up."

A memory of Pat exploded in his mind of his wife getting ready for a date night. It'd been their anniversary and he'd been off the duty roster for the evening. He'd come home from an exhausting day of physical training and field exercises and arriving home, he was sweaty, his camo fatigues were grime covered and he smelled like a gunpowder factory. He'd walked into their bedroom and there was Pat in front of the mirror in all her glory. She was stunning in a burgundy cocktail dress that hugged her elegant form. It exposed more than half of her bare back, the neckline plunged just enough to provide an inviting view of her cleavage and the hem coming to the mid-thigh of her long, shapely legs, as well as accentuating her shapely posterior. Her long, golden blonde tresses were wrapped into a bun, and she was standing at the vanity in their small bedroom, applying some touches of make-up.

He knew he was late, and half expected a reprimand, but she looked at him and with a playful laugh said, "Happy anniversary, hon. Now hurry up or we're going to be late for our dinner reservations."

He'd gotten appropriately cleaned up and dressed. They'd gone out to dinner at one of the best restaurants in Tacoma, then had come home and enjoyed amazing sex. Coming back to the present he chuckled as he wiped a tear from his eye, remembering that'd been the night Amanda had been conceived.

"Cool your heels, Pumpkin," he smirked and laughingly shot back, "The water park isn't going anywhere."

He grabbed his swim trunks and an olive drab tee shirt from the duffel bag and complied with his daughter's wishes. Going into the bathroom to change, he saw that Amanda had piled her clothes in front of the toilet. Shaking his head, he took the time to fold her things and set them on the rim of the bathtub and before leaving looked at himself in the mirror.

He smiled at the reflected image and remembered how Pat had described him -- a hunky, brunette Thor, with a hairier chest and a closer cropped mane than the Marvel superhero. Giving a pleasant smile, he tried to lighten the serious visage he normally displayed. "You're no longer in the Army, Derek," he said to himself, "Relax and have some fun."

As soon as the bathroom door was open, Amanda was there, brimming with excitement. She had the room's key card in her hand and was bouncing up and down, with excitement. He opened the door for her and holding his hand she was practically dragging him along, saying, "Come on dad. We can't miss all the fun!"

Checking in at the door of the park, he was amazed at how humid it was in the massive enclosure. It reminded him of some of the steamy environs he'd served in on missions with the Rangers. An attendant measured Amanda, and he was amazed she was just over 42", the minimum height to ride the big water slides. Beaming, she reveled in the fact she was tall enough to ride the 'big rides' as the wrist band was affixed to her hand. She wanted to go straight to them, but he'd suggested they try a few others first.

They waded out into the tidal pool and when they'd gone out to where she was treading water, he offered a piggyback ride, as the waves crashed around them. They then went to the aquatic obstacle course and using the rope, Amanda deftly hopped from one floating island to another. Cheering her on, he was amazed at her agility and balance. They stood under the torrent of over a ton of water, as it splashed down from a huge bucket that was set three stories above them. As they enjoyed themselves, it hit him that this was the first time that he'd really had fun since Pat's death.

After they'd gone down the smaller water slides twice, he suggested they do the Cyclone and Amanda beamed and raced for the stairs. Laughing he followed her as they climbed and joined the line and after a while, they'd nearly made it to the top.

"Oh my gosh, Dad," Amanda squealed, jarring him from his reflection as she tugged on his swim trunks. Cackling laughter and pointing down below, she said, "Some lady just lost her top as the bucket was dumped on her."

He looked in that direction but couldn't see anything. 'Damn', he thought, 'She's got amazing vision', and then wondered why kids always thought that adults placed in compromising situations was funny.

The Sleepover ...

Vicki awoke in the middle of the night as if on cue. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, the muted, red LED's informed her it was 4:15 am. She knew this was usually Danny's normal time for waking in the night and crying out. She held her breath and lay there in silence, listening for any noise coming from the adjoining room. Any moment now, she knew he'd cry out for her, but thankfully nothing came. One minute passed, which in turn became two and then three. Sighing in relief, she laid her head back on the pillow feeling relieved.

She was laying naked next to an amazing man named Derek. She snuggled her butt into his lap and felt his penis brush her bottom as they spooned, laying side-by-side. One of his strong hands was laying on her hip and she gently moved it to her breasts and using her hand pressed it, so it would gently cup the mound of supple flesh. He mumbled something in his sleep and his beard tickled her as it brushed the back of her neck. He then laid motionless and softly snored. Laying there enjoying the feeling of being wrapped in his strong embrace, she marveled at how fate had allowed their path's to cross in such a wonderful way.

****

On Saturday morning and after a fitful night's sleep, they'd risen early. Danny who was a creature of rigid habit had awakened several times during the night. 'Probably not used to the bed', she thought. She'd brought his sheets and one of his favorite blankets as she knew his ASD was accompanied by sensitivities to certain textiles and fabrics. Sadly, the unfamiliar surroundings had caused some issues for him in the night.

They'd arisen bleary-eyed and she got a couple of his morning snacks to enjoy with a video, so she could shower and dress. At the same time, she forewarned him about the activities that were planned for the day, to reduce his stress. After getting him settled, she went into the bathroom and closed the door just enough to give herself some privacy, but leaving the door cracked to hear if Danny cried out. She turned on the water and found that unlike her parent's shower, the water warmed quickly. Stripping off the tee shirt and panties she'd wore to bed, she stepped into the stream of hot water and stood there for several moments, enjoying the luxurious feeling of the hot water beating against her.

She then washed her wet mop of short blonde hair. Being a single mom, she kept her hair short as it was easier to care for on her busy schedule. She then lathered the rest of her body. While she scrubbed herself, she silently prayed that they would have fun that day. 'Just one day', she thought, 'To have some fun in our hectic lives'.

After rinsing and using the conditioner the lodge provided on her hair, she decided to try a trick she had read about in one of the spy thrillers she enjoyed. The main character, a special ops demi-god, would always turn the water from hot to ice cold to help become fully alert. After taking several deep breaths and then gritting her teeth, wrenched the handle from hot to cold. As the cold spray washed over her, she spewed a string of curses as she jumped. Clenching her teeth, she turned quickly allowing the ice-cold water to fully cascade over her and then turned the water off, as quickly as she could.

Shivering as she whispered, "What the fuck was I thinking," for trying such a stupid stunt, she threw open the curtain, grabbed the towel from the bar, and quickly dried-off her now quaking body, as quickly as she could. Although she was freezing, she was now fully awake. Afterwards she slipped on some panties and dressed in khaki shorts, a purple sports bra, and a snug-fitting white tank top.

Coming out of the bathroom Danny beamed a smile. He dropped his tablet, slid off the bed and toddled over to her, and hugged her around waist. Laughing, she thought, 'Leave it to my buddy-boy to boost my spirits' and crouched to hug him back.

They went downstair to the restaurant and had breakfast. Early risers as they were, it wasn't crowded and they were able to enjoy a wonderful, morning repast. Pancakes for him, which were his favorite and an omelet for her, which was a rare luxury and being able to enjoy some coffee without it cooling, made the experience even better. She continued to prepare him for the things planned for the day and she too looked forward to walking around and exploring the lodge.

His juice got spilt at one point, which caused him to have a small meltdown, but with the help of the helpful restaurant staff, they were able to clean things up, so they could finish their meal.

Returning to their room, she helped Danny with brushing his teeth and she then freshened-up and helped Danny with donning his wolf ears. She was surprised that he let them sit on his head, as she helped him into his umbrella stroller and wheeled him out the door, just as the guests in the room next to theirs were leaving. She suddenly stopped before running into the young girl, who she saw was the same girl from the previous evening's near mishap. Her father, a tall and muscular man with short brown hair and a closely trimmed beard and mustache was right behind her. The daughter was dressed in pink shorts and another white tee shirt. The father was in khaki cargo pants and a snug, dark green tee shirt that helped to accentuate his powerful physique. To top things off, they wore matching pink wolf ears.

"I'm so sorry," she exclaimed apologetically, coming to a halt and avoiding a collision.

Giving a friendly smile, the father at first said, "No problem," and then as if recognizing her guffawed and added, "This is the second accident we've nearly had," and shared that he was the driver of the truck she'd cut in front of, the day before.

Reddening with embarrassment, she apologized, just as the daughter's bright blue eyes went wide at recognizing her, pointed, and blurted, "Oh my gosh, dad! That's the lady who lost her top, last night!"

Vicki paled, putting a hand to her chest, and gasped in horror. She was completely mortified with embarrassment at the thought that someone had recognized her from the apparel mishap, the previous night. She'd been embarrassed at the time and had laughed along with the other adults in the area, but now she was utterly stunned. All she wanted to do was run away and hide somewhere.

The father looked at his daughter shocked and then apologized to her. He then got down on one knee and spoke to his daughter saying calmly, "Amanda, we talked about this last night. Remember," and motioning a hand to her and followed-up with, "It's not nice to make fun of people or to be disrespectful to adults."

The girl's shoulders slumped, and she dropped her head and said, "Yes, sir."

He gave her a hug and then said kindly, "You need to apologize to the lady."

She heard a muffled, "Yes sir," and when the girl relaxed her hug, she looked up at her and said, "I'm sorry, ma'am," and then asked, "Would you forgive me?"

Amazed at how well this dad had managed the situation, she brushed the tears that were forming in her eyes, and crouching beside Danny, to get down on her eye level, said, "Absolutely, honey," and put out her hand to introduce herself and then Danny, who issued a bubbly cackle at being recognized.