Unlike everyone else, I packed light. My guitar was strapped to my back. Everything else was in my checked luggage.
“Really?” Bea asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Do you want help or not? I swear I don’t bite.”
Bea foisted the kid on me. “I just… you’re the only one without kids and I always assume he’ll drive you mad.”
I held the baby on my hip while she broke up her bag into smaller pieces. He was unbothered.
“See, we’re all good here,” I brightened. “We’ve got this down pat.”
Swaying and bouncing, I waited until she had a free arm and could take the baby back. While Bea passed through the scanner, I put my guitar on the belt.
“Are you some sort of rock band?” A guard asked.
I queued by the scanner. “We are Britain’s answer for UniVox. We’re the Zamboneys.”
He chuckled. “I’ve heard of you. My daughter loves your song.”
“She wrote it!” Alicia called out from past security, pointing. “She’s the mastermind.”
“Airport, darling! Airport!” Bea reminded her as I stood in the scanner.
“Good luck!” The guy called.
Finally, with Barry and Clarice bringing up the rear, we made it through.
“I need a coffee,” I groaned. “It’s time.”
“At three in the afternoon? Really?” Clarice asked. “If you’re getting one, get me whatever black tea they have.”
“Sure thing,” I agreed.
“It’s Fika,” Alicia teased. “Cannot miss her ritual break.”
I smacked her arm and walked towards the self-serve kiosk of a Berlin coffee shop for her tea and my americano. I tried my best to read German, which wasn’t terribly difficult. It was an act of defiance from my normal-day English. I longed to speak my mother tongue withanyone, but it never happened. Satisfied with both my ordering skills and secured purchase, I waited for my name to be called.
“Mar-it!” Someone called out eventually.
I proceeded to the counter, glad that no one flubbed it to call me “Mer-it”. I decided to go by Mary years before, knowing no one would ever pronounce my name properly in Britain. The Germans got much closer to the Scandinavian version than did any high street London shop.
“Tack,” I forgot where I was.
The guy behind the counter nodded. I figuredplenty of Swedes came through and forgot to saydankelike the locals. It beat a halfhearted, “cheers”, right? I carried Clarice’s drink in one hand and finished my own before returning.
When I found my crew by the gate, I knew Alicia and Bea were beyond exhausted.
“Let me take him for a walk,” I offered.
“No, no, we don’t want to put you out,” Alicia said.
“It’s fine. Really. I love hanging out with him,” I offered.
I pried Jonah from his mom’s arms and took him around the terminal. He was particularly fascinated by a shop selling keychains with a dais that spun on its own. The simplicity of children amazed me. Their brains were so full of potential, but a fan mesmerized them for hours.
“I doubt they have anything for you.” I kissed his cheek.
I browsed an expensive French cosmetics brand, needing eyebrow highlighter. The baby, in love with smiling faces and mirrors, had the best time. He began to squee and blow bubbles at an advertisement of a pore-less picture of EGOT queen, Leah Roughy.
