Angels and Bullies

By Richard W. Todd

Sandra "Sandy" Wood is a kid like any other who is trying to learn the ways of people. Through her life's journey, she learns that people are not always as they seem on first impressions. As her conflicts with others, and circumstances beyond her control build, Sandra's dreams begin to haunt her. Not fully understanding what her dreams are trying to tell her, she seeks out the assistance of professional help. With time and growth, Sandra eventually grasps what her subconscious is trying to tell her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: May 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887316772

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Chapter 1: Sandy

Chapter 2: Jenny

Chapter 3: After Changes

Chapter 4: Moving Forward

Chapter 5: A Major Summer

Chapter 6: Two New Rooms

Chapter 7: A Change

Chapter 8: Even More Changes

Chapter 9: Freshman Year

Chapter 10: The Incident

Chapter 11: Dr. Alma Martinez

Chapter 12: Breakthroughs

Chapter 13: The Three Weeks

Chapter 14: The Session

About the Author

cover.jpg

Angels and Bullies

Richard W. Todd, Jr.

Copyright © 2023 Richard W. Todd, Jr.

All rights reserved

First Edition

Fulton Books

Meadville, PA

Published by Fulton Books 2023

ISBN 979-8-88731-676-5 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88731-677-2 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Chapter 1

Sandy

Without someone to share the fun times with, does it really even matter? This was a question that Sandra Sandy Wood wondered about at a very early age (although in such a way that only a four-year-old could understand). She enjoyed going to the playground, games, and getting ice cream with her parents, Mitch and Erica. However, she always watched other kids share these moments with friends or siblings.

Mitch and Erica gave as much time to their daughter as two working parents could. Mitch worked a blue-collar warehouse job, loading trucks and picking orders for a local craft and hobby store. His job did give him plenty of time to be home for dinner every night and allowed for some playtime with Sandra. He would work an occasional Saturday around holidays or if a big order came in, but most weekends were left open for family, errands, and work around the house. Mitch's job paid fairly well, helping with the bills and the little extras of life. However, Erica took care of the bigger bills like the house and cars.

Erica's job was much more lucrative than Mitch's. She worked as a marketing executive, designing campaigns to sell products and services. Her position was more of a career than just a job and ate up many hours in any given week. Many times, she would be gone two or three days a week, out of town meeting with new or current clients. When she was home, she was either on her computer or phone dealing with some work issue. Despite the hours, she did bring home a hefty paycheck each week, which allowed for the big extras of life.

One of these big extras was taking the annual family trip. Each year, one member of the Wood household would be responsible for choosing where the family would go on vacation. Since Sandy was now four years old and in her first year of school (preschool), her mom and dad decided to let her choose where they would go. The family was sitting at the dinner table on Thursday night, talking about the day's events. Sandy told her parents that they had painted castles on art class today.

Mitch responded by saying, That sounds like fun. What color was your honey?

It was pink and gold with a blue sky and princess inside, stated Sandy.

After lots of talk about preschool, and Sandy taking way too long to eat her hot dog with mac and cheese, Erica gave Mitch a look with a smile. He knew that was the cue to ask Sandy about the annual trip. Mitch told Sandy to swallow the bite in her mouth, and when she finally did, Erica turned to her and said, "This year, it's your chance to pick where we go on vacation, sooo where do you think you would like to go?"

Without hesitation, Sandy yelled out with excitement Disney World!

At the same time, Mitch and Erica both said, That's what I'd thought.

Just as quickly, they each yelled out jinx just a little game the two played with each other.

Once all the initial excitement settled down, Sandra asked when they would go on this trip. Her mother told her during spring break in April. Now in real time, April was only two months away, but in four-year-old time, that was about fifty years away.

A few hours later, it was time for Sandy to go to bed. After she brushed her teeth with her princess toothbrush, got under the princess covers she had on her bed, and Erica read her favorite princess story, it was time to go to sleep. However, as anyone who has ever been around kids for more than five seconds knows, Sandy would not fall asleep early tonight with the trip being fresh on her mind.

As Sandra lay in bed, she thought about the castles, the rides, and all the princesses she would meet. But unfortunately, the same thought crept back into her mind like it did every night before she fell asleep. This reoccurring thought was about how she was alone. Yes, people cared and loved her, and she had one good friend at school, but there was no one to talk about princesses with once she found out. There wasn't that person to have secrets with or play dress up with or make up silly games with. Mom and Dad tried as best as adults could, but it wasn't the same. Some nights, it was just a passing thought, but when something big happened in Sandra's life, it really would get to her. On occasion, she would break out in tears, and what was supposed to be a good thing, like Disney World, would turn out to be a sad thing for Sandra. As the tears came out, she was sure not to be loud enough for her parents to hear. She wasn't worried they would be mad or anything like that, but she just didn't want them to know she was sad. She felt she was being silly, and hopefully, she'd forget these thoughts one day and they would just go away.

The next morning, Sandra asked her mother if they could get to school early so she could find Alexia (Sandy's friend) and tell her about the trip. Erica was happy to hear this, for more than one reason. Not only was she excited for Sandra, but she had an early meeting with a potential client and needed to get out of the house as quickly as possible. Sandra actually ate her cereal in record time today, and Erica grabbed her thermos to fill with much-needed caffeine. Mom got Sandra's lunch and homework into Sandy's book bag, grabbed her briefcase, and they were out the door.

Just as Sandra was about to get out of the car, her mom told her she loved her and to have a good day. Sandra replied, Love you too. Those three words always melted Erica's heart, and as she smiled, Sandra jumped out of the car quickly because she saw Alexia going inside. As she jumped out, her feet got entangled with each other, and she fell on the concrete. Sandra has a history of falling and even got to the point where her parents were waiting for a call from her school to see if they beat her because of all the bruises she would get. Erica asked Sandra if she was okay, and with watery eyes and a shaky voice, she softly said, Yes, I'm okay.

Erica blew her a kiss and drove off, as Sandra walked slowly into school. The happiness of the morning had faded in one fleeting moment. But in a young girl's world, moods swing in many directions over the course of a day, and just as quickly, the happiness returned for Sandra when she saw Alexia sitting at her table in their classroom. They had about five minutes before class started, and Sandra looked at Alexia and said, Guess what, you'll never guess what, and before Alexia could get any words out of her mouth, Sandra yelled, I'm going to Disney World!

Alexia excitedly replied, You are? I wish I was going.

I wish you were too, replied Sandra.

Just as Sandra finished her sentence, the school bell rang, and all the kids took their seats. As they sat there for a few moments before their teacher, Mrs. Kelly, started going over plans for the day, Sandra started to daydream about what it would be like if she had a sister and what if Alexia was her sister. She pictured the two of them running up to Cinderella and giving her a big hug. Then they would have a fantasy dress-up day with all the princesses, getting their hair done, makeup, and ball gowns. In the middle of this wondering, Mrs. Kelly noticed Sandra's eyes had that glazed-over look she had seen so many times before.

Mrs. Kelly called out, Sandra, oh, Sandra!

And Sandra came back to the real world. As she snapped out of her daydream, a few kids giggled, and even Alexia rolled her eyes at Sandra.

After another typical day at preschool filled with daydreams, glitter, and snack time (which Sandra never seemed to finish), Molly, the nanny, picked Sandra up. Molly was a young girl, at twenty-three years old, who just got out of college the past spring. She had received her bachelor's degree from South Eastern State in social work. Even though she had her degree, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do with life. As a result, she decided to try childcare, and Mitch and Erica came across her profile on an internet site. Their previous nanny, Barb, was older (forty-seven), but that wasn't the issue. She never tried to interact at Sandra's level; she just seemed to be there in case something went wrong. Molly, however, came up with activities and took Sandra on outings.

At first, back in May, when Molly was first hired, it took Sandra most of the summer of 2008 to open up and be comfortable with Molly. But once she did, the two of them really hit it off. It has slowly developed to the point where Sandra sees Molly as an older sister. There have been multiple times when Molly would pull either Erica or Mitch to the side to discuss an issue or secret that Sandra came to her about. One such time was about three weeks ago when she brought up a girl named Ashley. Sandra said Ashley made fun of her because she didn't like her shirt with the fish on it. Molly told her that Ashley was jealous and to not worry about what others think of her. Sandra took her advice but couldn't quite understand how someone could not worry about what others say about them. Sandra, being shy and one who avoids bigger crowds, as well as new people, just didn't get it. She is a smart girl who lacks self-confidence, and all the important people in Sandra's life recognized this truth. What they didn't know was how to help grow her confidence. Telling her positive things about herself did not seem to be working. It wasn't that Sandra was afraid of the world; she just didn't know how to be comfortable with her own thoughts and choices.

The following Monday, without even realizing it, Sandra put her fish shirt on again, as she was getting ready for school. As she came down the stairs, Erica noticed the shirt she was wearing. She remembered the conversation Molly had with her and started to worry a little. However, she didn't want Sandra to notice, so she told her to sit down and eat her breakfast so they get off to school on time.

The rest of the morning followed the usual pattern of painfully watching Sandra eat her cereal at a snail's pace, getting in the rush, and speeding down River Road so they could get to school just in time. As Erica watched her baby, as Sandra will always be to Erica, head into school, she started to panic a bit. It wasn't just that some brat might be mean to her little girl, but more that she couldn't do anything to stop it. As any good mother would tell you, this is any mother's worst fear.

Erica had a 10:00 a.m. meeting with her biggest client, Lowry Soups, and headed to the office to finalize her notes for the presentation. Once 10:00 a.m. rolled around, her clients showed up, and Erica started her presentation. As she went, she got to her new slogan idea: Lowry Soups—as warm as a mother's hug. Once she finished that sentence, Erica started to drift off and think about her daughter at school and wondering if everything was going okay. All this worry over some little trouble maker and a shirt with some fish on it, she thought, what a stupid waste of time. She didn't know at the time, but her negative thoughts were becoming a reality.

At the same time, at 10:45 a.m., over at St. Peter's Catholic School, Sandra's grade was heading to the gym for recess. It was much too cold at ten degrees, on this February day, to go out and play. Roughly sixty preschoolers were herded into the gym to play in small groups for the next twenty minutes. This seemed to be more of a break for the teachers than kids as none of them really paid attention to the interactions of the students.

Sandra was playing a fantasy game with Alexia where they were both fairies in a magical land. In the middle of the two girls flying around the gym, sprinkling fairy dust on other girls, Sandra accidentally bumped into Ashley. She turned toward Sandra, not realizing who bumped her at first, and said in a snotty voice, Can you watch it?

Once she turned her head around and realized it was Sandra, she gave her a long dirty look and noticed the fish shirt.

Oh, it's you and that stupid shirt, said Ashley.

Sandra, even though she didn't have a lot of self-confidence, would attempt to defend herself if the situation wasn't too overwhelming.

Sandra fired right back with It's not stupid. You are—a classic four-year-old come back.

So Ashley did the thing most people do when in a petty argument—she brought her friends to get them to agree with her. Ashley's friend Anne chimed in, saying, That's the ugliest shirt I've ever seen.

At this point, Sandra started to feel overwhelmed. As the group of girls kept talking, she got very upset and started to pout as she walked away.

Alexia was still floating around the gym and didn't realize what was going on until she saw Sandra walking toward the bathroom.

She followed Sandra into the bathroom and asked, What's wrong? Are you okay?

Sandra told her what happened and Alexia, being much stronger-willed, went out to find Ashley. Once she spotted her, Alexia walked up to her and told her, If you ever hurt Sandra again, I will hurt you. No one has ever talked to Ashley that way before, and she and her two friends backed down.

After Alexia was done dealing with the likes of Ashley, she went back to check on Sandra. As she walked into the girl's bathroom, she noticed that Sandra was doing better, and she put her arms around her to give her a big hug.

Later that day, Erica decided to take off work early so she could pick up Sandra. As she pulled her car up to the school door, where all the kids were waiting, she finally picked out Sandra. Knowing everything there is to know about her daughter, Erica would be able to realize how the day went just by the look on Sandra's face. As they made eye contact, Erica knew that it did not go well. Sandra's head was down, with her eyes peeking up to look for her ride. Once she saw her mom, she got into the back seat and buckled herself in a lot slower than normal.

Erica looked back at her upset little girl and said Rough day? in a sympathetic voice.

Sandra didn't answer her mother but slowly nodded instead. Erica tried to reassure Sandra that things would get better, but she knew that things had to play themselves out before Sandra would be back to smiling.

Later that night, as the Wood family sat around the dinner table, Mitch and Erica brought up Disney World again in an attempt to get Sandra to forget the day's earlier events. They were not very subtle about it, but when dealing with a four-year-old, there isn't a need for subtlety. Mitch looked over to Erica and asked if she had any special plans to meet with the princesses. Once Sandra heard the word princesses, she began to grin just a little bit. Erica thought for a moment and said, Umm, I believe there's this thing where they do makeovers at Cinderella's castle. There was a pause for about twenty seconds, as Sandra was picturing this idea in her head, and then suddenly, there was a burst of laughter. As she was laughing, her face turned red with embarrassment. Sandra was a very shy girl, even around her own family and friends. However, this vacation talk got her back into a good mood, and the day's earlier events became a distant memory.

The next couple of days at school went by without any incidents. After Sandra's friend, Alexia, had put the mean girls in their place, they seemed to want no part of messing with Sandra.

That Thursday at recess, Alexia came over to Sandra and asked if she wanted to play a new game she made up called musical fairies. This was basically just fairies in a make-believe band, but to young kids, everything is a new game, where most people say it's using your imagination. The girls came up with names for themselves. Sandra was Pixie, and Alexia was Tinker; not the most imaginative names, but they got the job done. Now they had to come up with a band name, so they both thought for a couple of minutes before Sandra yelled out, Fairy Wishes!

Alexia nodded in agreement, and they started coming up with songs and imaginary instruments. They went the whole recess coming up with new lyrics for their first hit single also called Fairy Wishes.

Over the weeks leading up to spring break, Alexia and Sandra really started to become best friends. They had been pretty good friends before, but now they were spending every recess and break time together. Most of the time, they played in their fairy band, either coming up with new songs or putting on concerts for fake audiences. It's funny how one situation can change lives that quickly.

That last Thursday before spring vacation started, Sandra and Alexia were doing their usual fairy game playing. In the middle of Alexia's new song idea, Sandra cut in and started talking about Disney World and all the things she wanted to see and do but especially who she wanted to meet.

In a somewhat but not overwhelmingly sad voice, Alexia stated, I wish I was going too.

Sandra replied, Me too, but then quickly got back to talking about princesses.

Which princess do you want to meet first? asked Alexia.

Sandra thought for a minute and responded with, Elsa, definitely Elsa.

If it was me, Alexia replied, I would want to meet Rapunzel, so I could touch her long hair.

Over the next twenty minutes, there were a lot of princesses, fairy, mouse, and all other types of character talk. As recess was just about to end, before going back to their classes, the two girls gave each other a big hug. Sandra got a single tear in one eye and told Alexia that she would miss her until school started up again. Alexia told Sandra to have fun and asked her to get her something.

I will ask my parents, Sandra said, and they went back to class.

That night up in Sandra's bedroom, Erica and Sandra were packing for their vacation. Now one might confuse Sandra's room as part of Disney World because of all the princess decorations, pictures, clothes, bedding, and toys from various movie and cartoon characters she had. Her room was painted princess pink, but one could hardly tell because her walls were covered with pictures and paintings she and Erica had done together over the first four years of Sandra's life. Many of the paintings were the ceramic kind people can do at a paint-your-own store they had in the neighborhood. This was one of Sandra's favorite activities, and the number of items in the house proved that all too well.

Erica asked Sandra what she wanted to take to wear while they were on their trip. Well, of course, Sandra started pointing and grabbing all her princess shirts, dresses, socks, and pajamas. Erica told her to slow down and that she didn't need all of it.

Then Erica told Sandra, I think we might buy some things when we are down there.

Sandra didn't even think of that at first, but the idea made her light up with joy even more.

Well, I hate to even ask this question, but what toys would you like to bring? asked Erica.

Now remembering what her mother just told her about buying things, Sandra decided, to her mother's surprise, to only take two smaller toys. When Erica asked if she was sure that was all she wanted to take, Sandra reminded Erica that they would need room in their suitcase for the toys they would bring home.

Erica just laughed a little and said, Okay.

The next morning, Mitch was packing up the family's blue cargo van—the van Mitch and Erica had bought because they planned to have a big family at the time. However, with their conflicting work schedules, traveling for work and leisure, and involving a nanny and other family members to help watch over Sandra, they decided to just stick with the one, Sandra.

As Mitch was putting the last bag into the van, he could hear Erica tell Sandra to make sure she went to the bathroom one more time. The drive to the airport was forty-five minutes, and Sandra had a bad habit of asking to stop for bathroom breaks on any trip over thirty minutes long. It wasn't that she peed a lot; it was just always bad planning.

After using the bathroom, Sandra grabbed her favorite teddy bear that went on all the family trips—both big and small. She jumped into the car, buckled into her car seat, and Mitch pulled out of the driveway.

The drive to the airport was pretty uneventful; the traffic was smooth and flowing well. The only entertaining part was Sandra's nonstop talk about what she wanted to do once they got there.

Once they reached the airport area, Mitch parked the van in a pay-by-day parking lot. The family gathered their luggage and picked up a shuttle and finally got to check in. Then they waited in line, then another line for security. Sandra, who was flying for the first time, didn't understand what was going on.

How come we just don't get on the plane? she asked her parents with a bit of shock in her voice.

Mitch and Erica explained the ins and outs of traveling by plane and the importance of security to her.

Mitch stated, There are some bad people who do stupid things on planes, so the airlines need to try to stop them.

Sandra looked puzzled and wondered what bad things people could do on a plane and asked, What type of bad things?

Mitch and Erica looked at each other, and neither wanted to have this kind of conversation about terrorists and the evil that men do, so Erica just said, Bad things, honey. Now let's go the line is moving.

Sandra heard things like this from her parents before, short and not very informative answers, but she usually didn't force them on the issue. Even though she didn't get an answer, or keep asking, it didn't stop her from picturing things in her head. Bad things on planes she thought and started to picture people singing too loud and throwing food. She pictured these things because this is what some kids got in trouble for at lunch in school. Her innocent four-year-old mind couldn't begin to imagine the really bad things that could happen. Mitch and Erica knew someday they would have to explain the world to Sandra, but they wanted her to keep her innocence for as long as possible.

Once they got through all the lines, which took twice as long as Mitch originally hoped, they walked to their gate. Once they got to gate D12, they noticed some groups were already boarding, so they got in line again. Sandra did not say it out loud but thought to herself, Oh no, not another line. Little did she realize once she was at the park, she and her family would be waiting in many lines.

The Wood family found their seats, put their carry-ons where they needed to go, and sat down.

Can I have a snack? Sandra asked her mother.

Not now. Wait 'til we are in the air please, Erica replied back.

Once the plane was full, and it was packed and about fifteen minutes of taxiing, the plane started to roll down the runway. Sandra looked out the window of seat 9A where her ticket said she should sit and was filled with both excitement and anxiety. As the plane went faster and faster, so did her heartbeat, and when the tip lifted upward, she grasped Erica's hand tightly. Once the place leveled out high in the air, everyone relaxed and got settled in.

About halfway between home, Toledo, Ohio, and Orlando, Sandra started to get hungry. She looked down at the carry-on bag and saw the bag of chips Erica had packed. She asked if she could have some, and Erica said, Yes, but you better eat dinner tonight.

Sandra replied, Okay, Mommy.

As Sandra was a few bites in, the plane hit a little turbulence, and she became scared and grabbed her mother's hand tighter than when the plane first took off. After about two minutes of bouncing up and down a bit, the plane leveled back out. However, it took Sandra about twenty minutes to calm down. Mitch went back to the well one more time by asking Sandra if she was ready to meet her favorite princess in a couple of hours. Sandra, still shaken up, looked at her daddy and, wiping one last tear out of her eye, said, Yes…I hope we have time.

Oh dear, we have plenty of time, replied Mitch.

Mitch seemed to always find a way to calm Sandra down.

Another forty minutes or so went by, and finally, the wheels from the plane lowered down and touched the runway. Sandra was so happy and asked if they were there.

Well, we are in the right city, but we have to go to the hotel first, then the park, Dad said with a grin.

After getting the rental car, which took another half hour, the Wood family headed to the hotel. Mitch pulled into the garage, found a spot, and parked the car. He opened the trunk and started grabbing bags and, under his breath, said, How many damn things did these girls bring with them?

He wasn't mad, just being a husband who has dealt with this for years when he and Erica used to go on vacation together. He gave himself the nickname Donkey because he was always hauling something around. He looked at his two girls and yelled, He-haw! Sandra jumped back a little and asked her daddy what he meant by that.

It means Daddy gets to carry all the stuff.

Mitch meant it in a playful way, and all three had a little laugh with one another.

The family checked into the hotel and went to their room.

So how much longer? asked Sandra.

Let's get unpacked and use the bathroom, Erica replied back.

The girls took out their clothes, shoes, and girl stuff and took about fifteen minutes to get situated. Mitch, on the other hand, opened his suitcase and said, Done.

Erica and Sandra looked at each other, and at the same time, both said, Boys.

After a quick bathroom stop, the family went to the lobby and out the hotel doors to catch a taxi to the park. On the ride over to the park, Sandra started to think of all the vehicles they needed to take just to get to the first park. First, there was the car to the Park-N-Pay place. Then there was the shuttle to the airport, the plane ride, and then another shuttle to the rental car place, and then the car to the hotel. (The only reason they got the rental car was they planned one day outside Disney and wanted to make it as easy as possible.)

Now they have another car ride to the park itself. After thinking about this, she told her parents about it, and Mitch replied, We still have to take a tram after we get dropped off.

Sandra asked what a tram was, and Mitch explained it was like a train but just for the park.

Another ride? she said.

Don't worry, honey. We will get there soon.

They did get there soon enough, another fifteen minutes in the car, and then of course, the tram ride. They went through the security lines and then the ticket line, and the whole time, Sandra's face was frozen with the same smile and amazement in her eyes. Once getting their bags checked and making their way through a sea of people, they finally got to Main Street. Sandra was so overstimulated with the music playing, flashes going off, and the amount of colorful merchandise on all sides. She didn't notice the big castle right in front of her eyes.

Hey, Erica said, in a hush, look over there, honey.

Sandra's eyes had been opened pretty big up until this point, but once she made visual contact with the castle, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. After a long pause and her mouth wide open, Sandra grabbed both her parents by the hands and started to run toward the castle. There were many people in the way but like a professional race car driver, they wove in and out of the crowd and made their way to the front. Many, many pictures were taken, and a usually shy Sandra went and found one of the cast members to take a picture of the whole family.

Once the initial shock wore off and spending a good half hour just in front of the castle, Mitch told Sandra they should move on and go see what else there is.

The first day in the park came with the usual: many rides, junk food, pictures and autographs with many characters, and of course a set of ears to wear. However, the best part came as the Wood family was heading toward the exit. They had to walk past the castle to leave the park. There was a show going on in the front part, but off to the side, Erica saw a short line.

Hey, I think one of the characters is over here, she said to Sandra and Mitch.

All three walked over, not knowing who was attracting the small crowd. As they came around a big bush, Sandra's eyes got buggy again. It was Cinderella, and she was at the top of Sandra's list of characters she wanted to meet. As tired as she and her parents were, Sandra was very bouncy and found a second wind while waiting for what seemed like an eternity. There were only three kids in front of her, but it felt like a million to Sandra. One kid, then the second, and finally, the third went, and as the little girl walked away, an employee whispered something to Cinderella. Mitch had an idea of what was going to happen and made a certain face. The kind of face a parent makes when they believe their kid is about to be hurt or disappointed. It is a combination of anger and frustration but comes with a deep, focused stare.

The girl playing Cinderella said, Hi, you are lucky because this man here says I'm needed in the Castle, but I think it can wait for a minute or two.

Sandra ran up to her and gave her a big hug. As they were hugging, Mitch made eye contact with Cinderella and mouthed Thank you to her. Cinderella nodded and resumed talking with Sandra. After a picture and autograph, they proceeded out of the park.

Once out of the park itself, they still needed to get to a taxi, which involved a bit of a walk. At this point, Sandra was happy and exhausted, so Mitch picked her up. After only three or four feet, she passed out with her face on her daddy's shoulder and just a bit of a grin as well.

Over the next few days, it was more of the same: long lines, character meet and greets, rides, candy, and lots and lots and lots of toys. When they first arrived, Mitch was only half kidding about buying a new piece of luggage to take home all the loot, but now they actually had to buy a bag. Of course, it had to be one with princesses all over it, which became Sandra's own piece of luggage for further trips.

Finally, the last day came, and the family headed out of their first-floor hotel room. It was a suite with a living area, bedroom, kitchenette, and a nice little patio off the room. Each day before heading out, Mitch always was very careful to be sure their valuable items were packed away and the patio door was locked. However, Sandra was in such a rush because it was the last day, and he forgot.

About two hours after the Wood family had left, a man who blended in very well with the area decided to check the hotel patio doors. He figured it was a numbers game, and after checking eleven rooms prior to the Wood's room, he had come up empty. Twelfth times a charm, he thought to himself. As he searched the room for money and expensive items, he was coming up short. The only thing he could see worth anything was the princess suitcase full of merchandise. He grabbed it and walked out the patio door, hopped over the line of bushes, and took off.

At that same moment, the Wood family was in line to meet the one and only Mickey Mouse; little did they know that they were being robbed of all their purchases but, more importantly, their memories.

The last thing they did at the park was to pick out their favorite pictures taken by the Disney cast members. They found a taxi and headed back to their hotel room. Once in the hotel, Sandra asked for a late-night snack as she was yawning. Erica told her there would be plenty of time tomorrow, and they headed toward their room. It took Mitch three swipes to open the door, as it had every time they came back to the room. He always wondered why, but it wasn't that important to lose sleep over, he thought. At first, no one realized anything was wrong until Sandra tried to find her favorite sleeping buddy, a plush doll of Cinderella.

Where are my toys? she asked out loud to whoever was listening.

Mitch said, They are here somewhere. Just look around.

After about five minutes of looking, Sandra, who was already crabby from being so tired, started to cry. I can't find them.

Both Erica and Mitch didn't believe it at first and started looking themselves. After a minute or two, Mitch realized the patio door was open a few inches, and it hit him as to what had happened.

Mitch looked over at Erica, and without saying a word, she, too, realized what was wrong. Mitch called the front desk and explained the situation and the hotel sent security to their room. The officers took all the information from the Wood family, what was taken, etc. Once they were done with their report, they left the room.

Mitch pulled Sandra over to him and picked her up and sat her on the bed.

I'm sorry, honey, he said, but she just looked him in the eye and asked, What happened, Daddy?

He looked her back in her eyes and started to explain how there are some bad people in the world who like to take things that don't belong to them. Sandra sat and thought about what her dad had just said for a moment and said, At least we had fun together, didn't we, Daddy?

Mitch was a little surprised by her response, but Sandra always felt secure with her mom and dad around. It was when they were off to work or out somewhere without her that she felt insecure.

Wanting to not let this one bad thing ruin their trip, Mitch told Erica and Sandra to get some sleep because they were going back to the park tomorrow. Erica looked at him with surprise in her eyes and thoughts of cost and time running through her head. She knew it cost a lot, and they would be pushing it to make sure they had enough time to catch their plane home.

The next morning on the way to the park, Sandra still wondered why only her stuff got stolen. She was disappointed last night, but this morning, she became more upset and started to tear up. Mitch and Erica were talking about how the day was going to work and how long they had to do each thing they needed to do. Sandra didn't want them to see her crying, so she pretended to be asleep by putting her head down and up against a blanket she had brought from home. With her eyes closed, she continued to think how this trip was so fun, but someone had to ruin it. It was just like her fish shirt all over again—something fun to me but ruined by someone else, she thought. Why do these keep happening to me? she wondered.

As they pulled up to the park, Mitch looked back and told Sandra and Erica, Okay, let's do this quick. Keep moving and have some fast fun.

Sandra knew her daddy was trying to make her feel better, and as he and Erica were getting situated, it made her remember the last time he helped her feel better.

*****

Memory starts

It was about a year or so ago and Sandra had lost her favorite teddy bear, the one she slept with every night.

Daddy, Mommy, I can't find Teddy! Sandra yelled as she ran into the family room. (Sandra was not known for coming up with the most unique names for her stuffed animals. Teddy Bear was Teddy, her toy fox was Foxy, and more just like that.)

After about two hours of searching the whole house by emptying storage bins, flipping couch cushions, and going through every crevice they could find, the Wood family gave up. Sandra went to bed that night, crying and had to sleep in Mitch and Erica's bed, so she felt secure. The next morning, which luckily was a Saturday, Mitch got up extra early, got in his car, and proceeded to make a two-hour drive. They had got Sandra Teddy from a kid's museum they visited on a weekend trip they took just because they could, the Wood family did this a lot. The whole way there, Mitch hoped they would have the same one in the gift shop. He finally pulled up, ran inside, and after saying a little prayer. He found it—Teddy.

Mitch paid for the bear, got back in the car, and, well, drove another two hours back to the house. He made it home in time for lunch, and while they were eating, Sandra asked, Daddy, where did you go this morning?

Well, I had to run some errands, he said and, at the same moment, pulled the new Teddy out of the bag.

Sandra's eyes bugged out, as they always do when she is surprised or happy. Thank you, thank you, thank you! she said excitedly. Where did you find him?

Mitch went on to explain what he did and reminded her this wasn't the original, but the lady at the store said all Teddy's love the same.

Although Mitch was the disciplinarian of the family, he also felt empathy for his daughter. He wanted her to be happy as often as possible, even if he had to sacrifice his time or wants to make it happen.

Memory ends

*****

The family headed into the park and ran right to the first shop they could find. Mitch looked at the two girls and said, Go to town.

He knew that this was going to bust the budget they had agreed on before coming down here, but it was worth it.

Sandra and Erica grabbed toys, pajamas, and two princess dresses, and of course, the ears. They put it all on the counter, and it was rung up.

That will be $287.26, said the sales lady.

Now it was Mitch's turn to have the bug eyes, as he didn't realize how much they had spent when buying these items one at a time.

As they were just about to head out, Sandra asked, What about my autograph book?

Erica thought for a moment and told her it wouldn't be possible to get all those autographs in such a short amount of time. As the two were talking, Mitch looked down Main Street and saw a long line down near the castle. He went and found the girls and told them to hurry up.

What's going on? they both said at the same time.

Jinx, said Sandra, who had learned this little game from her parents.

Now Mitch wasn't sure exactly what character it was, but he was hoping it was Cinderella.

The three of them got to the end of the line and asked the person in front of them which character this was for. The little girl responded before her mother could and said, It is my favorite princess, Cinderella.

Mitch looked at Sandra and said, You can talk to her, you know. You both love Cinderella.

At first, Sandra was too shy, but after fifteen minutes in line, Sandra did start to talk to the little girl. As everyone was talking and moving one step every three minutes, a lady walked by saying it would be another forty minutes from this point.

Erica looked at Mitch and said, This is going to be close. Do you think we have time?

He was calculating things in his head and then sighed before saying, Yes, in a very shaken voice.

Everyone knows when you're on a tight time line and how fast time seems to go. Even the little things, like grabbing a drink, seem to take too long. The line moved, but it seemed to the Wood family that it was the slowest-moving line they had ever been in. Sandra wasn't worried about time because, in her world, princesses and toys were king, not deadlines and nonrefundable tickets. Despite their thoughts, the line was actually moving pretty fast. Finally, after exactly thirty minutes, Mitch was keeping track, and the little girl Sandra had been talking with took her turn with the princess. After getting a picture and hug, she moved on and gave a wave bye to Sandra.

Now a couple of days earlier, there was a close call when a princess almost walked away before Sandra could visit with her. They got lucky that time, but not this time, as a lady walked over and put up a crowd blocker and said, Sorry, folks, Cinderella needs a quick break. We'll be back in fifteen.

The anger that built up inside Mitch was at the boiling level, but he had to keep cool for Sandra. As slow as the line seemed to be moving before, these fifteen minutes seemed to move like a turtle walking uphill. After many come on moments out of both Mitch's and Erica's mouths, Cinderella finally came back. It was sixteen minutes later exactly because, again, Mitch was keeping track at this point every minute counts.

Go, honey, Mitch told Sandra excitedly.

Erica took a picture of her daughter hugging Cinderella, and a funny thing happened to her. A countless number of still frames of her daughter's life flashed through her head. There was one each from all previous birthdays, Christmas, pictures in Halloween costumes, and a few random ones.

Mommy, come on, Sandra said as she pulled on her mother's shirt. O-O-Okay, Erica responded as she shook off what she had just seen. It really caught her off guard because it had never happened to her before.

Mitch and Sandra were about ten steps ahead of Erica, and she started to run to catch up. Once she got with them, all three started to run because they knew they had to get to the tram, then to the car, drop it off, get the shuttle to the airport, and check in as fast as humanly possible if they had any shot of catching their flight home. Any delay at this point, and they would have to catch a later flight.

They checked their bags, including the new one bought only hours earlier, which was filled with all of Sandra's stuff, but really, each item was a separate memory. Some items will remind Sandra of an encounter with a character; others will remind her of a ride they stood in line for an hour but enjoyed every minute anyway.

Once the bags were up and on their way down the conveyor belt, the Wood family got in the security line. What seemed like every two seconds, Mitch kept checking his phone for the time.

I can't believe we can actually do this.

The rest of the process went pretty smoothly. There were no hiccups in the security line, and they walked right up to the gate and got on the plane. Time was tight, and by the time they were all buckled in, the plane started to pull backward before taxiing down the runway and taking off.

This trip was only half the battle; they had to catch a connecting flight in Chicago. With Erica flying all the time for work, she knew there was always a problem when going through Chicago. However, the flight to Chicago was smooth, and the three members of the Wood family slept most of the way there. Despite being a little nervous after the bumps from the first flight, Sandra fell asleep after only ten minutes in the sky. Erica fell asleep pretty quickly as well, but Mitch, on the other hand, was just staring at his daughter with a big grin on his face. It was the grin of pure happiness and satisfaction. After twenty minutes or so of looking at her exhausted face, he, too, dozed off.

No one woke up until Mitch was startled out of a deep sleep by the wheels of the plane hitting the runway. After a quick yawn, he reached past Sandra and shook Erica awake. She, in turn, did the same thing to Sandra. After taking a few minutes to get to their gate, they pulled up and grabbed their carry-ons before heading out.

Now the fun part, said Erica sarcastically.

Mitch looked at her and rolled his eyes as he said, We shall see, honey.

Unfortunately, Erica was right; the connecting flight, which would only take about thirty minutes, was delayed by two hours. Well, I guess we can get dinner, said Mitch.

After a few minutes of discussing their options, Sandra stated that since they were still on vacation, they should get some chicken nuggets.

Again! said Erica. Okay, but this is it for a whole week, you understand? she asked Sandra.

Sandra nodded, and off they went to find some more nuggets.

As they were sitting down and discussing the past week's highlights, a man wearing sunglasses, a black baseball hat, and wearing a backpack ran past them. As he went by, he knocked down the Wood's carry-on bags they had sitting on the empty seat next to them.

Asshole, Mitch said under his breath as he picked up the bags. Just then, about ten seconds behind the first man, another man wearing basically the same items ran by. Most people in the airport didn't pay too close attention, but ever since 9/11, Mitch has become overaware of his surroundings. On top of this, he was one to expect the worst out of most people. Mitch started to look all around him, and as he did, he noticed security guards coming from different sections of the airport.

Oh shit! Mitch said as he looked directly into Erica's eyes. Mitch had sworn all his life but made some effort to hold back when Sandra was around, but in certain situations, he just let it out. This was one of those situations.

It seemed that the two men had broken through security and were trying to reach a specific spot in the airport. A few seconds after the second man ran past the Wood family, three security guards jumped on him and were able to wrestle him down to the ground. One of the guards was really fighting to get something small and black out of the man's hand. Everyone in the area was watching the altercation, but Mitch was focused on the hand, just the hand. After some struggle, a small device that looked like some kind of remote slid a foot across the tiled floor.

After Mitch could really see what was being taken from the man, he quickly grabbed their bags