Honeymoon for Five
Chapter One
“I absolutely love the smell of spring.” Mina Ummarino stood on her next door neighbor’s back porch and sniffed at the air like a dog taking in the scent of a sizzling steak.
“Smell?” Jo, her younger and more technical sister, scrunched her face and shook her head. “The only thing we can smell out here is the exhaust from MacArthur Avenue.”
“Aren’t we in a mood?” Melody Harwood teased the sisters. “You guys can argue about whether the air smells of rain or flowers or cat litter for all I care. Five more days and Shane and I will be basking under glorious Caribbean skies.”
“Oh.” Jo spun around and flopped into the rocker. “Ever since my sisters and I bought the house next door to Angie and heard all the great stories, I’ve added a cruise to my bucket list. They sound like so much fun. I just hope that I don’t have to wait till my honeymoon to take one.”
Mina nodded. She hoped the same thing. No matter her intentions of getting some friends together and having a seaside vacation like her friend and neighbor Angie, life had a way of always making other plans. Days flew by too fast. Chores and responsibilities, and of course family always came first. Spontaneity was a foreign word to her. She really would have to make more of an effort if she wanted to pull off a friends’ vacation.
“The only thing that would have made this little honeymoon trip of ours even better would have been if we had been able to take it right after the wedding instead of a year later, but it’s still going to be so sweet.” Melody handed a diet cola to Mina and chuckled.
“At least I’m all packed and ready to go.”
“About that.” Shane Harwood, a tall man dressed in military camo, came out the kitchen door.
Melody turned and flashed a sappy grin at her spouse that made all the sisters on the porch smile. Love really was fun to watch.
The moment Melody’s eyes leveled with her husband’s, the sweet grin slipped. “What’s wrong?”
“Orders.”
“One word and already I don’t like the sound of that.”
Shane blew out a sigh and pulled his wife into the curve of his shoulder. “All leaves are cancelled. We’re shipping out ASAP. I’ve got to collect my bag and report to base.”
“But…” Her head tipped back and she stared into steely gray eyes. “The trip.”
He bobbed his head. “I can’t do anything about it. Unless all the nutcase leaders in the world suddenly grow common sense, things like this happen.”
Lips pressed tightly together, Melody barely nodded. Anyone on the porch could see her fighting tears. “I know. There will be another time.”
“We can’t get any of our money back at this late hour. You should find a friend and go anyway.”
Melody sprang out of his hold. “I don’t want to go on my dream trip without you.”
“I know.” He curled her back into him. “But at least one of us should have a good time.”
“I can’t.” Her head buried in his shoulder, she shook it left then right. “There is no way on earth that I’d take our dream trip without you.”
His fingers drew casual circles on her back, and he leaned in to kiss the top of her head. “I know, honey. I’m really sorry. We will go another time. I promise.”
Lowering his head, his lips met hers for a tender peck that turned a tad more heated for Mina’s comfort, and she and her sisters developed a sudden interest in Melody’s flower beds.
“I love you.” He inched away, kissed her forehead, and took another long step in retreat.
“Love you more.” Melody’s hands fell to her side, her eyes still glistening with held back tears.
"My bags in the front hall. I'll contact you as soon as I can.”
Melody nodded and the four of them watched him walk down the hall, grab his bag and proceed out the front door. “And that’s that.”
Now Mina understood the old cliché about looking like someone just kicked your puppy. Melody had gone from cloud nine to the basement in a split second. “I think this calls for an Ummarino family dinner.”
“Oh, for the love of St. Anthony,” Ginnie shook her head, “she needs our family like she needs a hole in her head.”
“Not the actual family.” Honestly, Mina wondered how her sister could be so literal. “Just the meal. Nothing soothes the soul like fresh mozzarella melting in a homemade lasagna with toasted garlic bread and some of Mama’s cannolis.”
“She has a point.” Jo smiled. “I think I have some of Mom’s pizzelles in the freezer too.”
“Then it’s a plan.” Mina pushed to her feet. “I’ll hit Mom’s kitchen and steal some of her sauce. We can have a nice family dinner and just in case, I’ll pick up some butter pecan ice cream on my way home.”
“No need.” Ginnie shook her head again. “There’s a gallon of butter pecan in the garage freezer.”
Jo frowned at her sister. “You’ve been holding out on us. Where in the freezer?”
Grinning like a cat with a belly full of cream, Ginnie shrugged at the baby of the family. “It’s behind the frozen spinach.”
“I don’t know.” Melody leaned over the porch railing. “I may just curl up with a sappy book and stay in bed until Shane comes home.”
“Nonsense.” Mina sidled up by her neighbor. “I’ll call Angie. We’ll have a nice long girls’ night, and for a little extra insurance, I’ll bring over Dad’s chianti.”
Two hours and one bottle of wine later, the five women were smiling, giggling, and diving into a fresh baked lasagna.
“You know,” Angie stabbed at her dinner, “your husband had a good idea. When my friend who used to own Mina’s house had her fiancé walk out on her, she took the trip alone. She had a great time.”
Ginnie chuckled. “From your stories, everyone has a great time on a cruise.”
“I know I did.” Angie smiled.
“Wasn’t that honeymoon cruise where your friend met her husband?” Jo asked.
Angie nodded. “It was.”
“I don’t need a husband.” Melody pulled apart a piece of warm garlic bread and mid-bite, her eyes rounded, she held up a finger and quickly swallowed. “But two of you should go.”
“Two of who?” Ginnie reached for her wine.
“You.” Melody waved at the women around the table. “Draw straws or something.”
“Not me.” Angie shook her head. “Devon and I have plans and they don’t include getting a week’s vacation at the last minute.”
“What about you three?” Melody looked almost as excited as she’d been before her husband dropped the unpleasant news.
Mina’s knee-jerk reaction was no way. After all, there was work and chores and all those pesky little responsibilities, of which missing Sunday supper at her mother’s was top of the list, that she had to consider. Didn’t she? She actually had to stop and make herself think about it for a minute. She hadn’t taken a vacation in so long that she had enough days off accumulated to take several cruises. And how horrible would it be to add a little spontaneity to her vocabulary? She tipped her head at her two sisters. “Maybe?”
“Really?” Ginnie snapped her mouth shut as soon as the word crossed her lips. “I was just thinking that, but I didn’t think you’d be willing to, you know, just up and go.”
“Perhaps it’s time I planned a little less and just up and did a little more.” The whole situation made her wonder what else has she been missing out on by always postponing the unplanned.
A slow smile pulling at the corners of Ginnie’s mouth. “Could be fun.”
“Wait.” Jo held up her hand. “Why do you two get to have all the fun?”
“Because we’re older.” Mina flashed her sister a toothy grin. They’d been pulling rank on her since the day she was born. She didn’t know why her stomach wasn’t revolting on her. She never did spur of the moment things like this, especially big things like this, but the whole idea was actually taking root and sprouting flowers. Fun colorful and exciting flowers.
“This age before beauty thing is getting worn out.” Jo grinned widely, obviously proud of herself for the little twist on an age old dance the three sisters did.
“Before you guys start drawing straws,” Angie waved her hands at them, “a lot of those cabins are equipped with extra bedding for families. Maybe you could call and add a person to the cabin.”
“Do we know if we can even switch out names at this late hour?” In her mind, Mina was packing her bags and dreaming of lounging on a warm beach. It would be a shame if this couldn’t work out.
“No problem,” Angie spoke up. “Been there, done that. Cruise lines only need twenty-four hours to substitute passengers.”
Mina looked at Ginnie then Jo, silently asking if they were going on a vacation. After all, they’re Italian, deeply rooted in Latin, shouldn’t Carpe Diem, seize the day, be ingrained in them somehow? The two sisters stole a sideways glance at each other, smiled and then turning back to Mina, nodded. “I guess we’re going on a cruise!”
* * *
“Hey bro, I was just getting ready to call you. You’d be proud of me.” Kent Harwood had just come from doing battle with his bosses’ efforts to pull him into the latest upset. He’d given them plenty of notice for taking time off to dog sit for his brother’s pack while Shane and his wife were off on their long-awaited cruise, someone else could step in and set the project right. He was actually looking forward to a little down time in a house with a yard, no stomping neighbors upstairs, no stereo playing teenagers next door, and not dealing with anything unpredictable for five whole business days. “I stuck to my guns at work and will be driving down day after tomorrow to play Uncle Kent to the pups.”
“Yeah, about that.”
Oh, he didn’t like the sound of that. Through the years he’d learned to read his brother by the look in his eyes or tone of his voice. This tone was definitely shouting bad news coming. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re going wheels up. I can’t take Melody on the cruise.”
“Oh, man.” The two had been looking forward to that cruise for so long he felt terrible for them. “How soon?”
“Very.”
Another thing he’d learned about his brother’s military career is that almost everything was on a need to know basis, and the family rarely ever needed to know. “Now what?”
“I’m already heading to base.”
“Does Melody know?”
“Dude. She’s my wife. Of course I told her first. And in person.”
“Sorry.” Even after almost a year, he still tended to forget his brother was now half of a whole. They’d been bachelors for so long and then Shane had met Melody. The two had meshed so hard and strong that within a few months they were engaged, and six months later they were standing in front of a preacher. They’d had to settle for a long weekend honeymoon in a local resort, but had this upcoming anniversary trip to look forward to. This was a crappy turn of events. “How can I help?” Not that he really expected to be much use, but if his brother, or sister-in-law, needed him for anything, he’d be there.
“How do you feel about taking a cruise?”
“Say again.” Surely he hadn’t heard that correctly. He didn’t mind stepping in to help, but taking his sister-in-law on a cruise was not on his radar.
“I told Melody to take a girlfriend and go, but she doesn’t want to without me.”
“Can’t say that I blame her.”
“The cabin is paid for. Someone should use it, you’ve already got a week’s vacation lined up and we don’t need a dog sitter anymore.”
“I don’t know.” He did have a week off, and spending that time on the blue Caribbean would certainly be the ultimate break, but… “Can I just take over your cabin? I mean, this isn’t like a dinner reservation.”
“Yeah, it’s surprisingly easy. I checked before talking to Melody to make sure a friend could take my place.”
Which meant, unless he wanted to reimburse his brother for the whole thing, he needed to find a travel buddy and probably fast. “How long do I have to think about this?”
“You’ve got two days. After that, the twenty four-hour deadline will kick in and no one except Melody and me would be able to travel, and on such short notice, there’s no time to put this out there.”
His brother was right. Time was of the essence, and as long as there was wifi on the ship, he should be able to talk one of us buddies into joining him. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Great. That will take a load off of us. I’ll forward you all the reservation info shortly. I’m almost at the base.”
Now Kent wanted to say something dorky like stay safe, or keep your head down, but after all these years, he’d learned to keep his concerns to himself. “I’ll take care of it. I’ll also make sure your wife knows to count on me if she needs anything while you’re away.”
“Thanks, man. I hate leaving her like this, but it is what it is. Hopefully none of this will last long and I’ll be home sooner than later.”
“Amen.” He thought that every time his brother was deployed to a hot spot, which thankfully he was never really sure of till Shane was home, but he hoped that this time would be just like all the others and his brother would be home soon safe and sound.
“I’m here. Gotta go. I’ll call when I can, but thanks. For everything.”
“You got it, bro. Any time, every time.” They’d had each other’s backs their whole lives, no point in changing that now.
Tapping in the number for his best friend and coworker, Kent waited for the phone to be answered.
“Hey, man. What’s up?”
“How do you feel about sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine?”
“Say again.”
“The Caribbean, sand and water. What do you say?”
“Did you drink your lunch today or something?” Jim was a smart guy but sometimes he was just a bit slow on the uptake.
“No. Shane has to cancel his trip so I am now the proud tourist looking for a travel buddy.”
“Sold.”
“Don’t you want to know exactly where we’re going? Or for how long?”
“Nope.” He could almost hear his friend shaking his head. “Anywhere that isn’t here is fine with me and after the week we’ve had, the longer the better. When are we leaving?”
“Saturday.”
“This Saturday?”
“Yep. Can’t make it?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve had it up to my eyeballs with Mother Nature’s constant play dates with winter. I’m in.”
“Great. Will call later when I have everything set up. Oh, and text me your passport number. I’m going to need it to change the reservations.”
“Will do right now.”
“Perfect. I can feel the sun baking on my back already.”
Jim laughed. “Just remember to roll over.”
He’d have to remember a lot of things, but for now, not much else mattered. He was taking a vacation. An honest to goodness, unplug and unwind vacation. And if it went as well as he expected, he might just run away from home for real and never come back.
“I absolutely love the smell of spring.” Mina Ummarino stood on her next door neighbor’s back porch and sniffed at the air like a dog taking in the scent of a sizzling steak.
“Smell?” Jo, her younger and more technical sister, scrunched her face and shook her head. “The only thing we can smell out here is the exhaust from MacArthur Avenue.”
“Aren’t we in a mood?” Melody Harwood teased the sisters. “You guys can argue about whether the air smells of rain or flowers or cat litter for all I care. Five more days and Shane and I will be basking under glorious Caribbean skies.”
“Oh.” Jo spun around and flopped into the rocker. “Ever since my sisters and I bought the house next door to Angie and heard all the great stories, I’ve added a cruise to my bucket list. They sound like so much fun. I just hope that I don’t have to wait till my honeymoon to take one.”
Mina nodded. She hoped the same thing. No matter her intentions of getting some friends together and having a seaside vacation like her friend and neighbor Angie, life had a way of always making other plans. Days flew by too fast. Chores and responsibilities, and of course family always came first. Spontaneity was a foreign word to her. She really would have to make more of an effort if she wanted to pull off a friends’ vacation.
“The only thing that would have made this little honeymoon trip of ours even better would have been if we had been able to take it right after the wedding instead of a year later, but it’s still going to be so sweet.” Melody handed a diet cola to Mina and chuckled.
“At least I’m all packed and ready to go.”
“About that.” Shane Harwood, a tall man dressed in military camo, came out the kitchen door.
Melody turned and flashed a sappy grin at her spouse that made all the sisters on the porch smile. Love really was fun to watch.
The moment Melody’s eyes leveled with her husband’s, the sweet grin slipped. “What’s wrong?”
“Orders.”
“One word and already I don’t like the sound of that.”
Shane blew out a sigh and pulled his wife into the curve of his shoulder. “All leaves are cancelled. We’re shipping out ASAP. I’ve got to collect my bag and report to base.”
“But…” Her head tipped back and she stared into steely gray eyes. “The trip.”
He bobbed his head. “I can’t do anything about it. Unless all the nutcase leaders in the world suddenly grow common sense, things like this happen.”
Lips pressed tightly together, Melody barely nodded. Anyone on the porch could see her fighting tears. “I know. There will be another time.”
“We can’t get any of our money back at this late hour. You should find a friend and go anyway.”
Melody sprang out of his hold. “I don’t want to go on my dream trip without you.”
“I know.” He curled her back into him. “But at least one of us should have a good time.”
“I can’t.” Her head buried in his shoulder, she shook it left then right. “There is no way on earth that I’d take our dream trip without you.”
His fingers drew casual circles on her back, and he leaned in to kiss the top of her head. “I know, honey. I’m really sorry. We will go another time. I promise.”
Lowering his head, his lips met hers for a tender peck that turned a tad more heated for Mina’s comfort, and she and her sisters developed a sudden interest in Melody’s flower beds.
“I love you.” He inched away, kissed her forehead, and took another long step in retreat.
“Love you more.” Melody’s hands fell to her side, her eyes still glistening with held back tears.
"My bags in the front hall. I'll contact you as soon as I can.”
Melody nodded and the four of them watched him walk down the hall, grab his bag and proceed out the front door. “And that’s that.”
Now Mina understood the old cliché about looking like someone just kicked your puppy. Melody had gone from cloud nine to the basement in a split second. “I think this calls for an Ummarino family dinner.”
“Oh, for the love of St. Anthony,” Ginnie shook her head, “she needs our family like she needs a hole in her head.”
“Not the actual family.” Honestly, Mina wondered how her sister could be so literal. “Just the meal. Nothing soothes the soul like fresh mozzarella melting in a homemade lasagna with toasted garlic bread and some of Mama’s cannolis.”
“She has a point.” Jo smiled. “I think I have some of Mom’s pizzelles in the freezer too.”
“Then it’s a plan.” Mina pushed to her feet. “I’ll hit Mom’s kitchen and steal some of her sauce. We can have a nice family dinner and just in case, I’ll pick up some butter pecan ice cream on my way home.”
“No need.” Ginnie shook her head again. “There’s a gallon of butter pecan in the garage freezer.”
Jo frowned at her sister. “You’ve been holding out on us. Where in the freezer?”
Grinning like a cat with a belly full of cream, Ginnie shrugged at the baby of the family. “It’s behind the frozen spinach.”
“I don’t know.” Melody leaned over the porch railing. “I may just curl up with a sappy book and stay in bed until Shane comes home.”
“Nonsense.” Mina sidled up by her neighbor. “I’ll call Angie. We’ll have a nice long girls’ night, and for a little extra insurance, I’ll bring over Dad’s chianti.”
Two hours and one bottle of wine later, the five women were smiling, giggling, and diving into a fresh baked lasagna.
“You know,” Angie stabbed at her dinner, “your husband had a good idea. When my friend who used to own Mina’s house had her fiancé walk out on her, she took the trip alone. She had a great time.”
Ginnie chuckled. “From your stories, everyone has a great time on a cruise.”
“I know I did.” Angie smiled.
“Wasn’t that honeymoon cruise where your friend met her husband?” Jo asked.
Angie nodded. “It was.”
“I don’t need a husband.” Melody pulled apart a piece of warm garlic bread and mid-bite, her eyes rounded, she held up a finger and quickly swallowed. “But two of you should go.”
“Two of who?” Ginnie reached for her wine.
“You.” Melody waved at the women around the table. “Draw straws or something.”
“Not me.” Angie shook her head. “Devon and I have plans and they don’t include getting a week’s vacation at the last minute.”
“What about you three?” Melody looked almost as excited as she’d been before her husband dropped the unpleasant news.
Mina’s knee-jerk reaction was no way. After all, there was work and chores and all those pesky little responsibilities, of which missing Sunday supper at her mother’s was top of the list, that she had to consider. Didn’t she? She actually had to stop and make herself think about it for a minute. She hadn’t taken a vacation in so long that she had enough days off accumulated to take several cruises. And how horrible would it be to add a little spontaneity to her vocabulary? She tipped her head at her two sisters. “Maybe?”
“Really?” Ginnie snapped her mouth shut as soon as the word crossed her lips. “I was just thinking that, but I didn’t think you’d be willing to, you know, just up and go.”
“Perhaps it’s time I planned a little less and just up and did a little more.” The whole situation made her wonder what else has she been missing out on by always postponing the unplanned.
A slow smile pulling at the corners of Ginnie’s mouth. “Could be fun.”
“Wait.” Jo held up her hand. “Why do you two get to have all the fun?”
“Because we’re older.” Mina flashed her sister a toothy grin. They’d been pulling rank on her since the day she was born. She didn’t know why her stomach wasn’t revolting on her. She never did spur of the moment things like this, especially big things like this, but the whole idea was actually taking root and sprouting flowers. Fun colorful and exciting flowers.
“This age before beauty thing is getting worn out.” Jo grinned widely, obviously proud of herself for the little twist on an age old dance the three sisters did.
“Before you guys start drawing straws,” Angie waved her hands at them, “a lot of those cabins are equipped with extra bedding for families. Maybe you could call and add a person to the cabin.”
“Do we know if we can even switch out names at this late hour?” In her mind, Mina was packing her bags and dreaming of lounging on a warm beach. It would be a shame if this couldn’t work out.
“No problem,” Angie spoke up. “Been there, done that. Cruise lines only need twenty-four hours to substitute passengers.”
Mina looked at Ginnie then Jo, silently asking if they were going on a vacation. After all, they’re Italian, deeply rooted in Latin, shouldn’t Carpe Diem, seize the day, be ingrained in them somehow? The two sisters stole a sideways glance at each other, smiled and then turning back to Mina, nodded. “I guess we’re going on a cruise!”
* * *
“Hey bro, I was just getting ready to call you. You’d be proud of me.” Kent Harwood had just come from doing battle with his bosses’ efforts to pull him into the latest upset. He’d given them plenty of notice for taking time off to dog sit for his brother’s pack while Shane and his wife were off on their long-awaited cruise, someone else could step in and set the project right. He was actually looking forward to a little down time in a house with a yard, no stomping neighbors upstairs, no stereo playing teenagers next door, and not dealing with anything unpredictable for five whole business days. “I stuck to my guns at work and will be driving down day after tomorrow to play Uncle Kent to the pups.”
“Yeah, about that.”
Oh, he didn’t like the sound of that. Through the years he’d learned to read his brother by the look in his eyes or tone of his voice. This tone was definitely shouting bad news coming. “What’s wrong?”
“We’re going wheels up. I can’t take Melody on the cruise.”
“Oh, man.” The two had been looking forward to that cruise for so long he felt terrible for them. “How soon?”
“Very.”
Another thing he’d learned about his brother’s military career is that almost everything was on a need to know basis, and the family rarely ever needed to know. “Now what?”
“I’m already heading to base.”
“Does Melody know?”
“Dude. She’s my wife. Of course I told her first. And in person.”
“Sorry.” Even after almost a year, he still tended to forget his brother was now half of a whole. They’d been bachelors for so long and then Shane had met Melody. The two had meshed so hard and strong that within a few months they were engaged, and six months later they were standing in front of a preacher. They’d had to settle for a long weekend honeymoon in a local resort, but had this upcoming anniversary trip to look forward to. This was a crappy turn of events. “How can I help?” Not that he really expected to be much use, but if his brother, or sister-in-law, needed him for anything, he’d be there.
“How do you feel about taking a cruise?”
“Say again.” Surely he hadn’t heard that correctly. He didn’t mind stepping in to help, but taking his sister-in-law on a cruise was not on his radar.
“I told Melody to take a girlfriend and go, but she doesn’t want to without me.”
“Can’t say that I blame her.”
“The cabin is paid for. Someone should use it, you’ve already got a week’s vacation lined up and we don’t need a dog sitter anymore.”
“I don’t know.” He did have a week off, and spending that time on the blue Caribbean would certainly be the ultimate break, but… “Can I just take over your cabin? I mean, this isn’t like a dinner reservation.”
“Yeah, it’s surprisingly easy. I checked before talking to Melody to make sure a friend could take my place.”
Which meant, unless he wanted to reimburse his brother for the whole thing, he needed to find a travel buddy and probably fast. “How long do I have to think about this?”
“You’ve got two days. After that, the twenty four-hour deadline will kick in and no one except Melody and me would be able to travel, and on such short notice, there’s no time to put this out there.”
His brother was right. Time was of the essence, and as long as there was wifi on the ship, he should be able to talk one of us buddies into joining him. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Great. That will take a load off of us. I’ll forward you all the reservation info shortly. I’m almost at the base.”
Now Kent wanted to say something dorky like stay safe, or keep your head down, but after all these years, he’d learned to keep his concerns to himself. “I’ll take care of it. I’ll also make sure your wife knows to count on me if she needs anything while you’re away.”
“Thanks, man. I hate leaving her like this, but it is what it is. Hopefully none of this will last long and I’ll be home sooner than later.”
“Amen.” He thought that every time his brother was deployed to a hot spot, which thankfully he was never really sure of till Shane was home, but he hoped that this time would be just like all the others and his brother would be home soon safe and sound.
“I’m here. Gotta go. I’ll call when I can, but thanks. For everything.”
“You got it, bro. Any time, every time.” They’d had each other’s backs their whole lives, no point in changing that now.
Tapping in the number for his best friend and coworker, Kent waited for the phone to be answered.
“Hey, man. What’s up?”
“How do you feel about sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine?”
“Say again.”
“The Caribbean, sand and water. What do you say?”
“Did you drink your lunch today or something?” Jim was a smart guy but sometimes he was just a bit slow on the uptake.
“No. Shane has to cancel his trip so I am now the proud tourist looking for a travel buddy.”
“Sold.”
“Don’t you want to know exactly where we’re going? Or for how long?”
“Nope.” He could almost hear his friend shaking his head. “Anywhere that isn’t here is fine with me and after the week we’ve had, the longer the better. When are we leaving?”
“Saturday.”
“This Saturday?”
“Yep. Can’t make it?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve had it up to my eyeballs with Mother Nature’s constant play dates with winter. I’m in.”
“Great. Will call later when I have everything set up. Oh, and text me your passport number. I’m going to need it to change the reservations.”
“Will do right now.”
“Perfect. I can feel the sun baking on my back already.”
Jim laughed. “Just remember to roll over.”
He’d have to remember a lot of things, but for now, not much else mattered. He was taking a vacation. An honest to goodness, unplug and unwind vacation. And if it went as well as he expected, he might just run away from home for real and never come back.