Chapter 17: Jicarilla Flats – Now We’re Caught Up. No Going Back From Here on Out

Laura’s graduation was sneaking up on us. There was no more need for a rental property, so I didn’t bother to call for one. What I did do was go to Sylvia’s separation party. They threw it for her at the NCO club, and we had a blast. Every pilot in the squadron was there, as were several of the support guys from the maintenance squadrons she dealt with now and again. It was epic.

Due to activities involving alcoholic substances, we didn’t leave until two the next afternoon for San Francisco. That earlier trip with Linda and Larry was just that, a trip. If I was ever going to fail as a single pilot in a medium sized business jet, it would be there at LAX in the daytime. That place is busier than an intersection in downtown Tokyo at lunchtime.

SFO is busy, don’t get me wrong, but it’s tolerable. With two other large airports, not to mention a few active business airports, in the immediate vicinity, the load gets spread out. Down there, it seems there are three planes at the other airports and still five hundred on approach or departure in and out of LAX. I opine too much. I love to fly, busy or not. I just love the act of flying.

We spent the night at the Crowne Plaza there at SFO again. It’s a nice place, and handy, so why not. We got a good night’s sleep, after assistance from each other with physical and romantic activities creating a perfect environment for such sleep. We basically screwed ourselves into a peaceful slumber.

Sylvia is an amazing lover. She makes me so very happy that we are together every time we are together. Another reason to pray and work on the two girls getting along together as partners in whatever it would be that we would have together. Nice word. Together.

Leaving out of San Francisco after a nice little breakfast, Sylvia explained why she went a bit nuts the night before. She was nervous. After me telling her about Laura’s parents, I think she might have been more nervous about them than she was about Laura. She admitted she and Laura had talked a few times and were feeling each other out for likes, dislikes, dreams, hopes, and fears. That made me happy. They were already working on it. The together thing.

I got a rental car this time, as Laura and Lana both were running their tails off getting ready for graduation, not to mention as we landed, they were both on their second to last day of finals. The actual ceremony wasn’t to be held until the next week and it was over in Honolulu. We had rooms booked for the Manoa Surfrider Resort where we’d stay for three days. I went ahead and set rooms up for Linda and Larry, too, after having Sylvia tell Laura to notify her parents of the plans. They were flying in for the ceremony, but not to Kauai. Sylvia begged me to take us over early to give her time to be with Laura and help with anything she could. I, naturally, thought it was a good idea, so, I claimed it for my own and we left way before the ‘rents could. They had two or three filming sessions they couldn’t miss before they left. Oh well, sucks to have to go to work.

I need to watch my flippant attitude, lest someone powerful from above looks down on me and smites me with a stick, or a bolt of lightning, or something, for being rude and uppity. I’m not, and I don’t mean to be, or sound like it, but my attempts at being jovial just happen. Kind of like with Arthur Chavez, Apache Shaman extraordinaire, sometimes humor just happens.

Once we got to the house in Princeville, Sylvia ran upstairs and started looking around for Laura. Mistake. She forgot what I told her.

“Honey, Laura is taking a final exam right now, in preparation for graduation. Remember?”

“Oh, yeah, huh. I’m just excited. And scared.”

“Stop that, right now. She’s just as afraid, and you need to realize I love you both and need you both, and ... Yeah, all that stuff. Just hug her, kiss her, take her to her room and sit and talk for a while, just the two of you. I’m fine. We have beer, wine, water, scotch, you know, the Globulin stuff,” she roared laughing, “and orange juice.”

“Vodka?”

“Probably.”

“We’ll get through it, then. Charlie, I love you, too. Thank you for this. Thank you for everything. Thank you for accepting me. I’ll do my best here.”

“Please. Just be the adult in the room, just like you were at work with all those little boys and their fast little toys. You’ll do fine. Oh, and don’t worry about Linda. She’s just a little flighty.”