There was much excitement as they sat at the end of the runway, awaiting clearance to take off. It was their first holiday as a family, and the first time that Alice and Chloe had ever flown.
Greg had been impressed at the way the airline staff had handled Chloe and her wheelchair, laughing and chatting to her as they expertly manipulated the chair onto the aircraft and had her sitting comfortably in her seat in no time. He knew that Alice had been dreading the whole process, but it was all done with the minimum of fuss, and assurances that they would be met at the other end and that her chair would be waiting for her.
He turned and smiled at her.
"There you go, that was easy."
"They're great! Let's hope the people over there are as good."
"It'll be fine."
She squeezed his hand, then gripped it tightly as the engines throttled up and the aircraft began to accelerate down the runway. He noticed with a smile that, across the aisle from them, Chloe was also hanging on for grim death to his daughter's hand as Kim, a seasoned traveller like himself, reassured her that the noise and being pressed back on their seats was perfectly normal. Like mother, like daughter, he thought with a fond smile.
Then they were airborne, on their way to Portugal for their first holiday together, indeed their first trip away of any kind since Alice and her daughter had finally moved in with Greg and his own daughter. He was so happy to be with Alice full-time, and the living arrangements seemed to be working out really well. Kim had hit it off with Chloe, helping to transform her new room and teaching her guitar. He now knew what he could get Chloe for Christmas. The girls were inseparable - Kim was great at keeping Chloe entertained and cheering her up when the younger girl was going through one of her periodic mood swings, whilst having Chloe around was undoubtedly helping Kim to get over her break up with Abby. They were good for each other.
He'd confided in Alice that he was a little worried as to whether he and she would be quite such eager lovers once they were actually living together, but she'd just laughed.
"You'd better believe it, baby! I'll keep you young!"
She hadn't been wrong. In spite of their age difference of over twenty years, he felt energised by her prodigious appetite and eager, almost innocent enthusiasm for sex, and if anything their lovemaking was more frequent now than ever.
For Alice, moving into Greg's place provided her with the security and family atmosphere she had craved since she was a small child and her father had left them. Her mother had remarried later, and while she loved her stepfather, even calling him Dad, she couldn't forget all those years when she'd grown up in a one-parent family. Alice had married young, desperate for love and companionship, only to have all her worst fears realised when her own husband, unable to come to terms with bringing up a disabled daughter, had abandoned them.
Greg kept her grounded and ridiculously happy, and she was now seriously thinking about whether she still needed to keep on her old flat, which had been empty for several months, but which she had been reluctant to sell until she was absolutely sure that it was going to work out with Greg. The mortgage payments took up a big chunk of her salary, and perhaps it was time to let it go. Her train of thought was derailed by Chloe leaning across the aisle.
"Mum, I wonder what King's doing right now. Do you think he'll be OK?"
"Probably sleeping or stuffing his face, as usual! He'll be fine, Grandma's used to looking after him, and it's only for a week."
She had to admit to herself that she'd miss him, but her mother had told her to leave the dog with them, as it would be hard enough to get around with four of them and a wheelchair, without taking a large dog, too, and Alice was forced to agree.
Food and drinks came and went, and before she knew it, they were already starting the descent into Faro airport. Chloe had decided that flying was amazing, and that she'd learn to fly herself when she was old enough. Alice wasn't sure that there were such things as light aircraft modified for disabled people, but she knew her resourceful daughter well enough to know that if she put her mind to something, she'd make it happen.
The Portuguese ground handling staff proved to be just as efficient as their British counterparts, and they were whisked off the plane and through customs and baggage reclaim, held up only by the queue at the car rental desk. Greg eventually managed to make it to the front and to sign all the paperwork for the vehicle he'd pre-booked, making sure that it had enough space for all their luggage and the wheelchair.
He took some ribbing over his uncertain start at driving on the "wrong" side of the road, especially when he tried to change gear and found himself winding down the driver's window instead, but he'd done this before, and it quickly came back to him. They were glad of the car's air conditioning, unaccustomed to the bright sun beating down and making the air shimmer hazily above the road as they made their way west.
The apartment, chosen for its accessibility in terms of both wheelchairs and proximity to the beach and town centre, proved to be quite small, but perfectly adequate, and the resort itself was ideal - away from the massive developments and noisy crowds of the Algarve, but with enough shops and restaurants and nightlife to stop the girls from getting bored.
That evening, Greg showered and looked at himself critically in the mirror before dressing for their evening out at the local restaurant he had chosen as they strolled around the town in the afternoon, getting their bearings. He was nervous, since he was harbouring a secret from Alice and the girls. It made him feel guilty and furtive, as he hated keeping anything from her, but sometimes it was absolutely necessary, and this was definitely one of those times.
It was a beautiful evening, warm and balmy, and they sat outside the picturesque bistro, enjoying both the view of the beach and the dark water beyond and some delicious home-cooked food. Kim had even found a vegan option on the menu, and she was surprised and gratified when Chloe chose the same. Alice was amused when she heard Chloe say that she was seriously thinking about turning vegetarian, too. Kim was certainly having an influence on her daughter, but Alice didn't mind at all. It was good for her to have a close friend, and Chloe certainly seemed happier these days.
Kim couldn't help noticing that her father seemed a little ill at ease, in spite of the relaxed atmosphere and chatter around the table. Alice, too, sensed that Greg was rather quiet, and she reached over and squeezed his hand.
"Are you happy, darling?"
His face cracked into a smile as he beamed at her.
"Very, my love. But you could make me even happier."
Alice searched his face, slightly concerned now. She spoke rather more loudly than she'd intended.
"What do you mean?"
Other conversation ceased abruptly and hush descended around the table as he made no reply at first, fumbling awkwardly in his pocket before turning back to her.
"I love you so much, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Kim put her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide as she abruptly realised why her father had been so nervous.
"Alice, will you marry me?"
Alice sat there, stunned, looking at the little open box with the solitaire diamond twinkling in the candlelight. Everyone round the table held their breath, their eyes fixed on her. Her heart was overflowing as she gazed at his anxious face with eyes which were suddenly full of tears, and she knew what her answer had to be.
"Yes! Yes!! I will!!"
Pandemonium ensued, with Chloe and Kim hugging each other, diners at nearby tables bursting into spontaneous cheers and a round of applause, and the waiters coming out to see what on earth was going on. Greg and Alice were oblivious, holding each other close, their mouths locked in a passionate kiss.
Chloe coughed.
"Ahem! About bloody time, too. Now, can we have some dessert?"
Everyone fell about laughing, there were more hugs and kisses all round, and the restaurant owner appeared, producing a bottle of bubbly with a flourish.
"On the house, my friends. Congratulations, we wish you much happiness!"
Alice was still shaking as she sipped from her glass and smiled at him.
"I can't believe you did that in front of everybody! What if I'd said no?"
He grinned ruefully.
