The Cruise Companion Graduation

The Cruise Companion - The Graduation Getaway

By Aoife

A/N - Recently, something amusing happened. While browsing my favorite cruise line message board, I came across a post titled 'Seasoned Cruiser Needed.' Curious, I read through it, and soon my imagination took off.

This is the continuation of the series featuring Dr. Julie Anders. This chapter again holds a Sapphic only theme. If this style or subject matter isn't to your taste, I completely understand and appreciate you taking the time to stop by.

All characters, names, and events in this storyline are purely fictional. Any resemblance to real life is purely coincidental and unintentional.

A big thanks to Nicole for her editing and suggestions. Any remaining mistakes are my own; my eyes aren't quite what they used to be.

~~~

I was driving south heading toward the Philadelphia International Airport following signs for arrivals. It was about ten minutes away. Traffic wasn't too bad, though it was a Thursday afternoon following college graduation. Most students and their families had already left town. Mother's Day had come and gone the previous Sunday.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Maddie. "Hi, baby," I answered.

"Mom, she just sent the text they landed!" Her voice brimmed with excitement. "I'll be home soon to start dinner. Love you, Mom... and Mom? Thank you so much for this."

"Of course, Maddie, I love you as well. Maddie, will you decant a bottle of Duckhorn Chardonnay for dinner?"

"Yum you bet Mom!"

As I hung up, I touched two fingers of my left hand lightly to my lips. A shiver ran through me. I exhaled, wishing and waiting for her soft, special kiss. It would come in mere minutes.

Fourteen weeks earlier

"Of course, Sabrina, I miss you too," I said, smiling at the sound of her laughter through the phone. "Yes, I'm checking my schedule regularly."

She giggled again. "We're like little girls, scheming and planning aren't we?"

I chuckled. "No, we're two women who miss the touch, the feel, and most of all, the companionship of one another."

The hum of the garage door opening interrupted me. "Hey, I need to run. We'll talk soon, I promise. Say hi to Dawn for me."

Ending the call, I set my phone down and glanced at the glass of wine sitting on the coffee table. It didn't look nearly as appealing as when I'd poured it an hour ago.

It had been five long weeks since I last kissed Sabrina. For five cold, lonely, bitter weeks of winter, I have missed her. Yes, I knew those lonely nights in my bed were entirely my fault. No one needed to remind me.

The garage door rumbled shut, signaling Maddie's arrival. The mudroom door opened and closed.

"Mom?" she called out.

"In here, Maddie," I replied.

I heard her footsteps approaching. I smiled at the thought of my incredible daughter. In just a few months, she'd graduate and face the stress of preparing for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination. Maddie had always been a disciplined student, but the looming pressure of that exam was another story.

She wandered into the room, plopping down on the couch beside me. Nestling against my shoulder, she leaned into me for a moment of comfort.

"Who would've thought?" she murmured.

I glanced down at her. "Hmm?"

"Who would've thought ..." She hesitated, and then finally spoke. "Mom, she was fun, wasn't she?"

I nodded, sensing there was more on her mind. Silence settled between us until Maddie finally broke it.

"Do you think we could do a three or four-day cruise with them? What do you think, maybe over one over spring break?" She tilted her head up to meet my gaze.

I burst into laughter. Once I composed myself, I asked, "We, as in you, Dawn, Sabrina and me?" I pulled her closer, studying her face, my mature, beautiful daughter who still looked like my baby.

She grinned, a mile-wide smile. "I am not joking Mom, Dawn and I text every once in a while, sometimes daily." She ginned and blushed," And sometimes ...never mind."

"Maddie continued. "You are aware she tells Sabrina almost everything she and I talk about."

We sat quietly for a moment then I sighed. "I just told Sabrina I'd check what I could do, but Spring Break is really soon. Finding last-minute cabins won't be easy." Sitting up, I let her go.

"What if we did a graduation cruise instead?" I suggested. "Or maybe a little getaway weekend before you lock yourself away studying for the PANCE?"

Maddie's eyes lit up and her excitement was palpable. "Really?" She beamed with excitement. "We wouldn't even need a balcony, just something across the hall from you. Believe me, we don't need much space."

Her excitement was infectious. "Let me look into it," I said. "Your graduation is the Saturday before Mother's Day, right? I'll see what I can find."

I kissed the top of her head, stood up, and added, "But you have to promise me you won't say a word about this until I figure something out."

She hugged me tightly. "Okay, deal. I will start some dinner, you're not cooking."

Laughing, I headed upstairs in search of my laptop, already brainstorming ideas.

I swapped my slacks and blouse for cozy flannel lounge pants and a Penn sweatshirt, grabbed my laptop, and headed back downstairs. Setting the laptop aside, I busied myself by getting plates and silverware ready for dinner.

"Mom," Maddie began as she stirred something on the stove, "I was thinking, if we sailed out of New Jersey, they could fly here, and we could..."

"We could... what, Maddie?" I asked, keeping my tone light. I wanted to hear her thoughts fully. After all, this was her graduation gift and, perhaps, a Mother's Day combo trip as well.

She turned away from the stove to face me. There was a quiet intensity in her expression, something wistful, almost yearning. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and I froze.

Oh no. My heart clenched as I studied her. Was this about Lynne, or was it something else? That look in her eyes carried a deep, reflective sadness that wasn't fleeting. It came from a place of longing. I nodded gently, waiting for her to continue, but then the tears spilled as if she couldn't hold them back any longer. Her words, though spoken lightly, were laced with memories and unspoken hopes.

"Okay, baby," I whispered, stepping forward to hug her. I held her tightly, becoming the steady presence she needed. "I promise. I promise."

Later that night, as I climbed into bed, I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text:

'I need a favor. Please don't book anything for the weekend and the days around the weekend after Mother's Day weekend... please? Both of you. I'll explain once it's figured out.'

Sabrina's reply came quickly, a string of emoji:

'? 👩 ‍ ❤ ️‍ 👩?'

I smiled and responded

: '🤷🏼‍♀️just trust me!'

Her reply was immediate:

'I do, Jules. I do trust you. Good night.'

As Friday, a week later rolled around, I was utterly swamped and exhausted and to boot, it was Valentine's Day. My schedule was crammed with classes, office hours, and the looming deadline for a research project I'd be working on in the lab the following morning. A full week had passed without me finding the time to research a graduation cruise or even talk to Maddie about it.

When I finally made it home late that evening, there was a note waiting for me on the kitchen island:

"Your dinner is in the fridge. Hallmark is running its usual marathon of sad, sappy and hopelessly depressing romantic movies. Bring wine and join me if you want. We can cry together.

Maddie

I chuckled and headed upstairs to change. No red tonight, I reminded myself, settling on flannel lounge pants and a plain gray mock turtleneck for maximum comfort. Once I was downstairs, I reheated my dinner, grabbed a bottle of wine.

I called down the steps, "Are we drinking straight from the bottle, or are we being civilized?"

"Oh, Mother!" Maddie replied, her mock-exasperation making me laugh.

I grabbed two glasses, and made my way to Maddie's basement apartment.

I poured us each a glass from a nicer bottle and joined her on the couch. We sipped wine and made it through one full Valentine's Day Hallmark movie, the standard where love conquers all, predictably but still heartwarmingly.

As the movie ended, Maddie yawned and stretched. I stood and promised her, "I'll do my absolute best to find a cruise for your graduation. I'll make it special. You have my word."

With that, we said goodnight. My mind was already racing with ideas as I headed upstairs, determined to make good on my promise.

~~~

When the sun rose on Sunday morning, the clatter from the kitchen jolted me awake. I groaned, rolling over to glance at the clock, ugh! It was only seven fifteen. It didn't feel like I'd left the lab just twelve hours earlier. My back ached from hunching over microscopes, and my eyes still burned from the strain.

'Clang'

Another noise echoed from the kitchen below. I sighed. "Oh, Maddie." I loved my daughter, but couldn't she wait until at least eight o'clock before starting her culinary experiments?

Pushing aside the top sheet, I shuffled into the bathroom. After finishing up, I washed my hands and caught my reflection in the mirror. A faint smile crossed my lips as I heard the unmistakable sound of a pot lid hitting the floor. Maddie's enthusiasm was relentless.

I moved back to my bedroom and threw on a pair of flannel pants and a long-sleeve shirt. Normally, on a relaxed Sunday in late April, I might have skipped the shirt altogether, but I was making an effort. When Lynne broke up with Maddie, one of her complaints was how casual and comfortable Maddie and I were around each other. Apparently, it bothered her that I didn't always bother with a top.

Really, though, people need to grow up. They're just breasts. Yes, they can be sensual; a source of intimacy with a lover, but that doesn't mean I'm sexually attracted to my daughter. This is one reason I admire Europeans, they celebrate the human body without unnecessary shame. Pfft. They're just breasts.

I headed downstairs, following the sound of cooking chaos. "Morning, baby," I muttered, stepping into the kitchen. Maddie turned, smiling, and pressed a finger to her lips, motioning for silence.

"Dawn, I promise, she's trying," Maddie said into her phone, her voice hushed. "I went upstairs last night, and her light was still on past eleven-thirty." She handed me a cup of coffee without breaking her conversation. I hadn't even seen her pour it.

"I will, as soon as I know something," she huffed, then nodded. "Okay, yes. Remember, it's a secret. Deny everything and act surprised." She smiled at me, her eyes sparkling, and ended the call with a playful wink.

"Dawn? Really?" Maddie blushed as I asked as she set her phone on the counter.

"Just a nice morning conversation, don't worry we aren't scheming yet, it was nothing important." Maddie turned back to the stove, stirring something that smelled heavenly.

I sipped my coffee and moved to hug her briefly from behind. Then, coffee in hand, I made my way to the kitchen table, flipping open my laptop. I began searching for cruise ships departing from Cape Liberty, NJ, or Baltimore, MD. Both were less than a two-hour drive from our house, making them convenient options.

As I browsed, I found promising trips: Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean, all depending on where we wanted to go. One cruise caught my eye, a four-day trip on Liberty of the Seas leaving the weekend after Mother's Day. There was also a seven-night Bahamas cruise that sounded tempting.

Sliding back my chair, I told Maddie I'd be right back and hurried upstairs to find my phone. Quickly, I sent a text:

'Can you both get away for a week, plus or minus? Don't say anything to Dawn. I want this as a graduation surprise for Maddie.'

After hitting send, I fired off an email to my department's administrative assistant, blocking my schedule from Friday through the following Friday, the week following Mother's Day and graduation. Satisfied, I returned downstairs to enjoy my coffee and plan the perfect surprise.

I came back downstairs to the smell of a wonderful breakfast waiting for me. Sitting with Maddie, I couldn't help but feel a sense of calm as we chatted about her plans after graduation. With a spark of determination in her eyes, she shared her goal of taking the PACNE, aiming for either July or October. Her advisor was preparing a practice exam for her and two others, but Maddie was set on tackling it in July after a few focused months of studying. Her excitement was infectious, and I couldn't help but feel proud of her resolve.

After breakfast, I went back upstairs, casually checking my phone and there it was a reply. My heart raced with a flicker of excitement. I smiled, knowing exactly what I needed to do. Without hesitation, I went downstairs, powered up my laptop, and began making plans.

Something big was taking shape, something I knew would be unforgettable. I could feel it surging throughout my entire body. And it felt good.

Mother's Day

As the ceremony began under the bright noon sun on Sunday, I sat in the crowd, my heart swelling with pride and emotion. The warmth of the day seemed to mirror the joy radiating within me as I heard the announcer call, "Maddison Julia Anders." Dressed in her cap and gown, Maddie walked confidently across the stage.

It was a moment she had dreamed of for years, framed by a soft breeze and the gentle rustling of nearby trees. This was the culmination of countless late nights, early mornings, and sacrifices. Tears threatened to spill as I thought about the determination and resilience Maddie had shown to reach this incredible milestone.

I applauded as loudly as I could; earning glances and smiles from those nearby. My parents, too frail to attend, would be joining us later for dinner. This wasn't just a degree; it was a testament to Maddie's unwavering determination and a promise of the bright future ahead, illuminated by the golden light of the afternoon.

After the ceremony, following countless pictures, Maddie and I drove to my parents' home for a celebratory lunch. There were hugs of pride, words of congratulations, and rivers of joyful tears as we celebrated the end of her journey as a student.

Once the meal was finished, my father stood slowly and excused himself. Moments later, he returned with a flat, rectangular box about the size of a half-sheet of paper. Handing it to Maddie, he said softly, "Your Nana and I have two small gifts for you. We couldn't be prouder of you just as we've always been of you and your mother."

My mother smiled warmly as Maddie opened the box. Inside was a membership card for the AAA Motor Club. Maddie tilted her head in mild confusion before lifting a folded piece of paper from the box.

"My intentions," my father began, "are for you to have this house when we pass. That paper, the deed, officially transfers ownership to you effective today."

Tears streamed down Maddie's face as she leapt to her feet to embrace my parents. My mother, her Nana, then spoke gently.

"Dearest, there's one more surprise. In the garage, you'll find a car registered under that motor club membership. If you don't like the color, we can choose another, but the dealer said this Z4 in the garage was quite popular."

Maddie, still overwhelmed, let out a joyous laugh before taking my father on a 30-minute test drive of her new car. My mother and I couldn't help but giggle as we reminisced about Maddie's first bicycle. When they returned, Maddie hugged her Nana tightly before settling into conversation with her.

On the porch, my father and I shared lighthearted conversation over glasses of Chardonnay. I stepped away, excusing myself to fetch my own gift for Maddie. I carried out a small envelope.

"Maddie," I said, handing her the envelope, "before you disappear into studying for your licensure exam, I have something for you."

She opened it carefully, pulling out two pieces of paper. The first was an airline reservation for Dawn and Sabrina. The second was a four-night cruise to Bermuda. Her eyes widened as tears rolled down her cheeks again.

"Now, go call Dawn," I told her with a smile. "She's waiting to hear from you."

Maddie hugged me tightly, whispering how much she loved me and promising that one day she would repay me. As I watched her excitement bubble over, I knew she had already given me more than I could ever ask for.

~~~

Four days later, on Thursday, I found myself rushing after a last-minute appointment with a student that delayed me.

I was driving south heading toward the Philadelphia International Airport following signs for arrivals. It was about ten minutes away. Traffic wasn't too bad, though it was a Thursday afternoon following college graduation. Most students and their families had already left town. Mother's Day had come and gone the previous Sunday.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Maddie. "Hi, baby," I answered.

"Mom, she just sent the text they landed!" Her voice brimmed with excitement. "I'll be home soon to start dinner. Love you, Mom... and Mom? Thank you so much for this."

"Of course, Maddie, I love you as well. Maddie, will you decant a bottle of Duckhorn Chardonnay for dinner?"

"Yum you bet Mom!"

As I hung up, I touched two fingers of my left hand lightly to my lips. A shiver ran through me. I exhaled, wishing and waiting for her soft, special kiss. It would come in mere minutes.

I had hoped to be waiting at baggage claim when they descended the escalator, so I hurried through the airport, my steps quick with anticipation. As I crossed the sidewalk into the baggage claim area, there they were Sabrina and her daughter, Dawn.

Both of their faces lit up with smiles when they saw me walk through the sliding doors. My heart raced as I approached them, their luggage already at their sides. Taking a deep breath, I stepped up to Sabrina and gently took her hands in mine. Leaning in, I kissed her cheek and whispered softly in her ear, "I've never been so happy to see you, my girlfriend."

When I pulled back, our eyes locked, and Sabrina's gaze was filled with warmth and love. Wrapping our arms around each other, we shared a soft, lingering kiss that seemed to melt away all the time we'd spent apart. As the kiss broke, our foreheads rested against one another for a brief, precious moment before we exchanged smiles.

Dawn broke the spell, touching my shoulder and kissing my cheek before wrapping me in a hug. "Thank you for this amazing vacation." she said warmly.

Her enthusiasm pulled us out of our little bubble, and before we could fully savor the reunion, Dawn chimed in. "Can we hurry? There's something I need to do!"

I winked at Sabrina and turned to Dawn with a teasing smile. "Yes, she's waiting for you and has been antsy since last Saturday."

I kissed Sabrina's cheek again and whispered how much I had missed her. "Alright, let's get these two other special ladies their reunion."

About an hour later, we turned down our street to find Maddie backing her car out of the garage. In my rearview mirror, I caught sight of Dawn's wide eyes and beaming smile. She practically flew out of the car as soon as I parked, racing toward Maddie's passenger seat.

As I got out, I could hear Maddie calling, "We'll be back soon, I didn't start dinner yet!" And just like that, they were gone, the sports car disappearing down the road.

Sabrina and I laughed as we carried the luggage inside, leaving Dawn's bags on the first floor for them to take to Maddie's basement apartment later. I brought Sabrina's things to my room, eager to help her unpack or not, depending on what she wanted. But Sabrina had other ideas.