The sun still hadn't come up when Tom dropped them off outside the terminal at Westchester County Airport. The inside of the terminal building was bright and dazzling. Walking over to the West Air ticket counter, Anne checked them all in. The walk through security was painless; now all they could do was sit and wait. Suddenly, a man who appeared to be their captain came to get his passengers.

"Okay folks, I'm Norm Prestbury; I'll be taking you out to Hyannis this morning. Please be aware that we have to make a mandated fuel stop in New Bedford. Follow me."

They walked outside onto the tarmac. The sounds of the airport getting ready for the coming day hit both Amy and Victoria at once. Victoria covering her ears. Boarding the small, red Cessna 402, they were greeted by Chuck, the first officer. Chuck looked tired and worn, as though he were a slave to a strict calendar.

"Good morning. Please sit anywhere behind the first row. There are three exits; the one you came in through and two next to the captain and me. Flight time today will be just under an hour to New Bedford."

The engines started, and soon they were on their way to the runway. Norm performed an intense run-up of the engines. With that complete, they waited at the end of the runway. Ten seconds later and the plane took off like a bat out of hell, dipping and bucking the entire way. The lightening sky made for stunning vistas. Amy was enthralled by everything unfolding before her. Victoria kept her ears covered. Anne had dozed off. For a first time flyer, Amy was handling it very well. She could make out some of the places she'd been to, like Playland off to her right on the coast in Rye. Straining her eyes even further, she could make out the edges of Queens and Long Island. She had found a new love for flying.

Below them, the city of New Haven was greeting the mid-December sun. Amy looked out the small window and caught a glimpse of Long Island, sprawling to the south; the view framed by puffy cumulus clouds on the distant southern horizon. The plane bucked in the wind, causing it to shudder and shake. The water below took on a golden hue as the sun climbed higher into the morning sky. The plane turned now, Block Island piercing the brilliant reflection off the water. Amy took a picture of it.

"That's neat!" she whispered to herself. A group of islands caught Amy's eye as the plane continued to turn; Amy took a photo of these, as well. The descent into New Bedford was painless, landing even more so. Taxiing over to the terminal, they were ordered inside while the plane refueled. Amy overheard Norm and Chuck talking.

"I hope I'm back in Southwest Harbor tonight. I guess it's supposed to start snowing late tonight here." Norm complained, sipping his coffee.

"Don't say that, Norm. You know how Joe gets when the weather's bad."

"Looks like they're done refueling out there. On to Hyannis and then out to Davis Island."

"Okay folks, we're done refueling. We'll get you out to Hyannis."

Out into the sun they went. The breeze buffeting them all on the way back over to the aircraft. The smell of exhaust hit Victoria like a ton of lead, yet she seemed to enjoy it. Amy seemed to love it even more.

"Now THIS is traveling!" Amy thought to herself. As she neared the plane, she waited for her mother and sister to catch up. They boarded the plane and sat in their original seats.

"Welcome back to West Air Flight 2913 with service to Hyannis. We're looking at a flight time of twenty minutes this morning. It might be a little bumpy as we head into Hyannis. The engines started.

They rapidly taxied to the runway and took off. Seconds later, Amy saw the same group of islands trailing off of what looked like a peninsula to her. They crossed over the shore and flew down the middle. Ahead of them was Hyannis Airport. Below them, a two lane highway was choked with traffic. Turning left, away from the airport, the Cessna crossed back over the water. Below them, the water looked turbulent as the stiff breeze whipped the water into short waves. Turning again, they soon passed over what looked like a collection of small mansions in a grove of pine trees. Ahead lay Hyannis Airport. This landing was harder; waking Victoria and Anne up. Ten minutes later, they were inside the dead terminal building.

"Well, we've made it to Cape Cod. Now we have to rent a car for the day." Anne uttered as they walked over to the counter. Fifteen minutes later, they were on the road to Plymouth.

They pulled up into the parking lot of Plymouth Rock Academy. The administration building, housed in a lovely, white Georgian Revival house, seemed to beckon Amy. Nervously, she walked up to the front door and opened it. The warmth of the building enveloped them as they stepped inside. An administrator walked up to greet them.

“Good morning, may I help you?”

“Yes, we're here for a school visit at 10 O'clock. Amy Morrow.” Anne said, the administrator's eyes grew large.

“Oh, yes. Welcome to Plymouth Rock Academy. I'm Catherine St. Albans, dean of admissions. We've heard so much about you. We'd love to have you as a student. Let's begin the tour here in the administration building.” She said in an official tone. Amy looked around.

They headed outside into the bright sunlight.

“This is the Upper Quad; one of the centers of campus life. Many students come to sit under the grove of pine trees when they are stressed. The scent of the pines is very relaxing.” Amy could smell the pitch and white pine trees. Looking across the quad, she could see several students walking around or standing in small groups, talking among themselves.

“It's passing period right now and for the lower school it's outdoor recreation time.”

“Like recess?” Amy asked.

“Correct.”

They headed over to a building that looked like a salt box style house.

“This is where our students who board sleep. The first floor is reserved for the sixth grade. I'll take you to where the 8th grade sleeps.” She said as they climbed a narrow staircase. They reached the second floor.

“This is where the 7th grade sleeps, however there is a combined 7th and 8th grade recreation area on this floor.” Climbing higher, they reached the third floor. Walking a few short feet, they arrived at Amy's future room.

“This is where you will sleep, Amy. Your roommate is currently in class, but as you can see, she's decorated her half of the room to suit her taste. You may decorate your half of the room any way you wish.” The woman said. Amy smiled. She knew exactly how she'd decorate; she'd put any photos she took on the walls. She also saw that her roommate slept with a stuffed animal; a Mr. Hops toy.

The group had moved on to the two large stone school buildings that seemed to divide the campus in half. The scent of the pine trees had returned. The entrance to one of the buildings was up a short flight of steps. Amy waited.

“This place is really cool, and it's far away from mom. I like it!” Amy thought to herself. A sudden gust of wind buffeted her shortly before Anne and the rest had caught up. They walked inside. The building had a hum that was all too familiar to Amy; it reminded her of her old school back in New York.

“Do you have snow days?” Amy asked.

“We do. We'll explain at the conclusion of the tour.”

“So this is the 'Lower School' building. Lower simply means Junior High here at Plymouth Rock.” Catherine began. Amy looked at the foyer; the stonework impressing her. They walked down the hallway to a flight of stairs.

“The 7th and 8th grade classrooms are upstairs.” Catherine continued as they ascended the stone staircase. A bell rang, and the classroom doors began opening.

“We have several day students that come here from neighboring towns; some from as far away as Easton and Brockton, even Cape Cod.” Catherine said over the din of the other students. A blonde girl with happy blue eyes walked past her; she was surrounded by a small group of students. Amy hoped she could become friends with this group. Catherine stopped the group.

“Girls, this is our new student that will be joining us in January. Everyone, meet Amy Morrow. She's from New York.”

“How do you do?” She asked, smiling.

“I'm Sarah. I'm from Martha's Vineyard.” She said. Another girl, this one with hair as black as Amy's spoke up “I'm Pamela. I'm from Wakefield, up by Boston. I like it here. Not only that, but I can be myself here.” She said with a smile as large as Amy's. This made Amy feel better. The group moved on to their next class. The bell rang again.

“This half of the second floor is reserved for the eighth grade. Overall, students here are happy. Our next stop is the cafeteria and social halls.”

Heading back outside, they made their way into a covered walkway passing between the Upper and Lower Schools. Ahead of them lay the Lower Quad; a pleasant tree covered green space. At the center was a memorial or monument of some kind. Catherine motioned for them to make their way to the cafeteria.

They headed inside. The cafeteria was quiet and still; perhaps waiting in anticipation for the crowds that would be drawn to it in an hour or so.

“This is our cafeteria. It's open for all three meals. For lunch students have several choices.”

“Do they have pizza?” Amy asked.

“Yes. Two options: pepperoni or cheese.”

“Yes!” Amy whispered to herself.

“Next door to our cafeteria is the Social Hall. We host several dances a year and often in tandem with our Drama building we'll host events there as well.”

“So this school has a vibrant social calendar?” Anne inquired.

“Very. Someone like Amy will have plenty of things to do. Her future classmates are involved in several after school clubs. Pamela, whom we met back in the school building, is a budding artist.”

The bright sun felt good as they crossed the quad. Anne noticed a tribute to The Knave and The Maiden in one of the grassy islands. Ahead was the gymnasium. There wasn't much to say about the building. Heading back towards the Upper Quad their next stop was Gwen Burgess' office.

“Our boarding students are assigned to our therapists Gwen Burgess and Janice Hatch. For students who may need a more intensive level of therapy, they are referred to Dr. Chloe Whitney. She is one of the top authorities in adolescent psychology.”

They arrived back at the administration building, where they quickly headed inside. They were ushered into a conference room, where numerous people were waiting.

“Good morning, Ms. Morrow! I'm Gwen Burgess; I'll be your therapist when you formally arrive in January.” She said.

“When does Amy have to arrive?”

“January 7th. She'll have a formal intake with Gwen and the rest of the staff will get her IEP started. Did she have an IEP back in Nyack?”

“No. What the hell is an IEP?”

“Individualized Education Plan. During her intake, we'll interview her, as well as you.”

“Do you have questions for us, Amy?”

“Do you have snow days?”

“Yes. During those times, students are free to go to the cafeteria or any other place on campus.”

“Can I bring my stuffed animal, Mr. Bear here?”

“Of course. We want you to be as comfortable as possible.”

The interview and visit was winding down. Amy could feel herself getting antsy; her leg gently moving up and down.

"Well, Amy, we look forward to seeing you on January 7th. We hope you enjoyed your visit." Catherine said, proudly.

"I think Amy will fit right in here, don't you, Amy?" Anne asked.

"Totally." Amy replied.

Anne exited the highway onto Route 132 and turned right. In Anne's eyes, Cape Cod was a place to go on vacation; not to go to school. They found a luncheonette on the edge of Hyannis and headed inside. They ate in relative silence. Victoria wolfed down her grilled cheese sandwich.

"They know how to make grilled cheese in Massachusetts." Victoria uttered as she waited for Amy and Anne to catch up. Amy sat in her chair, lost in heavy thought. Anne asked Amy if she was okay.

"I'm fine, mom. Just thinking about my new school." She said, letting out a slight smile.

"Victoria, are you ready to go see your new school?" Anne asked.

"Yes!" she replied. Getting up from the counter, they made their way outside, back into the December sun. The breeze felt raw on their faces. Getting into the car, they quickly headed back out onto Route 132; the late lunch rush traffic subsiding. They headed straight past the turn-off for the highway into the thick woods. The way the sunlight danced through the trees reminded Victoria of Tweed Boulevard, a road near their house that went up the side of the palisades and onto Clausland Mountain. The way the houses lay back from the road nailed the similarities.

"Mommy, it's really nice here!" Victoria shouted from the back seat. For once, the girl was enjoying herself. At the intersection ahead, Anne turned right. The drive through Barnstable Village was refreshing. Some older shops were still open, but a lot were closed. Ahead was the turn-off for Briarwood. Victoria was ready.

They parked in front of the school, Victoria unbuckled her seat belt and jumped out of the car. She patiently waited for her mother and sister near the front door. She could hear Amy let out a laugh as she ran to catch up.

“I told you I was fast!” Victoria called out to them.

“You weren't kidding.” Anne said as she finally made it to the front door.

They entered what appeared to be an old house; the door locking behind them. Anne startled as it did so. A further walk down a corridor brought the group into the lobby. 

“Hello, we're here with Victoria Morrow for her school visit.”

“Welcome and Welcome to Briarwood Academy. You must be Victoria!” The woman said in a tone that Victoria found somewhat offensive; she picked up on the infantilizing tone in the woman's voice.

“I'm Victoria Morrow. I'm ready to go to school!” She said assertively.

The woman let out a slight laugh. Victoria pretended not to hear.

“Our tour begins here in our administration unit. Unfortunately our principal is out of the building at the moment, here is the school's brain. Dr. Whitney's office is also located in this building.

“Dr. Whitney has an office here, too? She also has an office at my sister, Amy's new school.” Victoria said, remembering the name from earlier.

“How come the doors locked behind us?” Victoria asked.

“We have students who stay on the second floor who have a few more challenges than our other students. Have you heard of In-School Suspension? That is where our ISS students go.”

“She won't have to go through In-School Suspension, Victoria will follow the rules.”

“I know, mommy!”

They headed outside. The air was thick with the scent of pine trees. To their left was a colonial revival house marked "Lower School Dorm." They walked inside and entered a parlor area where a staff member was preparing for something; the packets of paper being laid on the couch and chairs indicated that a meeting was likely to occur.

"This is where you will sleep. Seventh grade sleeps on the second floor." They climbed a wooden staircase and entered another parlor type room at the top of the stairs.

"This is the Seventh Grade recreational area. As you can see, this area is very popular." She said, pointing out the drawings; the decorations and personal knick-knacks taking up nearly every available space. A map, seemingly drawn from memory, of Massachusetts and New York hung on the wall, "map of Massachusetts and New York by Holly Mayhew" is all it said. The handwriting reminded Victoria of her own. They turned to leave. Back outside, they walked over to a stone school building.

"This building is where our junior high students attend classes." The staff member said as they walked inside. A quiet hush fell over them. Two classrooms had their doors open, the students inside stared at Victoria as she walked by.

"Is that a new kid?" A voice from inside one of the rooms said, piercing the quiet. They walked into the classroom.

"Girls, starting in January we will have a new student! This is Victoria Morrow. She comes to us all the way from Blauvelt, New York."

"I know where that is!" A student called out from the back. The other students looked at her.

"Of course you do, Holly." The teacher replied.

They turned to leave when a voice called out

"See you in January, Victoria!"

"Our next stop is the dining room. Students may go to the dining room for all three meals; some snacks may be stored there, but it is best that they remain with the student."

"Do they serve grilled cheese?" Victoria asked.

"As a matter of fact, it is one of our sandwich options." The staff member replied. This made Anne happy; grilled cheese was practically all Victoria ate. Even Amy joined in.

"You'll be set, Victoria. Grilled cheese for lunch, every day."

"Just like you and your pizza!" Victoria fired back.

The walk over to the gym was quiet. Victoria skipped ahead. She was at the peak of her happiness for the day.

"There she goes, Amy." Anne uttered.

"Mom, she's happy. I think we should allow her to be happy, because the plane ride home might be hell if she's tired and grouchy." Amy said, as if dispensing the wisdom of a yogi.

The tour was winding down; Victoria could feel herself getting tired now. She rubbed her eyes. This caught Amy's eye as she walked over to her sister.

"We're almost done, Victoria. You can sleep on the plane." Amy whispered. Despite Victoria's best efforts, she began to fall asleep in her chair inside the administration building.

"We'd like to see Victoria on January 7th so she can meet with Dr. Whitney, and we can go over her IEP."

Twenty minutes later and the school visit was over. They headed for the airport and home.

The plane was loaded and ready to go. The sun was below the horizon now; they'd be flying into the setting sun as they headed towards White Plains. Rolling down the runway, the Cessna jumped into the sky. Overhead, a cloud deck had parked itself; looking threatening against the setting sun. The setting sun had caught all the regional ponds in its golden rays.

Amy snapped a photo of the sunset. She began to think about her future classmates she'd met today.

"I wonder if that blonde girl will be my friend? She seemed really nice. That black-haired girl also seemed really nice." Amy stared out at the scene beneath them; Martha's Vineyard sprawled below, the island dark against the brilliant sunset. Amy then felt a tap on her shoulder.

"What island is that?" Victoria asked her.

"I think it's Martha's Vineyard." She said. By now, the plane was back over water; the coast looming off to the right. The wind had whipped up the water into short spaced waves, a scattered white cap here and there. Victoria looked out over the scene they were flying into; Block Island looming straight ahead.

"I want to go there, someday." Victoria said to Amy as she pointed down to Block Island.

"We'll go there." Amy replied.

"I really loved seeing my new school today, Amy. To quote mom; I found my people." Victoria said, smiling. Seeing her younger sister at her happiest made Amy happy and if Victoria was happy, the rest of them would be, as well.

"I liked your school, Amy. I think those other girls want to be your friends. The way that blonde girl looked you up and down. Amy, they want to be around you." Victoria stated plainly, for her sister to hear.

"You think so, Victoria?"

"Definitely. I think you may start a war for popularity's sake."

"I don't want to start a war!" Amy sighed.

"In Chad Owen, remember how Courtney put herself in his friends group so she could get the details?" Victoria asked.

"You remember that episode?"

"You weren't feeling well that day, so I watched it for you. I took notes. Then again, Courtney always tries to get close to Chad."

Amy laughed; she knew that note-taking was something Victoria would do.

"Courtney dressed up like a popular girl and was able to get into his group. She made Lindsey mad because she knew who Courtney was. Lindsey couldn't do anything because she'd blow the entire thing to the moon."

Amy identified with Courtney; she viewed herself as that awkward girl who was popular and wanted to be in any friend group, even if the intended target was considered a "fake." Amy would make Chad proud at Plymouth Rock with her new friend group. Unlike Courtney, who had some social grace; Amy had all the grace of a big bird coming in for a landing. She didn't mind it, though; Amy didn't have to explain herself. At the back of her mind, she worried about her little sister. She seemed happy during her visit, but she knew that Victoria's anxiety would soon rise. Her own anxiety would rise in due time. Right now, she enjoyed this personal moment.

"Amy, are we almost home?" Victoria asked. Looking down, Amy could see New Haven; they'd crossed Long Island Sound. The plane banked to the left and began its descent, hurriedly passing over the airport at New Haven; the group of red airplanes, similar to the plane they were in were visible on the tarmac below.

"I'd say we'll be back in White Plains very shortly." Amy reassured.

"Good." Victoria muttered.

Ten minutes later, a familiar landmark appeared and Amy was quick to point it out.

"Victoria, there's Playland in Rye. We're home."

The landing gear were deployed. Ahead of the aircraft, the lights of Westchester County Airport shone like the sun. The aircraft landed with a hard thud that woke Anne up.

"We're here?" She asked groggily. She turned and looked at her daughters behind her. The plane taxied to the terminal and powered down. Disembarking the plane, they hurried inside. Running through the terminal, they arrived just in time for Tom to pull up.

"Daddy!" Victoria yelled as Tom pulled up to them.

They finally left the house. Victoria, having made it through the day on her best behavior, had finally fallen apart moments before Tom and Anne were to leave. She barely made it through dinner before she started acting up.

"I'm not hungry!" She said sternly. Anne practically shoved the grilled cheese sandwich in her face.

"Victoria, eat. Please don't start this now. You've been so well-behaved all day."

"I don't want to eat right now, I want to rest. She said assertively.

"Well, go rest. Your sandwich will be cold."

"I don't care! I'll still eat it!"

Victoria stomped up the stairs and slammed her door. Anne ran up the stairs.

"Young lady, you come back here!"

"No!"

The sound of a brief scuffle was heard coming from upstairs; a slap signalling the grand finale.

Tom sighed. The sound of Anne hitting their youngest child reverberated throughout his body and mind.

"Anne!" He called. Moments later, she was back at his side; as though nothing had happened. They headed out to the garage and got in the Cadillac.

"What the hell was that, Anne? Clearly she was tired."

"She needed to eat her damned dinner. I don't want to cook for her later."

"Anne, I can stop on the way back and get her something. I'm not going to let her go to bed hungry. This is 1983, not 1938." Tom said coolly.

They drove further, silence having fallen over the car.

"I don't get it, Tom. All day she was so well-behaved. Through Amy's visit as well as hers."

"It's been a long day, Anne. They were up well before dawn; they flew to Massachusetts and back. So what if Victoria is grouchy? Let her rest and when we get home, we can feed her in her room."

"Fine, Tom, reward her bad behavior."

They drove north along the river now. They pulled into Bowline Park.

"So did they love their future alma maters?"

"Oh my god, yes. Amy was the happiest I've seen her in a long time. She smiled just like in her school photo. I think she'll do well there. Her school is incredibly fancy. They practically worship my mother there." 

" Emily? After what your father did to her."

"Stop it, Tom. Amy and Victoria must never know about my mother. Especially not Amy, she'll use that as a weapon at school." Anne pleaded.

"What about Victoria?" Tom asked.

"She skipped, jumped, and ran her way around campus. I'd say she had a wonderful time. We saw one of her classrooms; her dorm and the cafeteria. She will definitely do well there. The school has structure as well as activities for them. Come to think of it, Amy's school also has a plethora of activities for her to do. Their social calendars will certainly be full."

"What will we do while they're gone?" Tom asked.

"I don't know. The house will certainly be different." Anne replied.

Tom himself had had a long day; Mirasol had called him a little after noon. Kristina had an episode at school and was being taken across the Hudson to Broadacres in Peekskill. The fear in Mirasol's voice as she called him from her classroom during lunch stuck with him.

"Tom, I just got off the phone with Kristina's school. She had an episode. She hit herself and then ran into the hallway, where she flung herself on the floor; kicking and screaming like a 4-year-old. They want me to take her across the river to Peekskill. Should I, Tom?"

"Do what is best for our Kristina." He replied.

"I'm going to miss them while they're gone. Even though she can be quite the handful, I'll miss Victoria the most. I enjoy our time at the park. She reminds me of when I was her age and carefree."

"Do you take Victoria here?" Tom asked.

"Nearly every Saturday. We go to lunch at a diner downtown, then we come here. I allow Victoria to run wild on the playground. Lately, she's been imagining that she's a part of her favorite TV program; Alison and The Wonder Cats."

"That's a huge account at Thomas-Creighton right now. I heard about it all over lunch. I mentioned that Victoria was a huge fan. Not only that, but I recently sold the creator of the program a house up in Brewster. She's an odd woman, that Helen Farnsworth."

Tom's stomach growled. He wanted to pick something up. Turning the car back on, he set a course for McDonald's in Nyack. Fifteen minutes later, they were there. Tom ran inside and came back shortly with four bags.

"We can't manage a house on an empty stomach." He said. Anne agreed, she had a secret obsession with McDonald's often going there on the way to pick up Amy.

Ten minutes later and they were home.

"I'll show you how to handle Victoria." Tom said to Anne as he walked upstairs. She looked puzzled.

+Tom found the girl relaxing in her room. Her eyes lit up in relief that it was her father instead of her mother. She didn't want to see her mother at the moment. Her wrist still hurt from earlier.

"Pumpkin, would you like to sit with me in the Cadillac?" He asked. The look on her face told him everything. Seconds later, she was following him. They walked out to the driveway and got into the Cadillac. Two bags of McDonald's were on the seats.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?"

"In the car? Can we stay here?" She asked nervously. Her father prohibited food of any kind in the Caddy.

"It's okay, you can eat in here."

She picked up the cheeseburger and began to eat. She was hungry now and didn't care one bit if her mother saw her eating.

"I heard from mom that you had a good visit today."

"I did. I think I found my 'people' daddy."

"Did you see any potential friends?"

"I saw one. When the teacher introduced me and said that I came from Blauvelt, I heard her say, 'I know where that is!' I can't wait to see them all again, daddy. I feel just like Jackie O sitting in here and having dinner." Tom laughed. Victoria always felt like that when she was with her dad in the Caddy.

"Have you heard from Kristina, daddy?" She asked in a low tone, fearing her mother would hear.

"I'm afraid she's not feeling well, pumpkin. She says hello, however."

Victoria held her head low.

"Mommy's been making fun of her. The other night she got really, really drunk, and she made fun of me and Kristina. It hurt my feelings and would probably hurt Kristina's feelings, too." She held back a sob. Tom hated it whenever Anne filled their youngest daughter's head with bullshit.

"Pumpkin, whatever mommy tells you about Kristina, you know the truth. You know she's not bad."

"I want to hang out with her, I like it when we play with our dolls. Did Kristina have an episode, daddy?"

"She did. She's in the hospital over in Peekskill. I want to bring you over to visit, but that will probably be tomorrow. She just got there today. Her mom is scared about the whole thing."

" Kristina's mommy is really nice. I love how Kristina and her mommy go do things. My mommy only takes me to the park. Nowhere else. She thinks I'm some stupid baby who can't take care of herself. I hate it. Mommy hates it when I'm happy. That's why she slapped my wrist earlier."

"That's because Kristina's schedule is structured. There's never a dull moment in her life." Tom replied. He knew Kristina's life needed structure; as did Victoria.

"Your mother doesn't 'hate' it when you're happy."  He continued.

"Yes she does. I think she lost her happiness." Tom wasn't expecting Victoria to have such an opinion.

"Pumpkin, your mother has a lot going on. Only she knows what to do with herself, just like how only you know what to do with yourself."

Victoria didn't quite understand what her father meant, but she had a grasp.

"I still feel just like Jackie O." She said proudly.