Chapter Six: REUNION

                                    

                                          
The five of us pile into the car and begin our drive to the ferry terminal. Mom and Dad are in the front, leaving Miles, Ivy, and I squashed in the back seat. Ivy and I argued about who would sit in the middle until Miles volunteered, sick of the screeching. We drive along suburban roads for about twenty minutes until the surrounding area begins morphing into swampy terrain. We must be near the Everglades. I see the sign for the 'Everglades Alligator Farm'. I nudge Miles. He looks at the sign and then shudders.
"Don't", he says. "I feel sick."
I laugh quietly at him then return my gaze outside. It's eleven twenty-five and we're about ten minutes away from the ferry. Giving us enough time to get settled and mingle with the family before we take off. I can't tell if that's a good or a bad thing. I turn my head to the trunk of the car where all the suitcases are sitting. There is a bag I don't recognise. 
"What's the blue one?", I ask the car. They all look confused. "The blue bag."
"Oh", Mom remembers, smirking. "That's a secret."
The three of us in the back share a sceptical look.
"I can't tell you", she giggles. "Santa told me to keep it a secret."
Ivy rolls her eyes. That bag is full of Christmas Presents. Of course, it is. No matter how old we get, Mom refuses to stop showering us with gifts on Christmas morning. It's not a bad thing, obviously, but now it's going to make me look bad. I only got Miles one thing. But it's special and that's all that matters. Besides, he told me not to even get him anything.
The surrounding trees begin to dissipate as we near the coast, and then they vanish completely as we merge onto the Overseas Highway, the road that runs over the ocean from Miami to Key West. We are nearing Key Largo when Mom points out into the sea.
"There it is", she tells us.
The whole car looks to the left. In the distance, we can see an island. The house isn't visible. It's hidden behind a cliff, nestled on the other side. But overall, it's a lot smaller than I had imagined. Mom pulls off the highway and onto a smaller road, which we follow for a quarter of a mile and then we pull up to the boatyard the ferry will pick us up from. This is it. All the anticipation and nerves have led up to this. Mom puts the car in park but we don't get out. We all just sit there, saying nothing. Mom turns to us.
"Okay, everybody listen up", she calls like a sergeant getting her men in order. "We are going to get on that island and we are going to be kind and friendly, got it? This is my family and I know what they can be like. Some of them are going to be cruel and nasty but we are not going to stoop to their level."
She eyes Ivy, who she knows has been gearing up for that exact thing. Then, she grabs Miles' hand.
"If they say anything to you that makes you uncomfortable", she tells him, "you come to me immediately and I will be the one to go there. I know how to handle them. I'm not going to have them scaring you off. We like you too much, and you're a part of this family."
Miles beams so wide. I look at his eyes and for a second I think he will cry. He never lets a tear fall, but I can see them pooling in his eyes. I know that meant the world to him.
"I'm not going anywhere", he chokes out. Mom smiles at him as she rubs the top of his hand with her thumb. Dad chimes in.
"Now let's get out there and FUCK THEM UP!"