Strength In Our Bonds (The Strength in Generations Accompanying Book)

A Break From The City

It was summertime, a bit after Gale's birthday, when the Academy ran a special raffle for its employees. Gale himself had only won a T-shirt (that was way too small for him), but Aurelie won a lovely basket of organic bath products (although some people suspected they just gave that to her because she would be the only person happy to get something like that). The most impressive prize, though, was the thing that Linna won.

"A week-long stay at a Galbadian water park for up to ten people?" Aurelie asked incredulously, examining the voucher that Linna had handed her. "What the hell, Linna?! This is why everyone else's prizes were shit!"

Linna just smiled. Aurelie only swore like that when she was feeling some strong emotion.

"Still, this is good. Congratulations." Aurelie smiled.

"This is good for all of us, Relly! I want to bring all of you guys along with me!" Linna grinned. "You, Gale, Vids, Berrik, Levi, Martine, Leiria, and Raine."

"Oh." Aurelie gave her a look. "I, I'm... not certain that I'm up to that."

"Relly!" Linna grabbed her by the shoulders and gently shook her. "Stop it. Now. Stop your sulking!"

"I am not sulking, Linna. And don't call me that!"

"You're not sulking?! My foot!"

"Please stop yelling, Linna-"

"You've done nothing but work and be all mopey ever since you and that history guy broke up!" Linna frowned. "Why are you doing this to yourself? He himself said he wanted you to be happy, and it's impossible to be unhappy at a water park. The whole crew is coming, and that includes you; I am not taking no for an answer from any of you!"

Aurelie gently bit the inside of her lip. "Okay."

"Too bad that's only nine people..."

"Well, it was never required of you to fill all ten. This is all really nice of you though." Aurelie felt flattered that Linna wanted to bring her. After all, she wasn't exactly the most fun person in the group. She'd half expected her to want to take Nora instead, even though that would mean pulling her out of school.

"Yeah, well, you guys are all my bestest friends!" Linna grinned. "I'm gonna start calling everyone and telling them the news! Is Gale at work today?"

"No, I believe he's scheduled for an overnight shift," replied Aurelie.

"Oh. Well, I guess I'm calling him first!"

~ * ~

"Afternoon. Villiers residence, Gale speaking."

"Gale! Hi! It's Linna. You know that prize I won at the Academy raffle, right?"

"You mean the thing that wasn't a tiny t-shirt that you had to end up using as a blanket for your wife's cat?"

"But I don't have a cat..." Linna frowned. "Or a wife."

"Lin..." Gale sighed. "Okay. Well, what about that prize?"

"I've decided that I wanna take all of you! So, clear your schedules, pack your bags, et cetera. We leave Saturday night!"

"But, Linna-" The call disconnected, and Gale sighed. It was so difficult to try to talk to her sometimes. "Guess we're going on a vacation then. Levi!"

"I'm in the bedroom!" she called.

Gale walked to his and Leviesse's bedroom, where she sat in a rocking chair.

"What is it?" asked Leviesse when she saw Gale enter the room.

"I just got off the phone with Lin." Gale went to sit next to his wife. "Do you remember me telling you about her winning a trip?"