The Unstoppable Zuri

Bon Voyage!

"Bonjour, Zuri! Alons-y!" my dad said as he turned the lights on in my bedroom.

    I pulled the covers over my head. "Papa, it's way too early! We don't have to leave for another hour."

    "Ah, oui, but your petit déjeuner is getting cold."

    It hit my nose that instant. Was that...chocolate? I threw the covers off of me.

    "I'll be there in a few."

    "En Français, si vous plait."

    I rolled my eyes. He was hitting me hardcore with using French at home this whole week. It felt like all French, all the time. I have to admit, it was good practice. When we get to Paris, we may have to interact with people who speak only French.

    "Je voudrais dix minutes, Papa."

    "D'accord," he said, leaving my room.

    I had a long day of flying, so I picked my favorite comfy maternity sweater and gray leggings, along with a pair of comfy socks. I got my leg braces strapped on over my leggings, along with my new pair of comfy moccasin-style shoes. They were warm and didn't kill my feet. I decided that just brushing my hair out and leaving it down was the best option. I'd hate trying to fall asleep with my hair in a ponytail.

    I looked at myself in the mirror and rubbed my baby bump. At twenty-five weeks, it almost wasn't that noticeable under my maternity sweater.

    "Are you ready to go?" I asked, looking down at my bump.

    I hoped I'd get some kind of little kick or poke in response, but there was nothing. This girl had an attitude already. I rolled my eyes and went down the hall. There was indeed, chocolate. But not just regular chocolate, my dad's homemade chocolate sauce.

    There were fresh croissants and Canadian bacon. I took a piece of bacon, rolled it up, and dipped it in the chocolate sauce. When I took a bite, it was a haven of sweet and saltiness. Pregnancy cravings were crazy. I would've never eaten this a few months ago. And I knew it was weird and gross but right then it was just...so good.

    After breakfast, I freshened up and did my makeup. My dad helped me get my suitcase in the car, along with my scooter. I made sure I had my passport, along with my medical clearance documents, in case anyone asked. I made sure to throw my medications and prenatals into my backpack, along with my tablet and headphones.

    My dad took some pictures of me before I left. I posted them to my Insta and I'm sure he was throwing them all over Facebook, about how his little baby girl was going on a big trip back to the country she was born in. Even though I was born in Biarritz, hundreds of miles from Paris.

    "And remember, do not pay for the cheap bathrooms. It's literally a drain in the floor. Always pay for a more expensive bathroom, especially one that's accessible for you," my dad said on the way to the airport.

    "Papa, I know," I said.

    "Okay. Just making sure," he said.

    We pulled up to the curb of Oak Falls Airport. We'd be flying into Atlanta from here, and then getting our flight to Paris from there. My dad took my scooter and suitcase out of the car. He put them both on a luggage cart and brought them through the doors for me.

    The airport was small, so it was really easy to find our meetup spot. I saw the two French teachers with a few students gathered around them. Emmi was there already. She came over and took the luggage cart, pushing it back towards everyone else. I chuckled, because Lucy was somehow always late.

    "Au revoir. Je t'aime," my dad said to me.

    "Au revoir. I'll send you an email when I get there, since I can't text you."

    "That would be perfect. Have fun, okay? Things like this happen once in a lifetime. Make it count."

    "I will, Papa."

    He gave me a quick hug. "See you when you get back." He put his hand on my baby bump. "And you too, S—"

    "Shh! Papa! I don't want anyone to hear the name yet. I'm not even a hundred percent sure that's the one I want."

    He chuckled. "Fine. My lips are sealed. Bon voyage."

He left, and I rejoined my group. Madame Tegan, my teacher, handed me my boarding passes for the first and second flight. I stood next to Emmi and watched some of her new TikToks while we waited for Lucy and the rest of the group.

Once everyone was here, we checked our bags at the counter and went upstairs. I was allowed to go through the TSA Precheck line so I didn't have to empty my bag, take off my shoes, or go through the body scanner. 

When we got to our gate, Emmi and Lucy got a bunch of McDonalds for us. I downed my two Mcgriddles like they were candy. Lately I felt like I was always, always, always hungry. My little one loved to eat, I guess.

It was time to board not long after that. As the first flight of the day, we didn't have to wait for our plane to arrive. It was already sitting there from the night before. Now that we were at the airport and this was really happening, I was starting to feel nervous. This was my first plane ride. When we went to visit my aunt and uncle in Montreal, we always drove. I'd literally never been on a plane before.

I was allowed to preboard, thank goodness. I walked down the tunnel and picked one of the seats in the front row, since there was extra legroom. One of the flight attendants put my crutches up in the overhead bin for me.

She told me her wife was currently pregnant, so we were talking about nursery themes while we waited for everyone else to board. My unfortunate classmates were stuck in the B and C boarding groups, so for everyone but Emmi and Lucy, it was going to be the back of the plane and middle seats.

When everyone was finally situated, the flight attendants went over all the safety precautions about the oxygen and the life vests and all that.

"And we know that since this is such a small airport, you really don't have any other choices in airlines, but we thank you for flying with us anyway. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy your flight to Atlanta," said one of the flight attendants.

The plane looped around the runway. The engines revved up and the plane went shooting down the runway. We lifted off the ground, and I saw my town disappear below me, all the colors of the fall trees getting smaller and smaller as we went higher and higher. I leaned back in my seat. This was it. I was really on the first part of my Paris trip.

***

Did you catch that? The baby's name starts with S! What do you think it'll be?