We don't drink Fosters

London Calling

'Please fasten your seatbelts, we are about begin our decent.' 

Audrey turned to Lucy on her left, 'This is so exciting! I have missed the UK so much!'. Lucy smiled, she loved hearing stories of Audrey's white family Christmases. Audrey had lived for in Cornwall for most of her life, moving to Australia with her family when she was around 10 or 11. She hadn't been back since high school ended, and was clearly keen to introduce her friends to her extended family.

Fastening her seatbelt, Lucy turned to look at Marie and Damian, who were sat in the isle across from her and Audrey. They had moved the armrest up, smooshed into one-another, with Marie's head on Damian's shoulder, and his arm around her. Marie watched the screen, thoroughly captivated by the moving picture. Damian just looked down at her watching her smile. He kissed the top of her head, and she looked up to meet his eyes, Lucy's ears couldn't hear what was said, but her eye picked up the slack. Lip reading was a skill she learned in high school, when all the girls would gossip, she would just watch, her eyes absorbing the dirt secrets. 'What was that for?' Marie questioned, with Damian's back turned to the watcher, it's impossible to know his reply, but the couple continued to snuggle.

'I wish someone would look at me like that.' Audrey sighed, interrupting her thoughts but simultaneously reading the sentences from her mind. Lucy smiled,

'You never know! Love may find us in London' she said with a cheesy grin,

'That was so cringe' Audrey winched,

'I know' Lucy shrugged, 'Maybe this Uncle Rob you've told me so much about knows where all the cute guys hang out?'

Audrey hummed in agreement, 'He does have good taste in men. Or we could go to a football game and look confused?'

'Hey, at least you only have to look confused, I will be genuinely confused!' The two girls laughed, interrupted by Marie,

'Look! you can see the city out the window!'

                                                                                         ***

The worst part of any international flight was getting out of the plane. At first, you are blessed with the fresh air, finally escaping what is essentially a cylindrical Dutch oven. Then you are pulled back to the reality of being in a new place. How the air smells and tastes different, the noticeable temperature change.

The smell and taste of pollution hit the group like a brick wall, and the cold air nipped at their ears and making Lucy's Raynaud's disease flare up instantly making her hands visibly 'Blue!! Lucy!! Your hands are fucking blue!!' Damian screamed,

'It's just my Raynaud man calm down. My finger's turn blue because the smaller arteries in my fingers that usually supply blood to the skin are narrower than other peoples! I feel like I mention it constantly.' Damian replied with a puzzled look,

'Yeah, yeah Lucy's a Smurf, lets keep moving.' Audrey pushed,

'I thought Lucy was the airport dad!' Marie joked,

'She's not wrong,' Lucy interjected, 'lets keep moving, come on!' the group groaned in reply,

'There it is' Damian mumbled.

                                                                                        ***

The group followed Lucy through the airport, her bright blue 'airport dad' statis symbol used as a beacon of guidance though the twisting nightmare that is the immigration section of Heathrow Airport. 

Once the monster that is VISA, declaration, transferring Australian dollars to English pounds, and finally reassuring Damian the 'Clara from the transfer place' isn't trying to scam him as 'there's no way Australian dollars are worth 0.50c here.', it was time to tackle baggage claim. And in classic Lucy 'Airport dad' Miller fashion, the team managed to get there before the baggage conveyer had even moved an inch. 

'Ok, how do you guys think we should handle this?' spoke Lucy,

'Luc, I love you girl but don't act like you haven't planned this whole thing to a T.' Audrey answered knowingly, Lucy looked around at her friends, all huddled around their pile of carry-on bags. 

'Come dad, tell us what to do!' Marie smiled unknowingly, unaware Lucy had spent half of the 23-hour flight planning what will happen from the minute the plan lands, to when they arrive at their rented town house, where 'Airport Dad mode' will officially deactivate. Lucy pulled out a piece of paper from her sweat pant pocket, titled 'Arrival check list'. Half the boxes had been ticked already. 

'You wrote it down? This isn't a military operation!' Marie complained,

'It may as well be, get ready for a war babe' Damian replied, taking her hand and kissing it. 

'Hey, love birds, we don't have time for this! That conveyer is gonna start moving any second now!' The group snapped to attention at her change in tone. 'Ok, we packed for a year, those bags are going to be heavy, but not as heavy as the weight Marie and Damo lift at the gym, so they are going to stand at the belt and wait for the bags.' Marie and Damian looked at each other and nodded, the thought of a workout lighting a fire in their stomachs. 'Audrey,' 

'Yes, dad?' she replied jokingly,

'You and I will take it in turns going up and back to Marie and Damian, wheeling the bags back to pile, while the other watches over them. Once all the bags are accounted for, we pay for two trolleys, three max, I have already booked us a cab to take us to the house' Lucy looked over Marie's shoulder to see the conveyer belt moving, spitting out bags. 'Ok, go go go!'

The group worked like a well-oiled machine executing Lucy's plan as though then had practise a thousand times before. Lucy quickly checked all the boxes on her list, leaving her with one left by the time they go to the cab van, 'Get to house'.

                                                                                        ***

Soon the cab parked on the street, 

'This is as close as I can get, the streets are real narrow.' the taxi driver announced to the group,

'Thats ok! we can walk the rest, right guys?' Lucy said a bit too enthusiastically, nudging Audrey and Marie who were sat either side of her, with Damian up front with the cap driver. 

The group groaned at her enthusiasm. Each person had bought two bags, and their bodies plagued with jet lag, the last thing they wanted to go was drag heavy bags through streets. 'Look, we can drop our bags in the house, and go to that pub over there and I'll shout everyone a round of pints and chips.' Lucy spoke on now very attentive ears while paying the driver. 

'That's the Crown and Armor, your apartment in above the bakery right down the street. And say hi to Mae, the pub owner. Tell 'er Craige sent you.' that taxi driver said, pointing at the pub that was swarming with people already, even though it was only 5.00 o'clock in the afternoon. 

'Miller,' Damian spoke on behalf of the group, 'you have yourself a deal!'