We'd decided to spend Christmas and New Year's in Perth this year, since we hadn't been back since Riley was born. It took a lot of planning for everything to come together and, on the fifteenth of December, we found ourselves headed to the airport, bags packed and excited to go.
It was a bit of a struggle after we checked in all our baggage because we'd had to check in Riley's stroller, meaning either she had to walk or we had to carry her and she was full of energy. We had an hour to kill before our flight boarded so we made our way to a little café for some coffee and a biscuit for Riley.
"We going on a air-plane! We going on a air-plane!" Riley chanted in between bites of her biscuit. Troye laughed and took a quick video to send to his parents.
"Okay, princess. That's enough now. Lots of people are tired so they want to sleep, okay?" I told her, pulling her onto my lap. She nodded obediently and finished off her biscuit, crumbs ending up everywhere.
"Papa, where we going?" She looked up at me.
"We're going to a place called Perth. It's where daddy lived when he was little like you."
"I'd only lived there for a year when I was her age." Troye muttered beside me but I ignored him.
"Fun?" Riley asked.
"It will be lots of fun. We'll get to see Nana and Grandad again. Do remember when they came to visit us last year?" I asked. She tilted her head to the side, thinking. She looked so cute that I wished I could take a picture. Troye must have realised what I was thinking because he pulled his phone and snapped a picture, just in time.
"Nana?"
"Yeah. And Uncle Steele, Uncle Tyde and Auntie Sage." Troye told her.
"Yay!" Riley cheered, clapping her hands. She'd really bonded with Tyde when he was here last Christmas and always lit up when she saw his face on the computer screen during Skype calls to Perth.
"Are you going to be a good girl for us on the plane?" I asked her and she nodded solemnly.
"Yes papa. I be good."
"Good girl. We'll be on the plane for a long time so we have to sleep a little bit too. But when we wake up, we'll be in Perth."
"Okay." The way we'd planned the flight was so that we could stay awake now and sleep later on so that we woke up just before getting into Perth. It meant that it wasn't too late now when we were leaving and it would be about six-thirty in the morning when we landed.
"Flight UA662 to Chicago is now boarding. All passengers please make their way to boarding gate six. Flight UA662 to Chicago is now boarding. Passengers board at gate six." The announcement was clear and Troye and I jumped up, grabbing our carry-on baggage and heading towards the gate we needed. Our flight was three parts with the first part from here to Chicago and then Chicago to Hong Kong and finally from Hong Kong to Perth. It was the first time we were travelling long distances with Riley so we just had to see how we went.
~~
When we finally stumbled off the plane in Perth, both Troye and I were exhausted. Riley was skipping along beside us happily, not in the least bit tired. She'd slept for most of the seven-hour flight from Hong Kong whereas Troye and I had stayed awake because of a crying baby a few rows over. I wasn't sure how Riley had slept through it but I was glad she had.
"Okay. Let's just get our bags and then sort out where we're meeting my parents." Troye mumbled as we finished going through customs and I nodded.
"Yep. Riley, stay close, okay? Riley?" I looked down to where she'd been standing only a second ago to find she was no longer there. "Riley! Where are you?" I started to panic as Troye also realised that our daughter was not where she should have been.
