I want more. Or less.

Abbi chuckled. “Thank you. I definitely need a break from that movie. If he wants to watch it, your parents can put it on for him,” she grinned. Abbi was so excited that they would be able to have some time to themselves during the trip. Andre’s parents would take Milo as much as they wanted. She wouldn’t deprive them of alone time with their only grandchild. “I think it’s more Milo than me. But I will take it,” she grinned. Everyone was nice to her at the wedding, despite her being from a completely different world than Andre. “The biggest difference,” she nodded. Back home nobody bothered them. Andre was only recognized on occasion. “I will just make sure I’m put together any time we go out.” In Portland, Abbi was usually wearing comfortable clothes when she went out. Especially when she had Milo. She rarely wore makeup, and when she did, it was the bare minimum. Foundation, mascara, and a little blush. But now that she was with Andre at his home, she needed to dress up a bit more. She even got some new outfits for the trip to fit in as much as possible. Normally, Abbi didn’t like to spend Andre’s money, but she accepted it when buying the new clothes. She kissed Andre’s cheek before getting into the car. “I know you will.” There was no doubt her husband would keep them safe. It was just a shock to her that people were so interested by them just getting into a car at the airport. Abbi reached over and held Andre’s hand as he drove, except for when he needed both hands. “Now I know why you’re always in a suit or dressed up,” she said as they headed for the hotel.

“I like that plan,” agreed Andre. They had all of the songs memorized now, thanks to Milo, and at random, any of them would get stuck in his head. It was nice for them to have the opportunity to spend time together without having to inconvenience someone else though. His family loved them and he knew that his parents were particularly looking forward to time with their only grandchild. He leaned over to press a kiss to Abbi’s temple, “Dress as comfortably as you want to, love. You don’t owe any sort of impression to anyone, least of all to people who don’t know you. Besides, this is still a vacation.” He gave her a wink and then headed out , away from the airport and Niece to get his family to Monte Carlo. It was a good half hour drive before they would be at the hotel. He chuckled at his wife’s comment, “Yes, it’s partially from how I’ve been accustomed to dress throughout my life, and it’s partially because I really enjoy fashion.”

For most of the drive, he’d kept a hand in Abbi’s, but as he got closer to Monte Carlo, he slipped his hand away to place a call to his younger brother, Claude. They greeted each other in French before Andre told him that he had him connected to the bluetooth speaker in the car.

“Hallo, Abbi. How are you?” Claude asked, “Maman’s anxiously awaiting your arrive. We’re all excited to see you all. She and Papa already have a security escort waiting for you both at your hotel.“ Claude chuckled, “You would think they were preparing to welcome le président home.”

Abbi chuckled and nodded. “Oh, I know. It’s the cutest thing ever, but I definitely would have preferred for him to sleep half the flight. I love the songs from Encanto as much as anyone, but I think if I hear them again that many times in a row I’ll just go pop, whoa.” She quoted ‘Surface Pressure’ in a sing-song voice. “At least he’s tired now.” Abbi made sure Milo was secure in his car seat, facing backward. “I think we’ll decide where to eat after the nap. I’m honestly too tired to think about food at the moment. And if I wake up from the nap too exhausted, I’ll definitely opt for room service so we can relax a bit more. I’m excited to see your family again. It’s been forever.” Abbi FaceTimed with them fairly often so they could see Milo, and they were always nice to her on the phone. So she was excited to be able to talk to them in person. When Abbi heard the shutters off the cameras, she frowned a little. “Jeez. I always forget you’re kind of a celebrity. I’ve never been more glad I’m wearing makeup. And I’m glad I didn’t step off the plane wearing pajamas.” It was strange being photographed by strangers. Strangers who would be paid for those photos. She also didn’t like that they were getting pictures of their baby. Maybe there would be a way to keep pictures of Milo off of websites or out of magazines. “I’m glad they can’t go inside. I wouldn’t want them stalking us while we’re there.”

Andre softly laughed at Abbi’s “Surface Pressure” reference. “We’ll give Encanto a break while we’re not stuck on a fifteen hour flight, if we can help it.” Knowing his maman, the televisions in their home likely wouldn’t be on the entire time that her one and only grandson was in town. “Everyone’s excited to see us too, especially Milo and you. They’ve seen enough of me for most of my life,” he teased with a small grin. He hadn’t seen his cousin, Jerome, since he and Abbi got married, and Claude and their parents hadn’t flown out together since Milo’s last birthday. Alternating trips for special occasions seemed like a good idea for the future to Andre but he would also be mindful of Abbi’s displeasure for flying. He’d made his way over to his wife and dropped a kiss on the top of her head, “It’s going to likely be the biggest difference being here compared to Portland. But oui, we’ll have our privacy while we’re here too.” Andre had thought ahead and made sure the vehicle’s rear windows were vastly tinted. And thankfully, the photographers had the good sense to keep a distance while they were still in the arrivals loading zone. “They’re sure to be out and about while we’re here. I don’t want to alarm you of that.” It wasn’t something he had given much thought to before now, mostly because he was already so used to it whenever he was back in this part of the world. “But, mon amour, I will make sure that you and Milo are kept safe while we are here.“ He squeezed Abbi’s hand before reaching around her to open her car door.

Family Fun | Abbi & Andre

_____

Abbi didn’t love flying. She wasn’t scared of it, but she just didn’t like sitting in one place forever. So Andre suggesting they fly on a private aircraft was perfect. Not only would she be able to get up and move, but Milo would, too. He was very squirmy when he sat too long, and because he was fairly good at walking, he wanted to toddle everywhere. The flight would take more than half a day, so she and her husband traded off napping and keeping their son occupied. He was easy enough to entertain, even if it meant watching Encanto on a loop the whole flight. Abbi nearly had it memorized.

Though she was able to move around, she was grateful when they finally landed in Nice. The time difference was going to be brutal for a few days on her and Milo, but they would have plenty of time to relax and get used to the time difference. Milo was getting so big, but he still wanted his mom to hold him all the time. So she held him as their luggage got loaded into the rental car. They’d be away for a while, so they had several bags. “I think that’s a great idea. He’s clearly exhausted. He didn’t sleep much on the plane. I think he was just excited about being in a new setting.” She kissed the top of her little boy’s head as he rested against her shoulder. “They will keep him plenty busy. I don’t think his feet will touch the ground with as much as he’ll be passed around,” she laughed. “I could use a little nap myself. One on a bed. What about you, babe?”

“No, he was certainly more interested in dancing to the Encanto songs,” he recalled with a soft chuckle. It was very cute but he wasn’t the least bit surprised that the little boy was tuckered out, not just from his body believing it was typically nighttime for him. With the last of their luggage loaded in the trunk of the BMW plug-in hybrid they were renting for their trip, Andre opened the rear door to secure Milo’s car seat. “A nap sounds perfect. After, we can go get something to eat somewhere in the city, or order room service, and then head over to my parents’ place if that sounds good to you?” He stuck his head back out of he back seat of the car once he was sure the car seat was safely installed, but soon heard a faint but rapid succession of shutter clicks. Initially, Andre didn’t think anything of it but when he realized what it was, he quietly sucked in a breath while schooling his face and kept his voice for just Abbi, “I think the paps know we’re here. There’s usually a few of them who stalk the airport here. Luckily they won’t be allowed inside the hotel.”

The (senior) Reyes Family’s Monaco Apartment

4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms

Oceanside view

@abbizimms​

Andre was pleasantly surprised at how well Milo had done for his first international flight. Although flying on a private aircraft where Milo could toddle about whenever he didn’t have to be seated on his booster and fastened in. For the 15 hour flight, Andre traded off with Abbi on keeping a close eye on their son and entertaining him while the other could relax more or even nap.

When the family of three landed in Nice, France, the sun hadn’t yet risen, but Andre knew by the time they reached Monte Carlo, the sun would be turning the sky shades of pinks and oranges. While loading their luggage into the rental car, Andre looked over to Abbi noticed Milo beginning to doze off and cast the small boy a sympathetic smile, knowing the time difference would throw him off for a bit. He turned his smile to Abbi and asked, “Do you think we should let him get some rest at the hotel before we go over to my parent’s? Everyone will be especially excited to see him once we go over there.” His parents had offered for them to stay with them--the space was certainly more than accommodating--but Andre figured the three of them in their own space while they were in Monte Carlo would be best. It certainly didn’t hurt that Reyes Group owned two hotels in close proximity of his parent’s home.

“I sure hope so,” she chuckled and watched her husband and baby playing with the snow. “Yes, that sounds amazing,” she said. It was one of the perks of having a fireplace. Her apartment didn’t have one of those. Abbi loved watching Andre with Milo. And hearing him softly sing a lullaby was one of the sweetest things she’d ever witnessed. “Oh, thank you, babe,” she said and handed over her jacket, gloves, and scarf. “I’ll get some milk warmed up for him,” she said. “Yes, we should figure that out. We can’t just watch TV all day. I don’t love sitting him down in front of a television. Plus, if the power goes out, we’ll have nothing to do. So I figure we can play some games together. And we can spend a lot of time with Milo and try to get him to walk a little bit - even just assisted. I feel like he’s getting closer to his first steps, and words every day.”

While Andre was taking care of their wet snow clothes, he received a work call which stalled him a bit from returning back to his wife and son. When he came back to them, he took a seat on the couch beside Abbi and said, “Well, my work day should be officially cleared going forward. My assistant called and they’ll be handling the cancellations and rescheduling my meetings. So you and Milo have my full attention.” Andre then leaned in and pecked Abbi’s cheek before moving to sit on the floor, preparing to play with Milo. “This will certainly be an upside to all of this snowy weather.”

Abbi chuckled a little and nodded. “Yes, he’ll be all right,” she agreed. She loved seeing Andre with their son, playing in the snow. “What a cutie! But yes, probably revenge.” She snapped several pictures and some videos of the two together, and sent them to his phone, along with both of their parents. “You can tell he loves you so much, babe. Should we go back inside and warm him up? His cheeks and nose are starting to get red.”

“He loves you too,” Andre happily noted while getting a little bit more snow for Milo to knock out of his hand. Unfortunately, when he did so, he lost his balance and fell back on his butt, causing Andre to chuckle. At Abbi’s suggestion of them getting inside, Andre’s lingering smile softened, “That sounds like a good idea. We can warm up some milk for him and get the fireplace going.” He lifted Milo up and held him over one arm, murmuring one of the French lullabies he’d taken to singing to Milo ever since they began fostering him. Once their family was back inside, Andre helped Milo out of his wet clothes and, after setting Milo down on the living room floor, offered to take Abbi’s jacket. As he walked their winter accessories to the laundry room, he asked his wife, “Since it looks like we’re going to be stuck here for the foreseeable future, should we figure out some things for the three of us to do together when we all have some down time?”

Miguel: I think that it just comes back to the fact Aviana was bad and she can tell that the WWotE is worse and doesn't want to know.

Miguel: It really is. I just want to know what she's up to.

Andre: I suppose so.

Alexandre: Hi Aidan, how are you?

Abbi smiled and she went out to the backyard with her husband and baby. She was amazed at how much snow actually fell in such a short amount of time. Abbi put Milo down in the snow, and the look on his pouty face was hilarious and adorable. He was so drawn to the snow, and she was so grateful Andre was there to capture his reaction. “It’s snow, baby,” she cooed at the little one, and she picked up a small amount of snow to put it in Milo’s hand. He didn’t seem to mind it, and threw it down immediately. She knelt down on the ground and laid Milo down, making sure his hood was up, and she helped him make a snow angel. “Oh, I think that made him grumpy,” she chuckled and took a couple pictures. “Come over here, babe. I’ll take some pictures of you two.”

Andre was all smiles watching Abbi introduce Milo to the snow and seeing the little boy’s reaction. It was amusing to see Milo not really know what to make of the icy cold fluff, and Andre snapped a few pictures--some of just Milo and some of Abbi and Milo. He chuckled as well when Milo scowled and pouted from being so close to the chilly snow. “Poor petit ange. He’ll be alright though,” Andre assured with a grin, lowering his phone into his pocket so that he could enjoy some snow pictures with their son. He scooped a handful and held it in his palm at Milo’s level so that the soon-to-be tot could do as he pleased with it. Andre grinned and laughed when Milo haphazardly slapped his mitten-clad hand down on it, causing some of the snow to spray off onto the ground again. “I guess that was payback for having to lie down in it before.”

Miguel: Not really. I've always told her that if she's curious to ask, or if she decides she does want to meet her to let me know, but she's never really seemed all that interested.

Miguel: I would appreciate it. I don't want her to just come and tornado her way through my life again. Because I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to try.

Andre: It's a bit strange to think that she would be wholly uninterested but least you've always kept the lines of communication open.

Miguel: Not that I know of. I was pretty confident that she burned all her bridges here. And she definitely hasn't reached out to Sofia any.

Andre: And Sofia still doesn't know about her, specifically, right?

Miguel: Because before the snowstorm I had ordered something for the twins that was supposed to be picked up at the store, and it just arrived so I went to get it. Plus Amber and the twins were sleeping and Sofia was over so it seemed like a good time.

Miguel: Fuck no. I honestly thought she was a sleep deprivation hallucination at first. But I don't think that she saw me.

Andre: Oh. Well it's good that they're getting sleep.

Miguel: You're never going to guess who I just saw at the mall.

Miguel: The Wicked Witch of the East.

Miguel: I have no idea what she's doing here but she swore she wasn't going to come back to Portland.

Andre: You're kidding.

Andre: And why were you at the mall? I thought you would be home juggling baby diapers and swaddling blankets.

All but the ones that we’re working on together. But I did get him a giant mixed box of Legos right before this started so that he could make his own things, but the unfortunate side effect of that which I didn’t think of ahead of time was that he then wants to show them to me. 

Oh that’s going to be great for his chances at original creations but.. would some type of sign on your door help? Maybe if you have something you can flip over so he knows when it’s an okay time to come into your office and when he should only be coming in if it’s an emergency?

That’s a possibility. The house also is insanely old, and I inherited it from my aunt and it has a lot of weird problems that just pop up. 

Yeah, it was. Though really it also feels like it wasn’t that long ago. Sadie’s just grown up too fast. 

Oh I see. Well hopefully all that’s happening there is that the flue needs opening.

I hear similar remarks from friends with children. That must make everything feel that much more valuable. I know I’ve been feeling that way already with Milo.