Islandic proof, p.1
Islandic Proof, page 1
Islandic Proof
Trilogy Christian Publishers A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network
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Copyright © 2022 by Nancy Chaffee
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Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN: 978-1-68556-783-5
E-ISBN: 978-1-68556-784-2
Dedication
The fiction novel Islandic Proof is dedicated to the law enforcement officers, the rescue squads, and the firefighters who risk their lives every day to protect and save others. These people perform feats of courage that go above and beyond the call of duty. In many cases, they are underpaid and overworked in order to function in their job roles, and this happens throughout the world. I honor these courageous heroes and their families that support them.
I also dedicate Islandic Proof to my loving family.
Preface
I acknowledge that this is a book of fiction. The storyline takes place in the south of Atlanta, Georgia, Sydney, Australia, and on a tourist cruise ship that visits Ireland and Iceland. None of the characters or circumstances are real.
I used the names of real places in order to make the storyline more substantial to the reader. I used geography and facts about the areas to provide better insight into the novel.
None of the information, including the characters, is meant for any purpose but for fictional entertainment and enjoyment.
I hope you, as the reader, enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing the novel Islandic Proof.
Chapter One
Sara and Jake
Farm in Georgia
Sara is standing in her large white country kitchen as she sees the phone beeping. She looks at Jake as he comes into the kitchen with his hands full of grocery bags he has just taken from his truck. He is in his favorite clothes; sneakers, a pair of faded jeans, and a basic white shirt.
“Jake, hubby, will you catch my phone? I have my hands in dough for dinner; I am cooking tonight,” says Sara.
Jake puts the grocery bags on the counter. He looks at Sara and says, “You have got batter in your pretty blonde hair.”
“What’s for supper that looks so good in your hair?” asks Jake.
Sara smiles at Jake.
He picks up Sara’s phone and says, “Hi, this is Jake. I am answering Sara’s phone. Who is this? The caller ID didn’t identify you.”
“Dad, it’s me, you know, one of your daughters, Lily. I am at the airport in Belfast, Ireland, and I just have a few minutes before pre-flight checklist. I’m scheduled to fly the plane back to Sydney.
“Mia and I have been discussing our wedding plans. We have decided that it will save you and Mama some money if we have a double wedding, especially since we are identical twins and we both became engaged this year.
“We thought about a destination wedding on the cruise ship where Alex was once captain. We are thinking the first week of May. The itinerary for the ship this year begins in Dublin, Ireland, and continues around Iceland to several points of interest, with a final destination in eleven days back to Dublin.
“Mia and I both want a small wedding in May. Jon Marc and Alex are all in and excited about the destination weddings, too. Alex knows the captain of the vessel who will be performing our ceremonies, and they are great friends. Jon Marc and I want to be married at the same time as Mia and Alex. We all think it’s a great idea.
“Dad, say something! I only have a few more minutes,” says Lily.
“You haven’t given me a chance yet, sweetheart! You know your mama, and I will love that. Text us your details, especially your mama. What about our soon-to-be twin granddaughters? How are they doing, and how do they feel about this?”
“Emma and Emilie love the idea. They are so ready for us to be a family. The adoption will be completed the week of the weddings, so we will have three celebrations: two weddings, the twins’ adoptions, and they will turn four years old the same week. We wanted a family celebration for them. This is such a milestone in both of their lives to have a real family.
“I have to go for pre-flight check. Tell Mama I love her. Love you, Dad.”
“That’s a long flight, Captain Fletcher,” says Jake.
“Dad, you and Mama worry too much,” says Lily, and she was gone.
“Jake, who was that on my phone?” says Sara.
“First, tell me what you are cooking for supper. It smells great,” says Jake.
“I am making a puff pastry to go over the very large chicken vegetable pie we are having tonight, along with salad, corn on the cob, green beans, mixed fruit platter, and a chocolate cake. Who was on the phone?”
Jake begins to put up the groceries as Sara works on her puff pastry.
“It was Lily. She is about to fly from Belfast to Sydney, and she wanted to tell us some news.”
“What news?” asks Sara.
Jake says, “Both she and Mia have decided on their weddings and the dates. They have chosen a double wedding on Alex’s old cruise ship. It will be destination weddings during the cruise from Dublin, Ireland, and around Iceland. The cruise is eleven days. Mia and Lily want to marry their mates on the cruise. The twins’ adoptions will be final the same week along with their four-year-old birthdays. Lily and Mia want to celebrate with the family.”
Sara says, “When do they want to get married?”
Jake says, “In May of this year.
“It sounds like I need to fly with you on your next trip from Atlanta to Sydney, Australia. I really need to see our daughters. There are a lot of decisions that must be made, including booking the cruises.”
“I am so excited, Jake. I can’t believe that our twin daughters are grown. Where did the time go?”
Jake says, “Life is ever-changing, and time does fly by so quickly.”
Sara says, “Mia and Lily have chosen wonderful men to marry. I couldn’t be happier. By June, Alex and Mia will be married. Lily and Jon Marc will be married. Emma and Emilie will become our newly adopted twin four-year-old granddaughters, as well.
“Just think, Lily and Jon Marc with Emma and Emilie will become a family of four. Such wonderful celebrations this year.
“If I fly with you next weekend, I can stay with Lily in the house in Adelaide, and I can see Mia in Sydney during that same week.
“May is not far away. The girls and I can get a lot accomplished while I’m there. I can see our granddaughters, too.”
“I’m beginning to feel older, all of a sudden, mate,” says Jake as he grabs Sara for a hug.
“You and me both, mate!” says Sara with a laugh.
Sara starts working on the biscuits and finishes supper. She says, “Let me contact the rest of our ‘wolf pack’ and see if they want to come for dinner. I have made plenty to eat.
“I’ll text our son, Michael. ‘Michael, do you, Chanda, and Amber want to come to the house for dinner tonight at about 6:30 p.m.?’
“Next, I’ll also text Shea and Tripp to see if they can make it.”
Jake says, “I’ll phone our daughter, Heather, to see if she wants dinner. She is driving to pick up our grandson, Keeton, around 6 p.m. That will give her time to get him before we eat.”
Sara says a few minutes later, “Jake, it looks like everyone’s response is yes.
“I’m glad both Michael and Heather live just a short distance away. Since our granddaughter, Shea, and her mate, Tripp, live further away, it will take them longer to get here.”
“Let’s see, that is Michael, Chanda, Amber, Shea, Tripp, Heather, and Keeton. That will be seven people, not including us, for dinner by 6:30 p.m. I’ll set the dining room table for nine people,” Sara says to Jake.
The family starts coming into the house by 6:15 p.m. Everyone is hugging and talking all at once. Keeton is grabbing strawberries off of the fruit platter before Heather catches him.
Southern sweet tea is poured for everyone as the biscuits come out of the oven. All of the other food is already on the table. Biscuits are placed, and everyone sits down.
Sara says, “I am so glad to see everyone. I have some news. Lily and Mia have decided to have a double-destination wedding on an eleven-day cruise traveling to Ireland and Iceland. I want to discuss the details with everyone, as Jake and I know them, after the dinner prayer.”
Jake says grace, “Please, God, bless this food as nourishment to our body. Please bless the family who is here and those who are not. Please impress on each member of our family how much they are loved. Please protect our family in all they do. I
Everyone is passing around the food to fix their plates.
Sara says, “The wedding cruise begins on Monday, May 3, this year. It leaves from Dublin, Ireland, so everyone will be flying to Dublin and need to be on the cruise ship by 4 p.m. The wedding is scheduled for Wednesday, May 5, on the first at-sea day.
“Captain John Dubois of the ship is officiating and is a friend of Alex’s. It is Alex’s cruise ship from when he was captain. The cruise ends on Friday, May 14, and everyone will fly home that day. Mia and Lily want all of the family to come. Please see if you can make arrangements, and please try to come.”
Everyone starts eating and talking all at once about Mia, Lily, and their weddings.
At the end of the meal, everyone is checking their phones, calendars, and schedules for the tentative dates so they can plan vacations around the weddings.
Sara says, “There are flights to book, passports to check, and travel arrangements to make to include all transfers. I will need to get your information so that I can take care of the bookings. I am so excited. Mia and Lily are so happy. It is to be a small wedding with just the immediate families. Jake and I have been saving for this, and we plan to pay for the airlines’ tickets, transfers, and cruises for everyone.
“This will be your Christmas presents from us this year, and we will have the entire family together on the cruise to celebrate. What great vacations! I am so excited!”
Sara asks, “Okay, family, will you please decide whether or not you can commit and let me know as soon as you can? “Hopefully, I will hear from you within the next three days.”
Sara says, “I need to let Mia and Lily know before the end of the week. I plan to fly with your dad (Jake) next weekend to Sydney. I’ll stay the week, first in Adelaide with Lily and then on to Sydney with Lily, to meet Mia and our three-year-old granddaughters, Emma and Emilie. I want to help them look for dresses and help with the arrangements.”
After dinner, everyone leaves for their homes. Sara thinks, Oh, my gosh! How many guests from the United States will be coming in May for the weddings, and how many others?
Sara says to Jake, “Let’s see, Alex’s Mom, Sue, and Dad, David, have already committed, and so has Aunt Fran from Jon Marc’s family. Including you and me, that’s five we know, are coming already.”
Within three days, Sara hears from the rest of the family.
“We have our adult twin daughters, Mia marrying Alex, Lily marrying Jon Marc, our new three-year-old granddaughters, Emma and Emilie, Jon Marc’s aunt, Fran, Alex’s parents, David and Sue, our son, Michael, daughter-in-law, Chanda, granddaughters, Amber, Shea and her mate, Tripp. Our daughter, Heather, is bringing our eight-year-old grandson, Keeton, who will be a big help with the three-year-olds.
“The others have declined due to scheduling conflicts. I am so sorry that your sister cannot come to the wedding. It looks like eighteen guests thus far. Am I missing anyone else, Jake?”
Jake says, “You and me, Michael, Chanda, Shea, Tripp, Amber, Heather, Keeton, Mia, Lily, Alex, Jon Marc, Emma, Emilie, Aunt Fran, David, and Sue.”
Smiling, Jake says, “This is the first time that we have all been together for a vacation. There will be fifteen adults (six lads, nine ladies). There will also be three ankle biters (informally describing young children in Australia). That looks right to me.”
Lads Ladies Ankle Biters
Jake Sara Keeton
Michael Chanda Emma
Tripp Shea Emilie
Alex Mia
Jon Marc Lily
David Sue
Heather
Amber
Aunt Fran
“Oh, my gosh, I need a diagram of our family to keep them straight.”
Family Diagram
WE ARE THE PARENTS (2)
Jake Fletcher Sara Fletcher
OUR CHILDREN (7)
Mia/Alex—groom Michael/Chanda
Lily/Jon Marc—groom Heather
OUR GRANDCHILDREN (6)
Lily and Jon Marc’s—Emma/Emilie Michael and Chanda’s—Shea/Tripp
Michael and Chanda’s—Amber
Heather’s—Keeton
ALEX’S PARENTS (2)
Sue and David Morris
JON MARC’S AUNT (1)
Aunt Elizabeth Francis (Fran) Garnier
“It is a good thing that we put money aside for weddings. Having girls is expensive, and I am so happy that we thought ahead. Now all I have to do is to stay within our budget,” remarks Sara.
“Sara, you have always been so good at balancing money. I have no doubt that we will give the girls great weddings. I have learned to trust you completely when it comes to money.
“Besides, you love the Blue Lagoon in Iceland and have only gotten to go once. That will double the excitement for you. I know you will be busy, but I want you to enjoy this so much.
“I know you’ll miss our daughters. This will give you a chance to be with our twin daughters at one of the happiest times in their lives this summer and relax in the Blue Lagoon, as well,” says Jake.
“I am so excited, Jake. I can’t wait to get started,” says Sara.
Jake takes Sara in his arms and hugs her. He says, “My dearest mate, if Lily and Jon Marc and Mia and Alex are half as happy as we have been through the years, they will both have wonderful lives. I love you more now than I did when we got married, and I would not have believed that was possible. God has really blessed us, Sara.”
“I love you so much, sweetheart. God has been good to our family, Jake.”
“Oh, my gosh! I just realized two weddings, vacations for our whole family, the twin’s birthdays, and their adoptions all rolled into one,” says Jake.
“I hope the cruise director is wonderful onboard that ship. They have no idea what they are getting into this summer. No one in the entire family is alike,” laughs Sara.
Chapter Two
Sara’s Flight
Sydney, Australia
Sara texts Mia and Lily: “I will be on your dad’s flight from Atlanta to Sydney at the end of the week. Can you meet Dad and me at the hotel? We will be going to the airline’s designated hotel to spend the night, and then I will fly with Lily to Adelaide when your dad flies back to Atlanta. Does that work for you, both? I know how busy your schedules are, and I can accommodate my schedule to fit yours.”
Alex and Mia
Sara thinks, Mia Fletcher is a general surgeon at Sydney Memorial Hospital, and Alex Morris, her finance, is an architect with Smith, Smith, and Grimes Corporation in Sydney, so scheduling is going to be intense.
Before Alex joined the corporation, he was CEO of a hospital ship for two years in Southern Africa. Mia met Alex on the hospital ship, where she volunteered for six months as a general surgeon. Prior to that, Alex was captain of the cruise ship.
Lily and Jon Marc
I can see the twins when I am in Sydney since Jon Marc Garnier (Lily’s finance) is the director of the Sydney Children’s Home. He is also a pediatric surgeon on staff at Sydney’s Pediatric Hospital, a few miles from the Home.
Lily Fletcher, our twin daughter, flies as captain for the Australian Airlines and is based in Adelaide, so that means I can stay with her at her home.
Lily is preparing her home for the adoption of Emma and Emilie. The twins have been with her and Jon Marc for over six months.
Let’s see; the twins stay at the Children’s Home with Jon Marc when Lily flies for the airlines. Scheduling the four of them together with the twins is also going to be challenging.
The twins will be in school at the Children’s Home until next Friday. That will give me time to help plan for all of the events that are going to take place.
Sara texts Lily and Mia again, “I want to take you shopping for wedding gowns and purchase the twins’ dresses on this trip. How does that sound to you? Next, with your help, I will arrange everyone’s cruises, airline tickets, and transfers. I want to make sure that whatever I do is exactly what you both want. I will also text everyone for the information I need. Thank goodness all of the passports are up to date. I can’t wait to see you on Friday. I am so looking forward to shopping with you in Sydney.”
