Day one, 7:47 a.m.:  Donovan starts crying when Mike leaves us at the station.  He says he’s not too sad though because he knows God will be with and bless his father.  This would make total sense if we went to church every week but he hasn’t been to church since he was two.  Where does he get this stuff?

Day one, five minutes later:  D has befriended the conductor and is now eating a free sausage biscuit.  We are only five minutes into the trip and he’s already turning on the charm.  I can see what kind of trip this is going to be and though I am happy about it I am also exhausted already.  Mr. Charm requires a lot of energy.

Day one, 2:45 p.m.:  Donovan buys a key chain for his Richmond Girlfriend.  It says, “I love New York.  Girls Rule.”  We are still waiting for Beau to buy someone a gift and he’s sixteen.

Day one, 3:00 p.m.:  Donovan meets Aunt Kelly and is smitten.  Minutes after meeting her he begins to woo her.  I’ve got to rein this kid in.  As I’m considering all this, he asks for a little privacy with Aunt Kelly so they can peruse the Captain Underpants book she bought him……alone.

Day two, 9:00 a.m:  Donovan asks Aunt Kelly how she slept.  At this point he’s pretty much dismissing the presence of her husband, Uncle Herve as if he is merely a temporary obstacle.

Day two, 2:17 p.m.:  Despite himself, Donovan is starting to like Uncle Herve.  I go into the gift shop and he asks, “May I stay with Uncle Herbe?”  First of all, his name is Herve; second of all YOU skip the gift shop?  Unheard of.

Day two, 4:21 p.m.:  Donovan offers his seat to cousin Caroline.  My how debonair and I thought Virginia was for lovers.

Day two, 7:34 p.m.:  We go out for steak.  It is the one extravagance that D and I have promised ourselves, except our hosts will never let us pay so I feel bad asking for steak but I promised D.  We go to my nieces’ restaurant and D gets a steak as big as his head.  Considering he’s working with a Charlie Brown sized dome, this is a pretty substantial slab of meat.  When someone there asks him if he has a girlfriend, he shoots back quick as a wink that he’s got three and from the way he’s eyeing Aunt Kelly it looks like he’s planning to make it four.

Day three: 9:00 a.m.:  Charlotte buys flowers for her Mom for completing her yoga training.  Not to be outdone, D asks if he can get her a bouquet as well.  I can see this kid is going to need a job and soon.  He doesn’t even know how expensive it is to be a ladies’ man. 

Day three, 3:00: p.m.:  We go to Lion King.  It is brilliant, beautiful, moving.  It brings tears to my eyes.  I might feel foolish but when I hear sniffling from D’s corner I know it’s ok.  I look over and he’s finding solace in the crook of Aunt Kelly’s arm,
I ask D if he loved New York and he said,

“Yeah but I loved the people in New York even better.”

And as the shirt, coffee mug, bumper sticker, hat and pencils say in blazing black and red,

“I ♥ New York”

And from what I could tell D, New York ♥’s you back….. a lot.