French Kiss Part 1

The next thing I knew, I was in this little French hamlet called Champs Les Sims. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I almost clicked my heels.

Apparently dad has been planning this family vacation for some time. He didn't even bother to tell me about it, and he tells me just about everything. It's like Aunt Margaret used to say, that it takes my father awhile to make a decision, but when he's decided to do something, he usually does it.

We arrived at the bed and breakfast at Champs Les Sims, a Tudor-style home with more than adequate accommodations. We put our bags down and then set out to explore the town.

Unlike my excursions into Egypt and China, I was in France merely as a tourist, with my parents and kid brother. I wasn't going to get involved in any relic-hunting adventures while in France.

Yeah right. Like I, Savannah Rachel Plumb, am going to wander around some cozy countryside town for three days sipping nectar all the time? Especially when I could learn to... MAKE... nectar of my own.

So when we got to the nectary, I spotted this little boy who, I swear, was a dead ringer for some of the pics I saw of dad when he was younger. I was half tempted to ask if they were related.

Sure, I had, um, difficulties, learning the craft, especially tumbling in a bucket of grapes while I was trying to squish them, but I pored into the Nectar Made Easy books at the local bookshop and bought a bunch of grapes from the seller so I could start learning on the machines at the nectary.

When I got back to base camp, I found my parents -- BOTH OF THEM -- rocking away to this one song they were both playing on guitar. "You two seem happy," I said.

Then Sebastian, who had been calmly eating ice cream, came running in the room. "Vanna, guess what? Mom and dad got married!"

You should have seen my mouth. It completely flew open.

It all made sense to me. That's why dad made this trip. Dad slipped mom to Champs Les Sims to marry her. I had to admit, I held back a few tears.