“Aren’t you going to give your sister a hug?” my father asked.

“If I have to,” I protested. I wrapped my arms around her.

“Wow, when did you get so big?” she asked.

“It’s not that I’m getting bigger—I think you’re shrinking. Maybe it’s all that time in the pool.”

“I don’t think so.” She gave me another hug. “Help Dad, don’t forget,” she whispered in my ear.

“I will,” I whispered back. “Don’t worry.”

“We have to get going,” my father said.

My mother gave Beth another quick squeeze and then we started for the security gates.

We stopped just before we entered and I looked back. My sister gave a little wave. I waved back. And then she turned and walked away.

CHAPTER TWO

Our taxi slowed down and came to a stop in front of the resort.

“It feels like coming home,” my mother said.

“Home for the holidays,” my father agreed.

We climbed out of the car and the driver got out and took the bags from the trunk. Instantly there were three bellhops who grabbed them.

“I love the smell of the air here,” my mother said.

“I just like the fact that the air is warm.” I rolled up the sleeves on my shirt. The faster I could get into a T-shirt and shorts the better. Actually, a bathing suit would be even better.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks!”

It was Philippe. He’d worked at the resort for as long as I could remember.

“It’s so good to see all of you…but it isn’t all of you. Where is Miss Brooks?” he asked.

“Miss Brooks couldn’t come this year,” my mother said.

“That is awful!” Philippe exclaimed. “The staff will be so disappointed.”

I knew he was, in a way, just being polite. The Thai people had to be the most polite in the entire world. But he also really meant it. Over the years we’d gotten to know the staff, and they’d gotten to know us. They really worked to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. They didn’t have to work at being friendly, though, because that part just came naturally.

My father started to pick up one of our suitcases and Philippe practically grabbed it out of his hand. He barked out some orders in Thai and three other staff came running. Philippe handed one of them my father’s bag and the other two grabbed the rest.

“You are, of course, in the best location at the resort, bungalow number six,” Philippe said.

We’d been in bungalow six for the past five years. For four years before that we’d had bungalow two, but six was better because it was at the end of the beach, farthest away from the main resort building. It felt like our own little cottage. When it had first become available my father had grabbed it up, and now we had a standing reservation for every Christmas.