Getting ready to go to England for two weeks with one year old triplets really was like a circus, Goldie reflected. Even though the adults tried to cultivate a minimalist vibe, it only extended as far as themselves. The babies had so many cute clothes and accoutrements, and of course they wanted to bring them all.

"This is ridiculous," Jeff said at one point. "We're going to England, not the North Pole, they have clothes and toys there, too, right? And I'm sure my mum has lost her mind buying them things in all the shops in London. We could probably take them over there naked and not struggle one bit after we arrived." He was trying to close the zip on a suitcase that was stuffed.

"Oh, but Jeff, we have to take these," Goldie exclaimed, turning from their closet holding matching sweaters in three different shades of purple.

"You're not helping," he chided.

"Sorry," Goldie responded, slipping the sweaters into another bag.

"I saw that."

"But Jeff!"

He sighed. "I'll grab the bigger bag."

The number of bags they took didn't really matter, since they were taking a private jet, but this much luggage seemed excessive.

Goldie was in awe of the idea of a private jet.

"Jesus, how rich are you?" she laughed.

"Not as rich as you'd think," Jeff replied. "However, I would never inflict these three, even at their best, on a plane full of strangers." He gestured toward the girls, who were sitting in various open suitcases, 'helping.' "At least on a private plane they'll have a place to sleep and all."

They sent most of their luggage ahead to be dealt with, so they only had to wrangle the girls and their diaper bags on the actual day of travel.

"Okay, I think we're finally ready," Jeff said as they waited for the car.

Goldie laughed and leaned in to kiss him. "You're so cute."

Pippa saw the kiss and came to kiss her father, then Goldie. "Kiss," she said. "Kiss."

"Yes, Pips, thank you," Goldie said to the baby with a smile.

Jeff got a text saying that the car was downstairs, so they gathered everyone and everything and left. "I hope we're not forgetting anything," Jeff worried in the elevator.

"Like you said, they sell shit in England," Goldie reminded him. "We'll be fine."

Jeff nodded at her.

The plane was bigger than Goldie was expecting.

"Well, even though it's just the five of us, it still has to be big enough to get to England, right?" Jeff said sensibly. It did indeed have three little travel cribs, which would make nap time much more comfortable for the girls.

"If you think about it, we'll only be on this plane a couple hours more than we were in the car when we went to my house for Thanksgiving," Goldie mused out loud. "Not even seven hours. I don't think it will be so bad.

But all three girls were wailing during the first part of the flight because the altitude hurt their little ears.

"Ouchie," Genie wept miserably. grabbing at her ears.

"Ouchie," Pippa agreed, touching her own ears.

Gemma merely reached for Goldie, wanting comfort as she cried.

"So sorry, little ones, so sorry," Jeff fretted. "It'll go away soon, I promise."

They comforted the weeping babies as best they could until they adjusted to the altitude, after which they spent their time reading to them and playing, trying to keep them entertained.

"Finally," Jeff said, exhausted, when the girls were all sleeping in their travel cribs. "If we're lucky, between the crying during takeoff and the excitement of traveling, maybe they'll just sleep until we get there."

"Sounds good," Goldie answered, tilting her seat back with her eyes closed. She felt Jeff take her hand and opened one eye.

"Thanks for coming with us," Jeff said. "I think we're going to have a really good time."

"Me too," Goldie answered, nodding. She pulled Jeff down next to her (the arm rest had been lifted long ago) so she could snuggle into his shoulder.

"Mm, you smell good," she said, turning her body into his.

"I smell like baby and deodorant," he responded with a soft laugh.

"Good, like I said," Goldie repeated. "Let's sleep while we can, hm, Daddy?"

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed, settling down, pulling Goldie more closely to his body.

It seemed like they'd barely closed their eyes when the girls were awake once more, calling "Go-die," and "Dada," from their travel cribs.

They had just enough time to change the girls' diapers and give them a snack when they were preparing to land in London. The altitude change didn't seem to bother them as much, and they managed to land without too much fuss. It was of course already dark, as London was five hours ahead of New York City, but there was still plenty for Goldie to see. They also took their time at the airport, letting the girls walk around and stretch their legs before making them get into car seats for the ride to Jeff's parents' London home.

"No," Genie rebelled when her father began to buckle her into the car seat, and she didn't mean "snow."

She immediately began to cry her lungs out, protesting at yet another restriction to her movement, after hours constrained in a car, the plane, and then another car.

"Sorry, baby girl," Goldie commiserated. "It's the law, I can't hold you."

Her sisters joined in on the fussy crying, and the car was filled with the sound of wailing babies.

Jeff apologized to the driver about the noise as he and Goldie tried to calm the girls without removing them from their carseats.

"I think I'm going mad," Jeff muttered as he attempted to soothe Genie and Pippa with a cracker.

"I'm right there with you," Goldie laughed, handing Gemma a cracker as well.

"Doesn't this bother you?" Jeff asked, looking at Goldie.

"Well, I certainly don't love it," Goldie answered, looking out the window at the city. "But I mean, they're babies, they can't help it, and I don't blame them, do you?"

"No, of course not," Jeff answered. "But you're so calm and all."

"I could smile or cry, and smiling's easier," Goldie responded, patting his shoulder.

"I don't think I've ever loved you more than at this moment," Jeff declared, popping a cracker into his own mouth.

"I'll take it," Goldie returned with a smile.

"We're nearly there," Jeff said with relief as he looked around the darkened London streets. "Just a couple more minutes." He checked his phone. "My mum says our luggage has arrived, so that's good news."

The car pulled up on a wide, tree-lined street that was lit with old fashioned street lights, and Goldie could tell it was a nice neighborhood.

"What's this area called?" she asked.

"Notting Hill, like the movie," he answered as he unbuckled the girls and lifted them out.

The front door of the house opened, and a man and woman came out.

"You're here, you're here at last," the woman said, descending the stairs. "Welcome home, Jeff, and hello, you darlings."

She lifted Pippa out of Jeff's arms and kissed her before passing her on to the man, who was about Jeff's height.

Everyone moved up the steps and into a spacious foyer. Even in the dark, Goldie could see that the outside of the house was decorated for Christmas, as was the interior.

Mum, Dad, this is the girls' nanny, Goldie," Jeff said. "Goldie, these are my parents, Patricia and Gordon."

"It's a real pleasure," Goldie said, nodding. "I need both hands to hold her, I'm sorry I can't shake," she continued, patting Genie's bottom. "You have a lovely home."

"We have Jeffrey to thank for that," Gordon said with a smile that made him look even more like Jeff than ever. "I was a lowly schoolteacher, and Pat was a social worker, we never could've afforded this on our salaries."

"Come in, come in, we've made the lounge fairly baby-safe, I think," Pat said, ushering everyone in to a beautiful room. As at Goldie's parents' house, the electrical outlets were covered, and a large grate covered the brightly crackling fire.

And, like at her parents' house, two dogs who were stretched out in front of the fire rose and stretched, sniffing the air interestedly as they approached the newcomers.

"Goggie!"

"Goggie!"

"Genie down! Goggie!"

"Oh god, I really am going mad," Jeff said with a laugh.

They set the girls down and watched carefully as they met the dogs.

"The bigger, yellow one is Ike, and the black and white one is Duchess," Gordon said.

"Hello, Ike, hello, Duchess," Goldie said, kneeling to greet them.

"Let me just get us some tea," Pat said, disappearing into what Goldie assumed was the kitchen.

"Shall I help you?" Goldie called from the floor.

"Goodness no, I'll be back in a tick," Pat responded.

The girls seemed content for the moment to sit on the floor with the endlessly entertaining dogs, so the three adults sat on the sofa, Jeff and Goldie giving simultaneous sighs of relief and fatigue.

"You two must be exhausted," Gordon said, smiling with sympathy. "Even on a private plane, I don't envy you the day you've had."

"We managed, just," Jeff answered. I wouldn't want to do it every day, mind, but it's worth it to get here."

"Here we are," Pat called out as she entered the room with a tray. She quickly got everyone sorted, and everyone sat back to relax and watch the babies gambol with Ike and Duchess.

"Look how big they've grown," Pat marveled. "I mean, it's just not the same seeing them on a computer screen, is it?"

"And they're talking so much, Pat!" Gordon told her as he sipped his tea. "They were talking while you were in the kitchen seeing to the tea. It's amazing."

"Goggie eyes," Pippa said, pointing to Duchess' eyes.

"Goggie tummy," Genie said, patting Duchess' stomach.

"Goggie nose," Gemma said, touching Ike's wet nose and laughing.

"Where's Gemma's nose?" Jeff asked from his place on the couch.

Gemma smiled and pointed to her own nose.

"And what about Genie's tummy?"

Genie patted her tummy. "Genie tummy," she repeated with a smile.

"Pippa eyes," Pippa said, touching her closed eyelids without prompting.

"My goodness, they're little geniuses," aren't they?" Pat said, smiling.

"We think so," Jeff responded, putting an arm around Goldie.

His parents saw the gesture and exchanged a look.

"We're involved," Jeff answered their unasked question. "It's nice, it's good."

Pat nodded. "As long as you're happy," she said.

"Are we keeping you up? It must be pretty late here," Goldie said apologetically.

"Not too late," Gordon assured her. "Pat and I are night owls from way back. It's getting us up in the morning that can be hard."

"The girls have got their second wind, it seems," Jeff said as he watched his daughters. "It's barely seven o'clock for them, so they've got a good couple of hours left." He looked at Goldie and grasped her hand, lifting it to his lips for a kiss.

"We made it," he said with a wry grin.

"Yes we did," she agreed.