"Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices." – Psalm 16:9

By 10:45, Cole had successfully picked up Maya, Tammy, and Alana, sped down the freeway, and arrived in the city of Buena Park. He reluctantly fished out a twenty from his wallet to cover the parking fee, then proceeded to swing into a spot on the second floor of the structure. Once his Volkswagen was parked, he and the girls hopped out excitedly.

"We're here!" Tammy exclaimed. She rushed over to the railing and looked out over the trees at the amusement park. "Hey, there it is! I see Disneyland!"

"Do we have to walk all that way?" Maya asked doubtfully. "Why isn't the parking structure closer?"

Cole smiled. "Don't worry, we're talking the tram. Come on."

He and Alana led the others down an escalator to the tram station, where they waited with dozens of other tourists. Once they boarded, the tram took them all the way to the end of a long stretch of shops and restaurants called Downtown Disney. Maya wanted to look around, but Alana reminded her that the real park was yet to come.

"There's the entrance," Cole said, pointing to their left. Long lines of people stretched behind blue-colored arches. As Cole and the others walked closer, they glanced in the opposite direction and saw giant 3D letters spelling CALIFORNIA to their right.

"There's California Adventure Park!" Alana exclaimed. "Are we going there too?"

"No," Cole said with a frown. "We're only able to visit one park today."

They were a little disappointed, but upon hearing that the Disneyland Park was larger than California Adventure Park, they agreed it was only a small loss. Before long, they met up with Cole's friend, who led them underneath the blue arches and through the grand entrance for free.

A large sign reading Disneyland met them directly in front of a train station. Flowers bloomed everywhere, and colorful benches situated under small trees provided places to sit in the shade. Everywhere Alana and the group walked, bright music followed them, flooding out from loudspeakers cleverly hidden on buildings and in the foliage. Cole's friend led them halfway down Main Street before heading back to his work station at one of the restaurants.

"Okay, where are we going first?" Tammy asked eagerly.

"Well..." Cole paused to pull out a map from his backpack. Inside, he had cleverly hidden some snacks and water bottles underneath his rolled-up sweatshirt so they wouldn't have to pay for the overpriced food in the park. After fishing around beneath all these items, he finally found the map and held it up triumphantly. "Alright! Should we hit up one of the big coasters first or just walk around and enjoy the sights?"

"Rollercoasters!" Alana and Maya exclaimed at the same time.

Cole laughed and shoved the map into his pocket. "Coasters it is. How about Space Mountain?"

The name jogged a memory in Alana's mind. She briefly wondered if that was the ride she had been too short to go on. As a first grader, she had loved all the kiddie rides in Disneyland, but desperately wanted to go on one of the "big coasters" too. Due to the height restriction, however, she had been unable to ride.

"Space Mountain sounds good," she said to Cole, so the group set out in that direction. They walked through throngs of people headed in the same direction, all making their way down Main Street past the rows of buildings and shops. When they emerged at the center of the park, which branched off into various themed areas, Cole led the group towards Tomorrowland. However, upon reaching Space Mountain, they were dismayed to see a sign displaying the current wait time for the coaster: 1 hour 25 minutes.

"An hour and a half?" Maya cried. "That's insane."

"Don't worry," Cole said cheerfully. "We can do FastPass."

Sure enough, after making a quick stop at a row of machines next to the Space Mountain entrance, they received little slips of paper labeled FastPass that they could use to jump the line later that day.

After noting the time on their FastPass, Cole decided to lead the group somewhere else. "We might as well check out another coaster," he said. "One of my favorites is Big Thunder Mountain. It's in Frontierland."

"Let's go," Alana agreed.

This time, when they reached the entrance to the rollercoaster, the line wasn't nearly as long. They waited for about half an hour before climbing into their seats at the back of the coaster. The back, Cole insisted, was the fastest because it carried more momentum than the front.

"But I can see everything better in the front," Tammy argued.

"The front seats have a longer line," Alana pointed out, so in the end Tammy had to consent to sitting in the back. The Walker sisters sat together while Cole and Maya sat behind them.

After the ride attendants checked everyone's lap bars, the coaster made a sharp jolt forward and began traveling out of the station. Hands immediately flew up in the air as people screamed excitedly.

Alana felt a rush of wind as they made a small drop and cruised towards the left. Then, when the coaster caught on the chain lift, they were pulled up and over a long hill. They entered a dark tunnel in the red-orange rocks of the Wild West before shooting out on the other side. Everyone screamed as the coaster dropped down, made a few wide turns, and raced over a glistening lake. A camera flashed somewhere to Alana's left. After a few more seconds of turning and gliding, the coaster returned to the station. Once the lap bars were raised, Alana disembarked with a huge smile on her face and adrenaline still surging through her system.

"How'd you like it?" she asked Tammy about the noise of the crowd.

"That was so fun!" she exclaimed.

"Hey," Cole said, "let's go look at our pictures!"

They followed him to a Western-themed store where all the riders' pictures were displayed. Alana found their four-seater car on the bottom right-hand screen. It showed Cole with his hands in the air, Maya with her mouth wide open in a scream, and Alana's blonde hair strewn behind her like the tentacles of Medusa. Tammy, meanwhile, was clutching the lap bar in front of her.

"Look at Tammy!" Maya laughed. The little girl's eyes were so wide that she looked beyond terrified.

"Were you scared?" Alana asked, smirking.

Tammy shook her head vigilantly.

"If you say so," Alana laughed. "The picture doesn't lie."

"Okay, maybe I was a little scared," Tammy admitted.

For the next six hours, the group walked all over the park, exploring the Western-themed rides and shops in Frontierland, the giant castle and Matterhorn (home of the Abominable Snowman) in Fantasyland, and the Haunted Mansion and thrilling Indiana Jones ride in Adventureland. The bouncing, swerving Indiana Jones Jeep was especially fun for Tammy. Even though she was a bit scared of the lava, blow darts, and giant Cobra snake, she went on the ride for a second time and ended up loving it.

"Alright guys," Maya said after they exited Indiana Jones. "My legs are going to give out if we don't take a break."

Cole glanced at his watch. "We have a little over an hour before our FastPass time for Space Mountain. Should we find someplace to eat?"

They shook their heads. They had already eaten a big lunch a few hours ago, so nobody was really that hungry.

"Let's eat dinner after Space Mountain," Alana said. "How about—oh!" She gasped and pointed to the entrance to another ride up ahead. "Let's go on Pirates!"

They quickly walked over to the line for Pirates of the Caribbean. Inside, it was dark and cool, laced with just the faintest wisps of fog. Alana's eyes watered a little, but she rather liked the musty, smoky smell. Up ahead, she could see a few boats bobbing up and down in the water.

When it came time to board one of the boats, all four were able to squeeze into one row together. Tammy, always trying to appear fearless, claimed the end of the bench while Cole claimed the other. This left Alana and Maya squeezed in the middle, laughing and giggling excitedly. The boat soon pushed away from the loading dock and drifted out onto the quiet lake.

To her left, Alana spotted dozens of bright yellow fireflies blinking above the surface of the water. A lone window shone out of a wooden house propped up by stilts. To the right, Alana could see people eating and drinking at the lakeside restaurant Blue Bayou. She glanced up and realized the ceiling, which had been painted to look like a starry night sky, appeared amazingly realistic. It was hard to imagine that she was inside a building instead of gliding across the still waters of the Caribbean.

Just then, the boat took a sharp turn, and the peaceful noises of crickets and talking dissolved into silence. A pirate skull and crossbones appeared on a doorway above the boat. Suddenly, the skull's jaw dropped open, and a voice cackled, "Avast there! It be too late to alter course, and there be plundering pirates lurking in every corner..."

Everyone screamed. Just as they entered the dark tunnel beyond the skull and crossbones, the boat suddenly dropped straight down! Alana threw her arms up into the air as they coasted to the bottom of the hill. Wind and spray hit her face for a split second, and then the boat slowed when it reached flat ground. A small wave of water came up and over the bow, soaking Alana and Maya's feet. They squealed and immediately lifted up their legs to avoid stepping in the puddle.

Suddenly, an eerie voice drifted through the walls of the cavern: "Dead men tell no tales." As the boat rounded a corner, the darkness gave way to brilliantly colored lights that illuminated cave after cave of treasures. Pirates dressed as skeletons were sifting through treasure chests, reclining on beds, and even drinking rum. At one point, the boat seemed to be heading straight for a glistening waterfall, but at the last second it became apparent that the water was only fog, lit by a projector somewhere behind them.

Then the sound of cannons met their ears. "Look at that!" Tammy gasped, in awe of the huge pirate ships docked on either side of their rickety boat. Cannon after cannon splashed in the water, some so close to their boat that they could feel the tremendous spray. Blankets of fog covered the surface of the water, making Alana's eyes sting once again.

The final part of the ride was a slow chain lift up towards the station. The walls of the cavern narrowed until the boat was traveling in near-darkness once again. On the left-hand side, in a little cave lit by golden-red lights, music suddenly came pouring out. Alana grinned when she saw a Jack Sparrow automaton reclining on a chair, singing the infamous "Yo, ho, ho, it's a pirate's life for me!"

Everyone had enjoyed the ride, which had been more like a cruise through the set of a Hollywood movie than an actual thrill ride. When Cole, Maya, Alana, and Tammy filed out of their row, they immediately headed to Tomorrowland. It was time to get in line for Space Mountain.

Alana's legs were a little sore from walking all day, but she quickened her pace. She was excited to finally get on the ride she'd been waiting for.

After showing one of the ride attendants their FastPass, the group was ushered into a separate line. Though it wound upstairs adjacent to the normal line, this one carried far less people. Alana was glad Cole had had the foresight to get the FastPass. They must have been ahead of nearly a hundred people before they finally merged with the normal line. From there, it was only a short twenty-minute wait before they took their seats on the coaster. This time, Maya and Tammy took the front of the car while Cole and Alana climbed into the back.

"You ready?" he asked, giving Alana a wink.

"Yes!" she gasped. "I haven't been on this ride in ages." Her heart fluttered excitedly, but whether it was from the anticipation of the rollercoaster or Cole's close proximity, she didn't know.

After the ride attendants checked their lap bars, the coaster lurched forward and rounded the corner to a dark tunnel. Suddenly, the room became alive with colorful spirals, while an ominous galaxy stood spinning at the very top of the tunnel. A loud voice began counting down: "T-minus five...four...three..."

Alana grasped the lap bar excitedly.

"Here we go!" Cole hollered, throwing his arms up in the air just as the coaster rounded the top of the hill.

"Two...one..."

Loud rock music burst through the speakers. Alana felt her heart leap into her throat as the coaster dropped straight down. She screamed as they twisted right and left, making drop after steep drop. Because the entire room was pitch dark, no one knew when they would turn or when they suddenly pitch forward. The coaster picked up more and more speed as they continued their wild ride. Alana saw the tiny pinholes of light—the Space Mountain "stars"—spinning across her vision.

"Hey!" Cole yelled, leaning slightly closer so he could be heard. "What's wrong?" He grasped her left hand, the one nearest to him, and lifted it into the air. Alana obediently raised her other arm as well. Soon she was smiling and laughing as her arms swayed side to side with the movements of the ride.

Then, after one last drop, the car coasted across a flat section of track and suddenly burst into a light-filled tunnel. A camera flashed, and Alana couldn't help but laugh when she imagined how ridiculous she must look. Her hair was flying in all directions and her mouth had been open the entire ride.

"Wow," she said breathlessly. "That was really fun!"

"Talk about an adrenaline rush," Cole laughed.

Once the car came to a complete stop, the lap bars were raised and everyone quickly stepped out. They made their way down the hallway to the exit, where the pictures were displayed on large screens. Cole and Maya burst out laughing when they saw Alana's expression.

"Priceless!" Cole said. "Oh, man, I wish I had enough money to buy that picture!"

After everyone got their laughs out, they headed back into the bright sunlight to decide where to go next. They ended up going on a few more rides before taking a break to sit down and eat dinner. Though Cole wasn't that hungry, he shared some chicken strips with the others at the Plaza Inn. As the sunset blazed overhead, they sat around a small table outside near Main Street to devour their food.

"How much longer until the fireworks show?" Maya asked.

Cole wiped his mouth with a napkin and checked his watch. "About an hour and a half," he replied. "It starts at nine, I think."

"We might as well hit up a few more rides," Alana said.

"No...my legs are tired," Tammy complained.

Cole snapped his fingers. "Hey, I know! Let's head over to the Jungle Cruise. It's fairly long, and we get to sit the entire time."

"Sounds good," Alana said. Once they finished eating, they headed back to Adventureland, where they got in line for the Jungle Cruise. The wait was a little longer than expected, but they took turns sitting on the railings to ease their sore legs. Once they were on the boat, they had a great time. The "tour guide" was hilarious and made them forget all about their exhaustion.

By now, the sun had completely set, and the fireworks show was ready to start in half an hour. The group made their way back to the center of the park to find good seats. They ended up perched on a ledge that surrounded the central fountain, with an excellent view of Sleeping Beauty's castle. The fireworks, Cole said, were supposed to be directly overhead the castle at nine o'clock.

With thirty minutes to kill, Maya and Tammy were content to kick back and munch on the rest of Cole's snacks. But Cole was anxious. All day he had been walking, running, sitting, and laughing right next to Alana, but they had yet to spend a special moment together. He knew it was different because Maya and Tammy were with them, but what if he could get Alana alone? His heart ached to do more than just sit and talk with her. He wanted to feel her hand underneath his again.

He glanced over at Alan and smiled. "Hey. Are you tired?"

She yawned, causing both of them to laugh softly. "Yeah," she admitted. "I don't think I've ever been on my feet this much in a single day."

"How'd you like to go on one more ride?"

She gave him a curious look. "That depends. How far away is it?"

Cole nodded across the plaza. "The rockets," he said. "They're right over there."

Alana turned around and saw the ride he was talking about. It was small, mainly built for little kids and their parents. The rockets, just big enough for two people to sit one in front of the other, traveled up and down as they circled a giant pole situated in the middle of the ride.

She tucked one of her blonde locks behind her ear. "I don't know," she sighed. "Is it really worth it?"

"It's fun," Cole said, though he had never actually been on the ride before.

Alana finally nodded and stood up. After explaining where they were going, they left Maya and Tammy on the ledge of the fountain and hurried over to the rockets. The line was less than ten minutes, mainly because everyone was sitting down and getting ready to watch the fireworks.

As soon as Cole and Alana were ushered onto the ride, they picked the closest rocket and shimmied into their seats. Being the taller of the two, Cole slid into the back of the rocket while Alana sat in the front. There were no lap bars separating them, but they kept their distance by scooting slightly farther apart, leaving a half-foot gap between them.

When one of the attendants came to make sure they were ready, he gestured for Alana to scoot closer to Cole. "I'm sorry," he said, "but you need to be right next to each other so the lap bar is able to come down."

They obeyed his orders, and as soon as the lap bar was in place, Cole chuckled. "My bad," he said to Alana. "I didn't mean for this to be uncomfortable."

"It's okay," she said. "I'm cozy."

Cole smiled and nodded. He could feel her back pressed against his chest, and when he glanced over her shoulder, he saw her hands resting on the rails just above his knees.

Suddenly, Cole's watch beeped. He pressed the night glow feature and watched as the screen was illuminated for a few brief seconds. "Uh-oh," he muttered.

"What?" Alana asked, craning her neck slightly to see what was the matter.

"It's nine o'clock," he said. "I hope the firework show starts late, because we're not going to get back to our seats in time."

Alana sighed. "It's fine. Maybe we'll be able to see it better from up here."

Before she could finish speaking, however, soft music began playing. Their rocket slowly glided forward. It drifted up and into the air, where it hovered and sailed around the pole in the middle of the ride. Cole was surprised at how high they actually were. Alana was right; if the firework show started now, they would have a much better view than from eye level on the ground.

Alana leaned back and rested her head against Cole's chest. "It feels like we're flying," she breathed.

But Cole barely heard her. His heart was thumping, and he wondered if she could feel it. His fingers twitched. Slowly, almost hesitantly, he placed them on top of hers. He breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't move.

"You know," Alana said, "I never imagined I would have this much fun on my birthday. They say Disneyland is the happiest place on earth, and it sure seems like it."

"What—even happier than the ocean?"

She laughed, a sound that sent butterflies racing through Cole's stomach. "No," she admitted. "The ocean will always be my favorite place."

Suddenly, a loud chorus of music burst through the speakers all across the plaza. Trumpets and horns elicited a round of clapping from the expectant crowds. As Cole and Alana circled back around towards the castle, they saw the first fireworks erupt in the sky.

One was a brilliant golden color that sent a magnificent boom resounding through both of their hearts. As golden streaks rained down on the castle, their tips turned to a fiery purple-red. Just as they died out into the inky blackness of the sky, another firework shot straight up, even higher than the first. This one erupted into a blazing green, followed seconds later by two more purple ones.

Cole felt Alana's gasps against his torso as they were pressed together. He peered expectantly over her shoulder and watched the fireworks before their rocket circled back around in the opposite direction.

"Wow," Alana breathed. "How do they time it so perfectly?"

"I don't know," Cole said. They waited with bated breath until their rocket circled around to the forefront again. Even more fireworks blazed across the sky, and each triumphant boom was synced perfectly to the music playing in the plaza.

Cole saw a stray lock of Alana's hair fall out from behind her ear, and he instinctively reached up to tuck it back into place. She felt the motion and turned around, gazing up into his eyes.

"Alana," he said quickly, realizing it was now or never, "what do you think?"

"About what?"

He paused. "Us."

Their rocket was now on a slow decline, preparing to return to ground level.

"I don't know," she said softly, not moving from her position even though they had circled around to the fireworks again.

"Then what are you feeling? Do you want"—here he paused to squeeze her hand—"do you want to take the next step?"

A small smile graced her features. Cole thought she looked beautiful, with the colors of the fireworks playing across her face.

"I've been thinking about that," she said. "You've changed so much since we first agreed to try out our relationship."

He held his breath, waiting for her next words.

"I do like you, Cole," she continued. "You have this weird pull on me. I don't know what it is."

"Weird?" he laughed. "I hope that's a good thing."

"It's great," she reassured him, squeezing his hand back.

Their rocket was now back on ground level, coasting to its former position in front of the entrance.

"Then what do you think we should do?" he asked quietly.

Alana settled back against his chest and faced forward again. "I think we're ready," she said.

"Really?"

"Really."

He closed his eyes and kissed the nape of her neck. The pressure was slight, barely even rustling her golden hair, but she felt it nonetheless. He sensed her relax under his touch.

"Let's talk about this later," she added. "I'm still pretty tired."

"Alright," Cole agreed. After the lap bar was raised, he helped her get out of the rocket and back onto solid ground. They made their way to the exit, their eyes now focused entirely on the fireworks blazing above the castle.

"Oh, and Cole?" Alana said, slipping her hand inside his.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for everything today."

He smiled, curling his fingers gently around hers. "Happy eighteenth, Alana."