With a prime viewing position successfully staked out several hours before, the group of five men tightened their protective circle around little Savanah as the massive crowd pressed inward. Each of those six souls were now only minutes away from earning their reward for having braved the cold snowy night, and the ever mounting level of craziness that currently surrounded them.

Glancing down at Savanah, a smart and inquisitive soon to be eight year old blonde, Samuel H. Tillman asked, “How are you doing sugar?”

With bright green eyes and an infectious smile she looked up from under the brim of her new cowboy hat to reply, “I’m fine grandpa.”

Then her father, Kyle Tillman, placed his hands on Savanah’s shoulders and asked, “Are you still warm enough honey?”

“Yes daddy, but I can’t see anything with all these people around.”

“Don’t worry about that Savanah. Your grandfather promised that you could sit on his shoulders to see the big event, and he never goes back on a promise.”

A short time later, with the snowfall finally beginning to lighten up, Samuel pulled the burn phone from the right pocket of his heavy winter coat to check the time. It read eleven forty-eight, so he turned to the oldest of his five grandchildren, who had just days before celebrated his momentous twenty first birthday, and said, “It’s almost time Jason. Will you lift your sister up onto my shoulders please?”

“Yes sir, just tell me when you’re ready.”

Then Samuel looked at the two staff security personnel he had brought along from Texas and said, “We will do this in a simple box pattern around me while Savanah is up on my shoulders, and I want the two of you behind us. Kyle and Jason will cover the two forward positions.”

A simple nod of comprehension from each man provided confirmation that Samuel’s directives would be adhered to. Then with a tip of his favorite well-worn cowboy hat he smiled down toward the youngest of his grandchildren.

Savanah looked up at her hero and asked, “Is it almost time grandpa?”

“Yes it is young lady, and if you will do me the honor, Jason will help you climb onto my shoulders so that you can see everything.”

After an approving nod, she was lifted high into the air by her oldest brother, as Samuel flexed the knees of his six foot three inch frame a bit to receive her. Then Jason took his position as the forward left sentinel and braced to hold his ground. As if Mother Nature had then responded to a collective plea, the snow stopped falling just a few minutes before midnight and the final countdown began. Thousands of other citizens joined in with Savanah as she counted backwards from ten with enthusiasm, and then the illuminated ball dropped signifying that the Eastern Time zone of the United States had just begun the year of 2026.

With confetti then swirling around her head and in the sky above, Savanah laughed joyously. After several minutes she reached down for the giant gloved hand that firmly grasped her right ankle and exclaimed, “You were right grandpa, this is really fun!”

Samuel, a strong and still physically fit man of sixty-six, replied, “Well I’m glad that you like it sugar, and you can stay up there on my shoulders for as long as you like.”

The massive crowd remained in a joyful feverish pitch as they celebrated the dawn of a new year, and wouldn’t begin to show noticeable signs of thinning for nearly another hour. During that time Savanah never stopped smiling, so her grandfather knew in his heart that he had done the right thing. She had now witnessed the Times Square New Year’s Eve event in New York City, and depending on what the future brought forth, it may have been her only opportunity to do so. While maintaining their protective box formation around Samuel and his granddaughter, the group slowly moved through the crowd toward the Premier Hotel on west 44th. Although it was only steps away from their staked out viewing position, the time had advanced to nearly one thirty before they stood in front of the lobby entrance. Once they had moved inside to the safety of that lobby, Jason lifted his sister from their grandfather’s shoulders and placed her gently on the ground with a smile and a high five.

A moment later the elderly family nanny and cook, Ms. Holloway, moved toward them. She had been around the family long enough to have helped Samuel and Victoria raise their three sons, Kyle, Mason, and Chance, followed by each of the five grandchildren that had come along since. In recent times Ms. Holloway had taken extra care to ensure little Savanah’s safety, as she now understood that her own advancing age and declining health would prevent her from attending to the needs of the next Tillman generation. Having done a masterful job with her numerous duties throughout the decades, and exhibiting unwavering loyalty toward the Tillman family in the process, the insightful woman deserved and received the upmost respect from every member of that family and those who were employed by them.

After wishing Savanah a happy new year, and then extending the same courtesy to her employer and the other four gentlemen, Ms. Holloway prepared to whisk Savanah away to the sanctity of their suite. Already socialized by her nanny in the graces of how a southern lady should behave when parting company, Savanah provided a verbal thank you to each of her five gentlemen escorts. Then she gave her grandfather, father, and oldest brother a hug and a kiss on the cheek before departing for a long blissful sleep.

Seconds after watching the ladies enter the elevator, Samuel turned toward the members of his most loyal inner circle and said, “I would also like to thank each of you for helping to make this evening a reality for Savanah, and I believe that it’s time for the five of us to have a drink. We need to celebrate the undertaking of this New Year.”

His eldest son Kyle, a man of forty one who mirrored his father’s height and physique, replied, “I think that’s a great idea sir.”

Pulling a flask from the breast pocket of his coat, Samuel handed it to his grandson and said, “It would be foolish of me to believe that this will be your first drink of whisky Jason, but it’s the first opportunity that your father and I have had to share one with you since you reached the legal age.”

Never wanting to be dishonest with his grandfather, Jason replied, “Thank you sir, and you are correct, this is not my first whisky. However, this whisky will have more significant meaning for me than any that I have had in the past. I have looked forward to sharing a drink with you and dad for a long time, and now here we are. What should we drink to?”

“That’s a good question Jason. Perhaps we should all contribute a thought to that as you pass my flask around the circle. Don’t be shy gentlemen, if you want to drink to something specific, please feel free to speak your mind.”

As the flask reached the conclusion of the second rotation, Samuel passed it once again to his grandson. Then he said, “You can finish the last of that Jason, but only if you can provide one final toast.”

Reaching for the flask Jason replied, “That seems fair enough sir. I suggest that we toast to the success of the overall plan.”

The intent was well received by his four companions, as they collectively agreed that the goal to which he spoke was of paramount importance. Now approaching two o’clock in the morning on the east coast, Samuel pulled the burn phone from his coat pocket again and dialed one of the few numbers that it contained. Speaking softly he said, “This is number two. I’m in the apple with a few of the other players and Savanah, but I plan to be home in less than a week. I hope that when the dawn of the year we have all been waiting for reached you, a festive celebration began at your location. Now we can all commence with our own lengthy countdown towards a brighter future. Are you and the members of your team still on schedule, and fully prepared to move forward?”