Homecoming (now where is the band?)

Shall I tell you all a story? I think so. Lets go back to last Wednesday, okay?

I knew that Will had the determining doctor appointment that would either allow him to come home, or not Wednesday morning at 9am, so I was on edge all morning. When he hadn't called around noon, I sent him a text asking if there was any news. The phone rings almost immediately. Being able to text him and have him call me back was one of the most awesome feelings. Knowing that I could call him, and would get an answer really soothed the worry spots out of my heart. But I digress.

He told me that they wanted to keep him longer, however he asked them to send him home. They wanted to explore some other options for his medical issue, but what he needed most of all was to get to come home. He said he would most likely come home on Thursday, and would let me know as soon as he had more information.

Once again, I sat in suspense. I waited. Finally in the evening I texted him asking if he knew anything. I felt like a nag, but asking him questions has been the only way to get even a snippet of information out of him this past year. The text he sent said he didn't know. Then I posted the Suspense? No Thanks post because it was a way to vent. I was so tense. My body ached from the tension. But I still had to wait to find out when he would come home. The girls knew that Daddy would most likely be home the next day, so Rhayn took her special outfit out in preparation of him coming home. She said she would be really careful to keep it clean while she was at school.

Thursday morning, after I dropped Rhayn off at school I saw a friend, and basically told her she had to get coffee with me. I needed to stay away from home for a little while. I had checked my email twenty time before I even left for the morning, and it was making me a little crazy. We hung out at Target chatting for an hour or so. It was nice. It turned out to be exactly the amount of time I needed to waste because I had an email with flight information waiting in my inbox. His flight would get into Sky Harbor around 12:30. This worked perfectly, Rhayn had a half day, so I would only have to pick her up a little early and we could drive to the airport and wait. The wait wouldn't be long either.


We arrived at the airport where I realized I had parked on the wrong end of terminal four. It happens every time I end up at that terminal. Before I left the house I was planning on checking his flight with flightstats to make sure it was on time. However my computer chose that moment to completely freeze. I just turned it off and walked away. If I had been able to check his flight I could have seen with gate and where I needed to be, but it honestly didn't matter.

We sat at the entrance, waiting. We stared down the corridor waiting for a man in uniform. Waiting to see him. Waiting. When we first arrived his flight stat said it would be about ten minutes early. So we thought he would be coming out right away. But after a while, it said delayed.


Then finally it changed to arrived. The girls and I were so excited (and in my excitement, I put away the camera and didn't take another picture at the airport. Ugh. I always neglect to get pictures of the girls hugging him at the gate. It irks me, because that is a moment that I wish I could share with all of you. Really it was so beautiful. It took everything I have to keep from weeping for joy.)

We stood there, waiting. Finally I saw him, and said "Hey girls, you need to look, I think I might see Daddy." They did, and this is another minute that I wish I had had my camera out for, you could see their eyes light up. They both paused, and then you could see their bodies tensing before they took off to jump at him.

He bent down to hug them and that was the most beautiful moment. I always feel gypped at the airport. I have to wait until they get all the hugs for my moment. I want to run up to him and throw my body around his. Instead I have to wait... and wait... while they hug and love all over him.

Finally it was my turn, and let me tell you, I could have stood their hugging him for a very long time. It was perfect. We are all so glad to have him home that there is really no way to explain it, I guess we are really, really, really, really, very, very, very happy he is home.