Chapter 2/? Departure
"Erin Louise Mackenzie, look at mommy." My four year old can be so.exasperating. But she listens, thank God. "Mommy has to go on a trip for a while. You're gonna stay with Aunt Maria and Dianne and Uncle Alex. You'll have fun here."
I cupped my daughter's chin in my hand and looked into her eyes.
"I know you want me to stay, but I have to go. Mommy needs to help some friends that she hasn't seen in a long while."
"Longer than me?" Always curious, it should be my daughter's middle name.
"Yes, longer than you. Mommy hasn't seen these friends since before you were born." I reached out and tweaked Erin's nose.
"I miss you, mommy!" Erin grabbed me in a tight hug. "Call me?"
"Every day," I promised. "Why don't you go play with Dianne? Mommy needs to talk to Aunt Maria."
Erin scampered off to Dianne's room. I turned to Maria.
"Thank you so much for doing all of this, Maria. I haven't seen my sister in over 5 years and this means a lot to me."
"You don't have to repeatedly thank me, honey. Although you still will. Alex and I are always happy to have Erin over. Dianne loves playing with her. And I know how important this is to you, I've been there before."
"So you've told me. I gotta go, my flight's in an hour. Give my love to Alex when he gets back." I gave my daughter a hug and a kiss and rushed to the airport. I barely made it.
"Ma'am, you're the last passenger on board" the attendant informed me. "We're so glad you made it."
'Yeah right,' I thought. 'you're so glad you don't have to refund my ticket.'
Once on board, I settled in for the long flight to D.C.
"Erin Louise Mackenzie, look at mommy." My four year old can be so.exasperating. But she listens, thank God. "Mommy has to go on a trip for a while. You're gonna stay with Aunt Maria and Dianne and Uncle Alex. You'll have fun here."
I cupped my daughter's chin in my hand and looked into her eyes.
"I know you want me to stay, but I have to go. Mommy needs to help some friends that she hasn't seen in a long while."
"Longer than me?" Always curious, it should be my daughter's middle name.
"Yes, longer than you. Mommy hasn't seen these friends since before you were born." I reached out and tweaked Erin's nose.
"I miss you, mommy!" Erin grabbed me in a tight hug. "Call me?"
"Every day," I promised. "Why don't you go play with Dianne? Mommy needs to talk to Aunt Maria."
Erin scampered off to Dianne's room. I turned to Maria.
"Thank you so much for doing all of this, Maria. I haven't seen my sister in over 5 years and this means a lot to me."
"You don't have to repeatedly thank me, honey. Although you still will. Alex and I are always happy to have Erin over. Dianne loves playing with her. And I know how important this is to you, I've been there before."
"So you've told me. I gotta go, my flight's in an hour. Give my love to Alex when he gets back." I gave my daughter a hug and a kiss and rushed to the airport. I barely made it.
"Ma'am, you're the last passenger on board" the attendant informed me. "We're so glad you made it."
'Yeah right,' I thought. 'you're so glad you don't have to refund my ticket.'
Once on board, I settled in for the long flight to D.C.