Welcomes Home

She climbs out of the truck, her feet touching the gravel of the drive. The barking dogs and the rustling leaves in the wind are the only sounds. Her voice resonates as she calls the dogs or as she calls them the baby girls (who are getting to be much more like old ladies) to her side. Hailey, the terrier arrives stick in mouth tail wagging the entire back half of her torso with it. Her whimpers escape even though her mouth is full. The dog drops the stick. She tosses it back into the woods as Hailey takes a head start in the direction she's facing. Molly, the retriever walks back and forth between her legs wanting to be pet but too excited to stand still. They stay by her side as she wanders into the blue A frame that stands within the wilderness and puts her bags down. Her Dad advises her to go to sleep in her old bedroom after the red-eye flight. She chooses to crash on the couch by him and the dogs. The relaxation of being so far away from everything and back where she started overwhelms her as her eyes close to dream.

Three days later she steps off a subway, goes up the escalator, through the turnstiles, and there he is smiling, sleepy and open-armed. Her pace increases to kiss him, get into his arms, after cars, planes and trains she was finally back. He takes the heavy stuff, and they walk together the ten minutes back to their apartment. It is just barely morning, they talk slowly on the empty streets about her 3,000 mile trip and his adventures over the same weekend at their home. Her hand grasped in his, he opens the door and there is their cat waiting to welcomes her. A little annoyed by her absence the cat does not purr but demands attention. They curl up together in bed with the cat laying at their feet. His body pressed against hers he whispers, "I'm glad you're home," in her ear and she says, "Me too," as they fall asleep.