There and Back Again

 I made it.  And I'm back home.  This might take several posts to unpack the last week.

Leaving was hard.  The last time Bob left home, he never returned. It was so hard to walk out, lock the door, drive to the airport.  I had to hold back the tears and the panic.  After I boarded the plane, I visualized the cats, one by one.  The the chickens and the squirrel.  Even the goldfish.  And my land.  I prayed that I would see them all again.

The panic eased after the plane took off.  It was a Done Deal.  It was too late to change my mind, to turn back.

First stop: Atlanta.  The world's busiest airport. It's like being part of an overturned ant nest.  I got off in concourse B and my next flight was T.  Fortunately, my flight coming in landed 17 minutes early, which gave me enough time to walk.  Even before Covid, I never liked crushing onto the the coach/tram/whatever they call it, to be spewed out again at the other end.  I'd rather walk off my nervousness than add to it.  But it was a brisk 40 minute walk (God bless whoever invented wheelie bags) and I got there just in time.

Logan airport in Boston isn't nearly as big as Atlanta, but there was still some exercise involved and a certain amount of wondering where to go (Mike and Margo said they would meet me at A202 which is fine if you have any idea where that is).

I had been thinking all along that I might break down the moment I saw Mike.  I've cried every time I've thought about seeing him again.  The last time we saw each other was May 2019, when he came to visit to see for himself what devastation a hurricane can wreak.  Bob was driving us around, and I thought he was just getting a bit tired after awhile.  We didn't know that he had leukemia.  That was a month away.

But I didn't.  By the time I saw Mike and Margo, whatever protective barriers I have had clicked into place.  I was very happy to see them, but not to the point of breaking down.

New England is beautiful in the fall, and I enjoyed it as soon as we got out of Boston (they live in a smaller town called Dedham, only a half hour from the airport).  Honestly - I don't remember much of the rest of the day.  Food happened, as did wine.  I got glared at by the resident cat, Moonlight.  She does not approve of other people coming into the house besides the resident servants.  Unlike my cats, who simply disappear at the sight of a stranger (my critter sitter saw only two of the five cats while I was gone), Moonie keeps an eye on intruders, glaring.  Although she will accept treats if they are placed down for her; I tried holding them in my hand and got mama-cat-slapped for playing games.

And that was Tuesday.  There is much more, but it's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow for work.