12 Days
That’s it….just twelve days until LP arrives. i get all excited just thinking about it. Even after all these years and all these visits that first glimpse of Her as She comes in the door sets my heart racing. When She puts Her arms around me and finally kisses me hello i feel like everything is just the way it should be, i can breathe again. She’s so tired when She gets in, there’s that first long flight and then the connecting flight and the drive from the airport to here. i just want to get Her comfortable and into bed…to sleep. Since i moved back here from the state i lived in when we first met the difference in travel time kind of rules out anything more than tucking Her in and turning out the lights. Well, maybe that and our age. We aren’t as young as we were when we first met 
Visits always seem to have their own unique happening to make them memorable. The very first visit…that was special. We had it all arranged. i rented the hotel room and checked in before going to the airport. Then i went to the airport cafe (small airport, one cafe, one lounge) and sat with my back to the door. That’s where we planned for me to wait for Her to arrive and She would come for me. i was so nervous, She had seen pictures of me but photos rarely tell the whole truth. i was so afraid that She would take one look at me and wish She hadn’t come. So i sat there with ravaging butterflies in my stomach and then i felt Her there, i knew she was behind me before She made a sound. i looked around and there She stood just smiling at me. It was like all the pieces just clicked into place. Part of me was still nervous that She would change Her mind and not want me after all….part of me still worries about that even though i know how much She loves me, but there’s a difference between love and desire.
Another visit was so funny….LP has always liked to try and surprise the kids so i wasn’t supposed to tell them when She was arriving. This particular visit She wanted to surprise me. She told me She was flying into Fargo, ND and would rent a car and drive several hours to where i lived and arrive in the morning. What was odd though was that i had been having dreams of Her sliping into the house and climbing into bed with me or just walking through the door and surprising me. But i went to bed that night prepared to see Her in the morning. Sometime in the middle of the night i was woken by my bedroom door opening. i assumed it was one of the kids, but whoever it was stepped back out into the hall and turned on the light in the bathroom. When i looked again the person standing in the doorway was too big to be one of my kids. She came into the room, bringing the cold from outside with Her all i wanted to do was pull Her into the bed with me and warm her up. It was the best surprise i have ever had.
Then there was the visit when She arrived and caught me with dye in my hair! And here She was decked out in Her kilt kit looking so formal and delicious. She made better time than expected. i learned one valuable lesson from that visit….treat my roots at least a day before LP is supposed to arrive!!
Not all of LP’s arrivals have been joyous occasions. There was one time that i had screwed up majorly and things between us were very strained. i spent most of Her visit wondering if there was going to be a next time. But She came back and we are stronger for the difficulty time we went through.
There really isn’t much She can do anymore to surprise us. The kids are older now and pay closer attention to the time of year and to talk when She is here about when she will be back. They may not always know the exact day, but close enough. Now i am waiting for the time when instead of surprising them with Her arrival we can surprise them with the news that She is having an extended stay of months instead of weeks….and sometime after that the news that She won’t be returning to the UK but will be close enough that we can go and visit Her for a change. Now that will be a surprise for them! hmmm…..i need to start getting our passports. We can get them one at a time and have them all by the time we need them.
So twelve days…less than that now that today is almost over….and i am as excited as i was that very first visit. i can’t wait!!
