The in-laws have left and the house is eerily quiet. While I vacuum floors that have accumulated a weeks worth of dog hair, food and filth, I wonder if they were ever here at all. There visit seems oddly surreal. Too long and too short at the same time.
Last night I laid in bed and thought that the next time I would see family would be in December. We've been here for a little over 4 months. It will be another 5 months until we see them again. Too long. Too many miles between us. Part of me wished I could have climbed into the back of their car and escaped back into my old life. But as I hugged them goodbye and waved them off my feet remained planted on the pavers in the driveway under the hot sun surrounded by the dampness of Florida humidity.
This is home now, I remind myself.
We spent a week together. Drove to Tampa. Visited Kennedy Space Center. Read in the evenings. Crosswords at the table. I sewed a pillow under the direction of my more than patient mother-in-law. We ate out. Shopped. Nate and I bought a couch.
It was nice. Just being together. Enjoying each others company. Not rushing from this place to that place. From this theme park to the one over here. We grilled and sat in lawn chairs outside while sipping lemonade.
We all move forward now. Back to our lives. Ours here. They go back to Michigan where they will be busy with a new grandchild and gardening and enjoying the richness of summer.
And till next time, i'll continue to wonder if this really happened. And hang a picture on my wall to assure me that it did. And N and I will go back to our lives. Quiet but very happy lives right here in Florida.
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