no place like home...

They are home. Aside from John requiring several bathrooms stops along the way...they are fine. Poor thing. I didn't really think it would feel so differently in my heart. But there is even more love for them in there now than there was a week ago. It has been less than a week and yet it seemed forever for them to make the drive from West Quincy to Pizza Hut to meet us. We are goons. The lot of us. Manners allowed me the first hug but only briefly. We were out of that place and on the parking lot before they hit the brakes. All of us. They are tan. They are precious. They are home.

Harrison's seventh birthday was a bit lost in the shuffle, but Veronica grabbed a cake and ice cream and we partied at the newlyweds abode. They checked out the new water heater (that sounds like a plane preparing for take off...but better than the old one...) noticed the delivery of my "old" washer/dryer and then John saw the back room. Chandler and I had moved their vintage barrel table and chairs out of the dining room while they were gone. Shawna didn't think much about it but John looked back at me. Attacked me. And ran to the dining room. Last and final surprise for a long while: a chocolate brown, counter table with seating for eight. Looks amazing in their front room. Even more so with family gathered around it eating birthday cake. And I'm done. Really done. I have a BBQ to host in their honor this evening, which I need to ready the house for, but after that I'll need to turn my attentions to other things...like starting a new job. Like maybe painting our walls something other than white. We'll have to see.

I do know it made me feel good to hear Shawna say she wanted to come home last night :) I know what she meant. She's only spent one night at her new address. Being in Mexico, away from home for the week, she was sensing a need to be home. To be surrounded with familiar things. It will take some time for her to make 1232 "home" but she will. He's there. And so are her dreams in the making...