Toronto, Or Not Toronto

Pack light.
I can never sleep well the day before something big:
Nights before the first day of school..
Days before a Disneyland trip..
Sleep didn't come easy before my trip to Toronto.


Updates came. Updates left.
You'll be stopping in Ohio, no Georgia, no Michigan.
Nerves.


The final word: 
Cincinnati it is.
W00t!
I would arrive something like 8am and leave sometime like 4pm.


We make it through the day.
Excitement bubbling up through our conversations.
The sun and moon so distant from each other, will now finally meet.
Night falls. My flight leaves late.


Do I stay up?
Do I sleep a few hours?


Nerves.
I stay up. Anime episodes.
Darkness seeps into the already dark night.
Sleep overcomes me..


I wake to be hurried out the door.
Bag grabbed.
Freeway.
Traffic! Ugh!
Pops drops me off. 


Frantic. 
findwheretogo wheretogo wheretogo WHAAAAT? I hafta get in a line cuz the machine won't read my passport??


30 min from departure dwindle to one as I JUST reach the attendant.


Defeated.
I try to call my pops.
He left his celly at home.
I call Ma.
Pissed, she says she'll let him know soon as he gets home.


Waiting.
Felt nothing but genuine sadness as I wait in the cold.
A handful of others stand in the the departure drop-off. Did they feel just as defeated?
Were they just as sad they missed their flight, that streak-of-chance event bringing them closer to the one they love?


That darker than night evening did nothing but stand out in my mind.


I tell her the news.




I don't know why this happened.


I know why.
I'll call you when I get home.




Guilt.
Shame.
I give Him my thanks for His discipline.
Even when things seem bleak, Scripture reads to give thanks during all times, even the lame ones.


It didn't keep me from feeling horrible.


Our first conversation with so much revealed since the one in the car..back in those days that seem so long ago.


Confession.
We matured here.
She loves me still?
I love her even more.




Daytime.
I'm to leave in the afternoon for Toronto.
Stopping in Idontcare, Sumstateotherthanohio USA.
I wake, seeing nearly no point.
Eyes rolled in my waking moments.
I don't even remember this day.


Except...my aunt telling my mom she may have a flight for me.
One stopping in Cincinnati?
Nope.
Nah. Those don't sound good.


Hours later..






Hey...


Sooooooo I'll be arriving in Cincinnati in the afternoon.




And leaving the next afternoon.  
Think you can pick me up from the airport? :]