The Other End of a Very Long Day

While driving home from Provo this past weekend I was reminded of another long drive home.  It was the day we found out we'd be welcoming a back brace into our life for the next six years.  It was quite a day in itself, but here is the other end of that very long day.

We had 250 miles to travel home that night.  We timed it so we'd arrive in Cedar City around 10:30 pm.  Cedar City happens to be 45 miles from where we live and is where our Dad works. He had been sleeping in his office for two weeks as it was football camp and that's what football coaches do a lot of the time.  It's very glamorous. 10:30 pm is when he would have a break in his day and we could stop to exchange love and encouragement.

The long drive home was much more quiet than usual.  No movies or video games, just silence.  We all kept our thoughts to ourselves for at least 100 miles.  It was then that I heard a voice from the back seat.  This time is wasn't a child serenading me, it was Maggie.

Maggie:  Mom?
Me:  Yes?
Maggie:  I need Dad.
Me:  Me too.

We finally arrived in Cedar City that night and had a good visit with our Dad before pushing the last 45 miles home.  We couldn't wait to hop in bed and put the day behind us.  I was completely spent, emotionally and physically.  But come to find out, we were locked out.  I'd given my house key to a neighbor so our dog could be cared for while we were gone.  It was now midnight and nothing we tried got us into our house.  With all other options exhausted, we called our Dad and requested he drive the 45 miles home to let us in.

We spread out a blanket on the front lawn and waited.  We soon fell asleep and I woke an hour later to my husband standing over me.  "You're covered in cockroaches, " he said.  And it was funny to think that at that moment, that was the very least of my concerns.

UPDATE:  Jamison wears his brace pretty darn faithfully and with very few complaints.  Our next check-up is April 23.