A tear fell

I went to the Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport today with a smile in my heart. I went to pick up a pair of precious cargo but as always in my life, nothing ever goes the way it should.

I started to head for the airport from my parents house, trying to leave so I could get to the airport in plenty of time.  There is nothing in this world that excites me more than this day.  But as I left Norwood and headed on Airport Freeway I was stunned to see back to back traffic for miles upon miles.  There was an accident and there was nothing I could do but wait.

But I couldn’t, I had to get there with plenty of time, so I exited and started down back road #1 to the airport, but a couple miles down the road I was stymied with yet another accident and I backtracked to my third alternate route.  As I called the airline to verify the gate, I could feel the sound of my heart pounding in my head. I arrived at the gate after the joy of waiting in line for the plane.

But there was a plane still being boarded.  A plane to Sacramento.  “Final Boarding Call to Sacromento!” I was excited but I thought I could watch the plane come in. I could watch the plane pull in.  My smile was beaming, INCREDIBLE, radiant. 

As I sat by the window, I felt a presence, another man was next to me watching the plane. 

“Waiting for your kid,” he asked.

“Time of the year, when divorced men come together to meet their kids because of everlasting love,” I responded.

“Is that the plane,” he asked as he motioned to the plane that we both stared at.

“Think so,” I said as the plane sat on the tarmac.

Minutes went by and we both continued to stare at the plane.

“You buy both ways,” he asked.

“Nope, just one way,” I responded.

“Lucky man,” he answered as we both continued to stare at the plane.

Then the plane started to rev its engines and we encouraged the plane sitting at A29 to move.  But the plane that we thought was the plane from Louisville started to roll away from where we watched it. We watched it in horror hoping that it wasn’t.

We walked to the board hoping that the plane was delayed, hoping that another plane would show up.  But as we went up to the board our worst fears were confirmed. 

GATE C20.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? SERIOUSLY?

We both looked at each other and started a dead run to the train.  We ran up the stairs three at a time as we watched the plane move further and further away.  We caught the train to terminal C and we continued to just stare at each other.

“We’ll make it…” I said as determination hit my face.

“Oh hell yes,” he said.

As the doors open, it was a fast break sprint to the gate… and as the first passenger comes off the plane we look at each other and smile.

We shook each others hands and stood next to each other.

As the first group of Unaccompanied Minors came off a look of terror came over our face.  None of the kids were either of ours.  But a second group came and I looked as I saw a tear roll down his face.  It was his daughter that caused the tear.  I patted him on the back, but he didn’t notice.  But I continued to wait, and the final group of unaccompanied minors came striding up the ramp.

And Ryan let the way, and Shelby was close behind.  And they screamed Daddy!

All the pain I have felt in the last couple of months went away.

And a tear fell.