The Best Gift

Due to all the drama with The Neighbor and subsequent emotional turbulence, last evening I found myself doing something I barely ever do: crying.

After 20 minutes of feeling homesick and slightly sorry for myself, I realized I was going to be just fine. I like Texas and I am glad I moved here with Joey, God has blessed us with a lot of friends, plus I get to home for Christmas. But I was still sad that I had to miss The Month Of Birthdays. (Which is November, of course, so I was crying about it a little bit preemptively.)

I went and found Joey, who was studying diligently.

"I was crying," I told him. (He usually can't tell because I cry almost silently.)

He gave me a hug and, after I told him why I had been crying, he said, "I have a surprise for you. Follow me."

He led me over to the kitchen table and pulled the calendar off the wall. He turned the pages to November, and then pointed at November 2. The Kid's birthday.

"This is The Kid's birthday." He said and immediately I began to cry again - I never miss The Kid's birthday. "The Kid is driving to your grandparent's house. Sister and Stephen are driving to your grandparent's. Your parents are driving to your grandparent's. Who knows, maybe even Andrew and Laura will go too."

I was trying valiantly not to cry.

"And...your flight leaves at 5:20." He finished.

"WHAT?!" I wailed. The cause was lost; I was now really, really crying, but this time they were happy tears.

"Yep, I bought your ticket yesterday and I wasn't going to tell you...but you needed something to look forward to."

"I get to go to the birthdays!" I cried, happily. Then, "But I don't have any presents. What will I do?" Either this was very important or I was over-exerted, because now I began crying quite hard.

"I told The Kid that this was his present." Joey told me.

"But...I was going to send him tasty brownies in the mail." I sniffled. I guess I'll have to make them at Grandma's house , I thought. She certainly has a kitchen and probably has most of the ingredients. And oh sweet, and I can totally save postage on Sister's present now. But Pops... what will I take for Pops' birthday?

Suddenly I realized something.

"YOU don't get to go! We'll all be together having fun and you'll be back here all by yourself!" And there I went, crying again.

Joey smiled at me. "It's OK. I know this is important to you, and I wanted you to be able to be there. Besides, I got a really good deal on your tickets."

"Who will make you food? Who will keep you company? You'll be all alone!" I cried.

"It's OK, I want you to be able to go see The Kid and your parents and everybody. The Kid's birthday is basically like a familial holiday, so you should all be together. And, the way the tickets work out, you have almost 48 whole hours with them."

"This is the best surprise I've ever had." I said, giving Joey a slightly teary hug. "Wait, no. When you proposed and gave me my actual engagement ring, that was actually my best surprise. This is the second best."

And that's why I found out about my trip to Indianapolis 33 days early. Joey did a pretty good job of keeping a secret and surprising me at just the right time, wouldn't you say? :)

I love my husband! Thanks, honey!