At the airport boarding gate, Bess turned to Sheila and said, “So much has happened in such a short time. Send me a letter or two, will you please? I don’t want to lose you again.”
Hugging her friend, she wondered if she would ever see her again.
The girls hugged their uncle extra hard, and then turned to follow their mother, carrying their suitcases. Giving the stewardess their boarding passes, they turned to wave goodbye one more time, before the small family disappeared into the jet bridge and their new life so far away.
Stanton and Bess stood at the windows of the airport, waiting for the doors to close. Soon the large airliner was secure and pulling away from the terminal with its engines revving. Ten minutes later it soared into the air. They were gone, on their way and together at last.
Around three in the morning, Stanton returned home. Jean was waiting up for him. “Did everything go okay?”
“Yes. Sheila and the girls are on their way home, far from here and Bess is home safe too.”
“It’s going to be so strange around here without them,” she said sadly. “I had no time to prepare for this.”
“Yes, I know. Gone… but not ever from our hearts, nor from our love. It’s because we love them that we could do this,” he said with grief in his voice. “Are the boys in bed?”
“Yes. We stayed up for quite a while talking. I think they understand. But, it’s not going to be easy, is it?”
Stanton shook his head no, as his eyes misted.
Jean hugged him and they went to bed, to face the next day as it unfolded, but knowing the girls and Sheila were safe for now.
* * * *