When

When they open the door it feels like it was just yesterday we said goodbye, not almost two years. Hugs and amazement at The Brother's and The Girl's growth, cries of how are you and I've missed you so much. The Man and I strike up a conversation, and he cooks us a steak and I get Cattle Boys steak sauce, then I eat all the vegetables I can because I've been deprived while traveling. It's amazing. The Girl shows me her newly painted room and we make all sorts of plans to go do this and that and spend time here and there, to do facials and paint nails and jump on trampolines and be kids.



I'm so full I can barely walk, but we grab The Dogs and head to the old park across the road from my old house. The new owners have put in a flower garden, but the plants The Mom broke her back over have withered and shriveled, and the fence needs painting. From the other side of the fence, I can see the apple trees have sprouted up and the pine tree I brought home in a paper bag back in second grade is taller than I am now. Things have changed, but that's alright. So have I.

The Brother, The Boy and The Girl and I all run to the playground that had graced a younger version of me with calluses across my palms and start playing a game of Grounders, and we bravely fight off mosquitos while trying to not touch the ground for fear of being It. I clamber over the monkey bars like I'm seven years old again. After that, we race through the field, chasing The Parents and The Dogs and Each Other, dancing the funky chicken dance as we attempt to avoid being eaten alive by the blood-sucking monsters that whine in our ears.

When we return, The Boy drives us to get a slushy, and on the way he tries to show off while simultaneously not show off his new car. He pulls it off pretty well. The slushy is like a truckload of sugar being dumped on my face, and I want another. The Brother is kind enough to share his with me.

I do The Girl's hair and hope that my fears will never come true, that she'll never grow up and forget me, walk past me and not recognize my face. The Woman cuddles The Dog and asks me to teach her how to do The Girl's hair, then we lay down and watch The Girl swing on her gymnastics bar like she was born on it while The Brother attempts to do the same. He doesn't quite make it.

Already I'm dreading the inevitable goodbye, the moment when we have to close the door behind us but then I'm reminded of the wise words of Winnie the Pooh, and somehow everything seems a little easier.

Comments

  1. Beautiful post. Really touched my heart Victoria!

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  2. Aw, that was such a sweet post! xx

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  3. I loved this, it felt like a definite sequel to 'Because' (and I'm pretty sure you put that Winnie the Pooh quote in your reply to my comment!). I'm now going to be annoyingly intrusive and ask you to break down the Capitalised Noun thing you've got going on, to ask ... does your brother still live in Canada, then? Who are the Man, Woman, Boy and Girl? If it is OK to ask!

    I'm not sure if you're still there but if not, I hope the goodbye was not too difficult for you all, and if so that you're still having a lovely time! Lots of love <33

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Emily! Yep, totally a sequel, and the final end to the unplanned trilogy was just posted today.

      No problem! My brother lives with us, but he went on the trip with us. They were my old neighbours, but I didn't want to put their names up on the Internet for privacy reasons so I decided to just go with general nouns and capitalize them in place of names. I think it added nicely to the tone of the post, anyways.

      I got back about two weeks ago. The goodbye wasn't actually as awful as I thought it was going to be, but still not one of my favourite things to do :( But thanks, Emily!

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  4. Love this! It's so beautiful! I'm glad you had a good time!

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    1. Thank you so much, Ashley! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

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