And what did we do while we sat waiting for hours on end at the side of I-55 north-bound, mile marker 276?
We celebrated!
It was, after all, the Van-Driving Daddy's birthday!
We might have been stranded on the side of a highway, but we had seven layer bars (thanks, Debbie!), a birthday candle, and striped napkins. We had the makings of a party! We imagined a flame flickering on the candle as we sang Happy Birthday to our guy. We were all so glad to have him there with us!
He read the card that had collected signatures and wishes as it had been secretly passed around the mini van.
And then...
Oh, and then, he said that he had something for me!
For me?
He said he'd finally found something that he'd been looking for for the last fifteen years.
It seems that earlier that day, while listening to his ipod (which had been loaded with eleven hours worth of listening, by a friend as a birthday gift - a hundred thanks, Matt!) as he drove the rattle-trap Uhaul through the sweltering southern heat, he'd found our song. Our song! From the first time through, he knew it was ours, the one he'd been looking for.
And now, at the end of the party on the edge of the road, he couldn't wait one more minute to share it with me. We stood there with eyes only for each other as an ear bud for each of us filled the atmosphere with the melody of our song.
His strong arms drew me close and he bent down and kissed me like he meant it.
Then, in the deepening dusk, under a canopy of trees surrounded by glittering fireflies and glinting hazards, we danced. The swooshing applause of passing cars and the delight in the eyes of three little boys carried us through to the very last note.
I fell in love again last night.
I'm sure of it.
I'm sure of him.
