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"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh?" he whispered. 

"Yes, Piglet?" 

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you." 

— A.A. Milne

It all started with a very unhappy, teething baby. After hour two of sitting in the bathroom, fan turned on, just to get a moment of silence, I texted my father and asked how he'd like to see his grand daughter the next day. Thank the Lord he said yes. My frustration aside, I think Millie had just about had enough of her mother for a while.

So the next evening, I spent a night out shopping- alone. This was something that had not happened for what felt like five million years. I had totally forgotten what independent Erika felt like- despite the past two weeks of being on my own at home, I felt more loneliness than an exhale of freedom. It was such a beautiful thing to walk around a store as long as I wanted.

Sky was scheduled to get home the following afternoon. My dad texted me around noon, asking me when I'd be picking up Millie. I called him and we starting discussing when how I'd be able to come get her, when I heard my front door creek open. I heard a pair of keys drop and footsteps on the kitchen floor. In walked a handsome guy in ACUs and a beautiful girl in frog pajamas.

I started laughing, and heard my dad say, "Talk to you later" before he hung up the phone. I am nearly impossible to surprise, but Sky and Dad managed to pull it off. He even managed to shave before I had to come face to face with that 'floodstache' (thank God).

I was so relieved- and not just that he was home early, but that he was home period. How many times can you say "I'm glad you're home" and "I miss you" before it can go unsaid? Apparently, several dozen times. And I know we'll be right back in the same place a month from now, when he has his two week AT that the Guard requires every summer. But for now, he is here, and our family feels right again.

It stormed the night he came home. Tornado warnings, deep purple clouds, and a huge downpour fell around our house. The atmosphere was unsettled and angry.

But afterwards, there was the most incredible glow streaming through the trees. The sun was back.