This morning begins same as every other, but I am finally encompassed by a growing sense of distance. The foreknowledge of departure has become our reality. We stop to eat breakfast at a restaurant. As I suspect I will not be eating for the rest of the afternoon, I gorge myself on french toast.
We arrive at the airport shortly thereafter, wending our way through the mysterious caverns of the rental return garage, eventually returning our car with a little less than fifteen minutes to spare on the rental agreement. I hand the young woman at the Thrifty kiosk my keys, and sign my receipt. Dana and I then turn towards the airport proper, anticipating to two or three hours of tedium.
Security is a breeze, but the man in front of me is much slower about redistributing his electronic gadgets and tying his shoes than even me. I find this odd because something about his demeanor tells me that he is a frequent business traveller, and I would expect a person such as this to be better organized and prepared to leap the hurdles that security tosses in our path. Perhaps, like us - he simply has nowhere better to be right now.
We arrive at Dana's gate with more than two hours to spare. Lacking better entertainment, we play Scrabble. I get stuck with some awful tiles, and Dana keeps blocking my big wordscores. This time, Dana trounces me.
And like that, she walks out of my life.
A moment to think. A pause before battle. I've learned a few more things about myself on this trip. You can't be afraid to jump, and you can't be afraid to love, or to live. You aren't trapped in the position you are standing in so long as you have legs to carry you forward, and arms to pull you higher. And when the time comes that you can reach no higher, and your legs fail and you can't crawl that extra mile? Maybe you'll be lucky enough to have a friend willing to pull you along at their side.
I lean back and boot up the iPod one last time while I wait for my flight to board. It offers up "Learning to Fly" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in response.
Maybe there is time for tomorrow.
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