Saying goodbye to Bug.

Unloading

Waitin' on the plane.

Not wanting to leave.

Her plane.

Poor us :( My eyes are finally dry and my nose has recovered. I have arrived home from saying goodbye to my sis. After discussing if we were going to cry at the airport (a girl thing), we made the following determinations: Maggie, "It takes a lot for me to cry. I think I'll be alright." Lindsey, "Yes." Me, "I doubt it. I'll probably cry when I get home." As we were pulling into the airport, Maggie was the 1st to shed a tear. We shared a good laugh about how much "a lot" is. We arrived to discover that her plane was running 35 minutes behind schedule. After determining that she wouldn't miss her connecting flight in Dallas, reality sunk in. More tears flowed from Maggie as she voiced how bad she didn't want to leave. We tried to turn our conversation into humor, but couldn't seem to manage. Her plane arrived. She spent every little pinch of a minute she could with us and almost missed her flight. The overhead page for her sent her running. We all hugged, and our eyes were misty. Walking up to the xray line, Maggie looked back at me with crocodile tears. I couldn't hold mine back any longer. Yelling, "We'll wait here for you in case you have to come back," my voice cracked. I wanted her to check with the flight attendant to make sure she would make her connecting flight. Otherwise, she would get to stay one more night with us. Once again, her name was called on the overhead page. "Run Bug!" I yelled, watching her disappear. We were plastered to the window, watching her run onto the plane. An airport employee walking by assured us that she made it onto the plane. Her face frowned as she added, "She was crying." I was too. Maggie called me as she stepped onto the plane. I could barely make her words out. She was talking with the flight attendant about her connecting flight. "You will make it." Our hope was now officially gone. Maggie sat in her seat, phone snug to her ear. "Can you see us?" I asked. "No." "What side are you on?" "The right. Let me go to the left." She hopped over. "I still can't see you. What side do I need to be on to see you when we take off?" "The right. I think." Both of us were desperate to see as much of one another as we could. "I think we're fixing to take off. Are you sure I need to be on the right side?" "Pretty sure. I don't know. Yeah, the right side." "I'm fixing to have to let you go. I need to get on the right side?" "Yes. The right side. Yall should take off facing North and you will need to be on the right side." "O.K. You'll watch me takeoff?" "Yes." With my voice cracking again I added. "I'll pray you there." As her plane backed away from the terminal, I was hoping I told her the correct side to be on. We watched the long journey down the runway and the turn preparing for the speedy ascent. She was on the correct side! We plastered ourselves to the window with our arms stretched above our heads, hoping she would see us as she ascended. I prayed for my sis as I watched her leave. It was terrible. My heart sank the further away she went. I continued to pray. She made it to Dallas before I made it home. When I say she made it to Dallas, I mean she arrived, walked onto her connecting flight ~that called her by name~ and was buckling up for take off as I was pulling into my driveway. We cried again as we talked. "I'll pray you there" I said as we told each other goodbye. Praise God Maggie made it home safely! Now, we will resume our day to day without each other and dray dream about how life would be if she lived in TX.