Entering the hall, clothes are everywhere as Cassidy tosses things she's already tried on while simultaneously sliding on something else and asking me how she looks.
Home from College, Maddie lounges in Laurel's bedroom, surfing her phone, taking a break from the nonstop adoration of her baby sister.
Che has Maddie's boyfriend Henry playing a never ending game of something loud in her room.
No one's ready when I am.
"I GOTTA GO!" I yell.
Everyone starts moving at the same time. Suddenly, I'm standing still as a hurricane blows, kids here, kids there, snippets of conversation, activity everywhere except the space I occupy.
"Be ready in a minute," Henry chipperly explains.
"Come back and pick me up," Che softly says.
Maddie hurls the names of toys and dresses to be purchased, destinations to hit, and time table to adhere to after they drop me off at the Hospital.
"Let's Go," Maddie yells.
"What?" Cass asks from underneath mountain of clothes.
"Come back and get me when it's time to shop," Che quietly says.
It's all a whirlwind to me.
"Aw, shit!" I mutter. "If Sarah were here she'd make sense of all of this."
My wife's at a volunteer orientation for The Savannah Arts Academy because she likes to keep busy.
That was sarcasm.
My wife is a wonder of a woman.
"Alright!" Henry announces though no one's does anything.
"Come back later for me," I hear.
Che's on the floor holding one of the dolls she and Henry had played with.
"This isn't going to work," I say, suddenly understanding. Che is frightened to watch me dropped off at the Hospital for the MRI. We haven't spoken about it but she somehow knows what's going on. It's a big day and she's struggling to manage as best as a 4 year old can.
"I'll drive myself if you can't take me," I say to Henry.
The Hurricane grows louder. Maddie's barking orders. Cass is yelling. Henry's asking questions.
As everyone talks over one another, Che quetly reaches between their knees and hugs me.
"I lub you Daddy," she says with eyes as earnest as the darkest corners of night determined to shine. "Come home" and she darts back inside her bedroom with Henry.
Within minutes, Maddie's driving and chatting with Cass in the front seat.
"I didn't think about it her way," Maddie explains at one point.
Sarah and I are accustomed to thinking about it this way.
Che too.
Earlier, before the Hurricane, Sarah and I walk into the front yard as she prepares to leave.
Our eyes lock ... "Yep" we say and embrace ... I've never felt love that way before ... holding one another with every fiber of our being ... I thought I knew what love felt like ... I didn't ... now I do.
"I'll be waiting," she says, climbing behind the wheel, smiling, exhausted, sexy and determined.
The same feeling of love hovers in the waiting room later as we wait on the Doctor by planning trips to exotic islands in the next few weeks.
We know the results the moment Dr. Senkowski's eyes meet ours.
"My part accompanying you on your journey is over," he smiles sadly.
"Well," Sarah says taking the steering wheel to drive home afterwards, we hold hands in silence catching our breaths. There's nothing to say.
At the house, the Hurricane resumes though I take Che outside to the hammock in the shady part of the back yard.
"Daddy's okay," I tell her.
A little light shines from the darkest corners of the night.
Unsure, she hugs me while hurriedly saying she needs Maddie, climbing out the hammock and speeding away!
We celebrate the night like the craziest of families through dinner at J Thomas under the constant supervision of our friend Elizabeth, laughing and loving our life together.
Later, it's quiet as Sarah and I process our future.
Maddie and Henry's returned to Athens. Laurel sees us between dates. Cass is hemming her new school clothes so they're shorter. Che draws a picture while sitting cuddled with her Mother.
"Wait till you see it," Sarah excitedly confided before it's presented to us.
Here we are.
Holding love like you've never felt it before.
Waiting together to see what's next.
