April 3, 2011 10:52am

Tears form in my eyes but I don’t let them fall.
Fanning them like a beauty queen
who just won the crown, I turn on the blinker
and shift over into the right lane.
The speed limit on International Boulevard
isn’t very fast but people zipping by me
seem desperate to leave their memories at the airport.
I just want to head back. Or make it the first trip there,
begin the weekend all over again. Rewind to the Friday night nerves,
the slow moving digital clock, the pages of Everything She Thought She Wanted.

“Atlanta – Delta – 8:38 – Arrived” flashes bright orange
on the scoreboard-like sign standing at the exit
of the Cell Phone Waiting area. I sit up tall in the bucket seat
put the book away and pause, breathe. “Come on down!!!”
the text reads. Reverse, Drive, 0.5 miles later a hug.
A hug I never get. A hug I wish I could get daily.
Cruise control on 526 to help me handle the lead foot
my mom passed down, 101.7 ChuckFM plays everything.
Pointing out downtown Charleston and the Cooper River Bridge
that 40,000 people will run a 10K over as we cross the Don Holt.
Foyer, living room, sun room, dining alcove, kitchen, master bedroom,
two guest rooms, bathrooms, laundry room, Cooper, Hunter,
Charlie, Whiskers, Rickee, Bobby, Bob Barker, the cedar chest.

Long way around Charleston County: 17, 526, 26 to King Street.
“Look at the joggers running on East Bay.” Dunkin Donuts coffee,
stopping to see a parade of bridge runners dressed as jail escapees.
I show you the campus buildings one by one and we pause for a picture.
What will the Class of 2012 give CofC? What’s left to give?
Walking from shirts to stickers to hats in the bookstore
I show you the school colors and logo.
Stepping into the crowd of runners, we walk down King Street,
talk about Five Guys, the theatre, Shooz and enjoy lunch at Sticky Fingers.
Surprise Mary Mac! A car ride through the Battery, Citadel, Cooper Bridge
and Patriots Point before we head to the house to let the dogs out.
Discussing movies, basketball, cupcakes, we all relax on the couches
for an hour. Dinner at Los Arcos and I can’t stop glancing at you.
I have your eyes, eyebrows, nose. Mary Mac makes us all order in Spanish.
Josh, you and I panic, each picking things already translated, instead of what
we wanted, hoping we pronounce them right. I eat too much chips and salsa.
We all pile back into the Element and, still chattering,
drop Mary Mac off at her dorm, go home and head to bed.

In the morning we share conversation and sip cups
of freshly brewed coffee in the dining alcove. I take mine with a lot of cream;
you, a tad of cream and sugar. At 9:45am sharp, we are in the car once more.
A quick trip to Panera Bread near Sam’s Club for a cinnamon roll,
then I’m driving, all too soon, towards Charleston International Airport.
How is it already Sunday?
A long hug, a kiss and two sliding glass doors later, you’re gone.