Kanas Airport next exit.
I saw the sign and sighed. I glanced over at my husband, Matt, who had his head against the window, his left hand in my right. Then I looked in my rear view mirror and saw my two lovely twin children Hunter and Hailey. Hunter was awake, watching Spongebob on the car's TV, while Hailey was asleep.
I turned off the exit and looked at Matt. I could not cry, I could not cry. I had to stay strong for myself, for the twins, and mostly for my husband.
I rolled the car to a stop and shut off the engine. I looked at Matt again and sighed. I felt the tears start to roll down my cheeks as he pulled me to him and kissed my forehead.
"I'll be ok." he whispered to me in my ear.
I nodded even though I didn't believe it. He was my true love, since grade seven and a year after I graduated, (two years after he did), he proposed to me. We had a small wedding and I got pregnant on our honeymoon. Then I had Hunter and Hailey. Now two years later, he's going in to the army.
At the age of twenty-four...
We sat there, silent and frozen. But then Hunter started squirming and getting fussy. I lifted off of Matt and wiped my tears awaywith my arm. Matt unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car and opened the back door of the truck and unbuckled Hunter out of his car seat.
He had his army uniform on, the camouflage one piece tucked into his boots. He looked perfectly fine in it, not like it was uncomfortable in it at all. He lived on a farm all his life, even to this day, so he's use to the boots and bibs, but I would be uncomfortable knowing where I was going.
Matt came back with Hunter in his arms. He shut the door and Hunter was sitting on his lap. Matt held up his watch and let out a breath.
"We're early." he looked at me and gave a sly smile.
"How long?" I sighed and took his hand into mine. I looked into his big blue eyes.
I thought of all the times I had to look in those eyes. The time they had tears and the time they lit up more than the stars. They were the first thing that drew me to him, the first thing that melted me.
Hunter rested his head on his father's chest and looked out the wind shield. He looked tired, but I don't blame him, it was a big night last night and it was very early in the morning now. He's eyes eased down and he was falling asleep.
"A half an hour" he said, smiling, "You drove faster than usual. You tryin' to get rid of me?"
I gave him a dirty look. He looked down and chuckled then looked back up. "I was only kidding." He said poking my nose. I shook my head and looked back out the driver's window, tears streaming down my face.
Matt sighed and guided my face back to look into his. He saw my tear stained face and wiped them away with his thumb and stroked my cheek. "I was only kidding." he gave me an apologetic look. "I didn't mean it."
I nodded.
Matt was always the guy when there was an awkward or sad moment he would try to cheer it up with a joke. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it made it worse. That always charmed me, his jokes. He was always the funny one of the group or class, the one that would make you laugh when you needed to.
Matt took hold of my hand. Hunter was officially asleep now, breathing soundly. Matt looked down and kissed his head. He looked back at me and smiled. He lifted up the drawer inbetween the passenger's and driver's seat, making the third seat of the front of the truck. I moved over and he put his arm around me as he moved Hunter to his right thigh so I could rest my head on his shoulder.
