Ray Gorham - 77 Days in September

Dear Kyle,

I live for the day that you read this note and will hold me in your arms again. The past months have been the longest of my life, but knowing that you’ll come back, no matter how hard it might be, has given me the strength to make it through these difficult days. I’ll wait 10,000 days for your return if I need to. We‘ve moved to Carol Jeffries’ house. She’s taking care of David who was seriously injured while protecting me from an awful man who tried to hurt our family. David doesn’t even complain despite not having anything to help with the pain. You will be so proud of him. He’s become a man, and he reminds me of you. Spencer and Emma miss you terribly and will be so happy when their daddy returns. We come to our house every afternoon at 1:00 PM and wait until sunset, to see if you come home. It breaks my heart a little more every time I open the door and you’re not here. If it’s close to 1:00 when you get here, wait for us. If not, please come find us at Carol’s house. She lives at 1252 Whitetail Lane. It’s the green house across from the one that does the big Christmas display we always drove by when our house was being built.

P.S. Life seems fragile lately. Charles Anderson died 2 days ago from diabetes complications. If, heaven forbid, something should happen to me and I’m not here when you get back, please know that I’ve been madly in love with you since our first date. I’ve never regretted for a minute being Mrs. Kyle Tait. Hurry!

Kyle finished reading Jennifer’s note through tear-filled eyes, then wiped the tears on his sleeve so he could see to reread the address. The letter was dated November 17 th. He saw, in the trash, crumpled notes from previous days. Kyle dropped the note on the counter and wept with relief, the pains of the last sixteen hundred miles washing away.

Kyle ran to the front door and threw it open, knowing exactly where the house with the Christmas display was. He sprinted down his driveway and into the street, his hair flying in the wind as he ran. Kyle waved joyously to the few people he saw as he dashed by. Neighbors who saw him had no idea who he was, nor that they had just seen the happiest man in America.

He rounded the corner onto Whitetail Lane. The house was about a half mile ahead on the left. He flew past door after door after door, registering the numbers as he went. 1132… 1152… 1172… He slowed to a walk just a few doors away and could see the green house. A little boy in a red sweater ran into the front yard from the side of the house, followed by another boy wearing a blue coat. Kyle recognized the blue coat. He had been with Jennifer when they bought it on clearance for Spencer early last spring. His son was two doors away. Kyle stopped and stared, his breathing no longer automatic. The lump in his throat that had been growing since he’d read Jennifer’s note ached intensely.

Up ahead, Spencer saw Kyle and stared back at his dad. Kyle could tell by the look on Spencer’s face that his son didn’t recognize him. Kyle glanced down at his clothes, the well-worn blue jeans and the jacket Rose had given him, which Spencer had never seen. He had four weeks of beard growth, hair that hadn’t been combed for a long time, and a face that had only been washed two or three times since Wyoming. It was no surprise that he was unrecognizable. Kyle looked back at the boys, who were playing again, but Spencer’s eyes kept returning to Kyle. Spencer again stopped and stared at Kyle, studying his face, seeming to recognize something, but unable to put the pieces together.

With tears streaming down his dirty cheeks, Kyle smiled at his son. The moment he did, Spencer’s eyes flew open wide, and his head jerked upwards. He stopped running with his friend and stared at his father, his mouth hanging open. Kyle heard a woman’s voice from around the side of the house. “Spencer, what’s wrong?” Spencer stood frozen in place, then raised his arm and pointed at Kyle. His mouth moved as if he was trying to say something, but no sound came out.

Jennifer came from the side yard where the two boys had emerged earlier. She knelt down in front of Spencer and tussled his hair, saying something that Kyle couldn’t make out. Her hair was a little darker and longer than he remembered, and she looked thinner than she had in August, but there was no mistaking his Jennifer. She was wearing blue jeans and a pale yellow sweater, and oh, how Kyle loved the way she looked in a sweater.

“Daddy,” Spencer managed to call out.

Jennifer pulled her head back and looked at Spencer, who was looking over her shoulder. She turned and followed his gaze to where a strange man stood on the sidewalk two houses away. She turned back to Spencer, who was still watching the man. “Daddy!” Spencer said again, louder.

Jennifer turned and looked at the man again. He was now walking towards them, smiling. Her heart leapt in her chest. She knew that smile. She’d seen it a million times before, but lately only in her dreams. She rose to her feet, struggling to keep her balance. Her hands covered her mouth, and her eyes welled up. She took an awkward step towards Kyle, and then another. Then she started to run. She stumbled on the grass but caught herself. He was running towards her now too. “Kyle!” she cried out.

They came together in front of the green house on Whitetail Lane. Kyle grabbed Jennifer with both arms and swept her off her feet, spinning her around and around. His throat ached too much to speak, so he just held her, held her with all the strength and love he possessed. He closed his eyes and shut out the world and just experienced the touch and feel of his wife pressed against him.

They stopped spinning, and everything he’d gone through during the past three months flashed briefly through his mind: the airplane crash, Ed, Louise, his friends in Lubbock, losing his cart, Rose. All of it was there, and then it was gone. He was home. He was with his family. Nothing else mattered. The joy of that moment was worth every ounce of energy he had spent to get there.

“Daddy!” came a little boy’s scream. Now that his mother had confirmed what he’d already known, Spencer was charging across the yard. He slammed into his daddy’s legs, and wrapped his little arms around them.

Kyle let go of Jennifer and enveloped Spencer in his arms. He picked his son up off the ground and squeezed him tight. Spencer wrapped his arms around his dad’s neck and hugged him as tightly as he could, his face grimacing, his eyes closing to tiny slivers. Jennifer put her arms around the two of them, and they silently embraced for what seemed like hours, without saying a word.

The front door swung open, and a young girl squealed. Kyle turned to see Emma drop to her knees in excitement on the front steps of the house. He set Spencer down and ran to his daughter. Scooping her up off the steps, he kissed her cheek and carried her over to where Jennifer and Spencer stood watching.

Kyle swallowed hard. “I missed you guys,” he said, finally choking the words out between sobs. “I sure had to walk a long way to get here… but you’re worth every step.”

“We missed you too, Daddy. We missed you too,” said Emma, her grin spreading from ear to ear, nearly splitting her face in two.

Jennifer wrapped her arms around her husband, son, and daughter, rested her head on Kyle’s shoulder, and closed her eyes. “I knew you’d come home, Kyle,” she whispered. “I just knew it.”

Kyle looked down at Jennifer, the love of his life, and gently took her chin in his hand, tilted her face up, and kissed her. Their lips pressed tightly together as their tears blended, the joy of their reunion coursing through them.

Jennifer broke the kiss and looked into her husband’s eyes. “Welcome home, Kyle. You have no idea how much we missed you.”