A Girl Brought Him Back
It’s been five years since he’s been to The Keys with us, five years. When I got the text asking if he and Brooke could come down with us, I had mixed feelings. I responded with “you hate Fiesta Key”. I was thrilled he wanted to come back, but the mama bear in me, was like ok, we need a cot so Brooke could have the bed. All the Mama Bear instincts were raging, “you aren’t married”, “I’m old fashioned”, “pillows separate you on the bed”, “do I need to call her parents”
Then my husband grounded me a bit, reminding me that Nick wanted to come back.
Let me back up…a year after Tom and I were married, we went to the Keys. Tom had been coming to Fiesta Key as a child, and continued to do so with family for years. Here we are a blended family, going to where “he” vacationed. Nick was 11 and Em was 6 the first time we went. It was great fun with all the cousins. They swam, they rode bikes…it was a learning experience for me, as you didn’t worry where they were or what they were doing…it’s Fiesta Key after all.
As Nick got older it was harder, as a teen Fiesta Key became “boring”, not to mention we would fly him back after four or five days because he couldn’t miss basketball practice (that’s a whole different story). Then one year he just didn’t go. It was boring. There was nothing to do there. Next year, same thing.
I totally understand it wasn’t me that drew him back and probably not even the Keys. It was “the girl” and while a senior in college a free vacation wasn’t so bad either.
When they arrived, they drove over 19 hours straight, they were tired but still happy to be in Florida. I saw a side of my son that made my heart swell bigger than the Grinch. He was sharing his love of The Keys with another. Our favorite restaurants, beaches, sunsets and even found some new places. They talked with us, joked with us and then it hit me…THIS IS WHAT ADULTS DO! I blinked and my blue-eyed, blonde baby boy was an adult.
Yes, he’ll always be my baby, but watching him as an adult was the best belated Christmas gift.
Amen sista! Big love to you 💗