I Am Home

Fresh from school, she entered the work force, exhilarated and ready to face the world, head on.
Fast forward a few years.
“She’s wearing the same colour scheme again,” they whispered.
“Let’s play a trick on her,” they laughed. The joke was always on her. She laughed along, careful not to show how their antics and stories affected her.
‘I wish I could do something else,’ she thought. ‘I don’t belong here.’
Jobs were scarce. She stayed.
___________________

“Would you go on a date with me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she laughed.
She said, “I’m going to further my studies.” She handed in her resignation.
They walked down the aisle. “I do,” he said.
“I do,” she said.
Leaving their loved ones behind, they embarked on their ‘happily ever after’ in a foreign country.
___________________

It was winter in Europe. They loved each new scene and experience, but knew they were outsiders.
Their lives in the new country felt somewhat magical. “I never thought I would leave our home town!” she smiled, mesmerized by the architecture.
They laughed. They travelled. They loved their lives. They missed home.
___________________

Back home wasn’t the same. Children grew up, adults aged, places changed.
“We no longer fit in here,” she said. “People moved on.”
He said, “Let’s start somewhere new.”
They took off on another adventure.
___________________

Settled in, and once again ready to face the world, they started a family. Blessed, they truly were. They loved their home. They loved their kids and their lives.
“We don’t really fit in here, do we?” he noted.
She smiled, “No, we did not grow up here. Those who did, already have friends. They don’t need to get to know us.”
“I won’t go back.”
“Me neither.”
They were comfortable. They were happy. They missed their friends.
__________________

Routine was harsh. It kept them sane. She waited for him. The engine’s roar announced that he was home. She smiled. It was when he walked in the door that it dawned on her, ‘”With you, I am exactly where I belong. I am home.”