Blog Hop Photo Prompt Reveal – A Gift

The Words used in this photo  prompt: bird, kid, loom, soldier, ostrich

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A Gift

Sally walked over to the large glass window that looked out over the tarmac of the large metropolitan airport and stared out into the sky as if she could somehow see Jason’s flight arrive, some how will it to arrive quicker.  She knew that was impossible, however.  The latest look at the monitors that were placed overhead throughout the terminal had stated that the flight would be delayed at least another 30 minutes due to “inclement weather” and this had been only one delay in a string of several.  After sitting in the airport terminal for nearly two hours, Sally was beginning to get antsy to see her husband who had been deployed over seas.

They had been barely older than kids when they met and quickly fell in love.  A lot of people  cautioned them to slow down, that they were going to fast – some had even tried to discourage them, but Sally and Jason had stayed true to each other through Jason’s basic training and subsequent first deployment.  She could still remember clearly the day he had come back from that first deployment.  How he had strode down the gateway towards her, swooping her up as if she had been no heavier than a humming bird, and spinning her around in front of everyone.  He then asked her to marry him.  Sally had been teary eyed as she nodded her response.  Jason had kissed her then – like he had never kissed her before.

They were married 6 months later and even after four and a half years of marriage, Sally was filled with the same sense of excitement when he returned home from deployment.  She didn’t think she’d ever loose the thrill of seeing him again after months of separation, of being held in his arms.  Each time she grew more and more proud of her soldier.

It had become a tradition, between them, to exchange gifts whenever he returned  home from a deployment.  They hadn’t planned it that way it had just happened that way, starting from when Jason had been in basics.  This time, Sally had something extra special for him.  She glanced over with pride to their one year old daughter, Abigail, who was sitting on the floor playing with a stuffed ostrich and smiled.  She knew that Jason was looking forward to meeting their baby girl for the first time.  She remembered the day she had told him she was pregnant.  Jason had been “through the roof ecstatic”  He had been called away a couple months later, but had hoped to be back for the birth of their first baby.  It hadn’t worked out that way, instead he had gotten deployed again.

Suddenly Sally felt a large presence loom over her.  She had been so lost in thought, except for keeping an eye on Abigail, that she hadn’t even noticed that Jason’s flight had landed.   He stood beside her now holding his new daughter in his arms as if she were a precious package.  Tears that Sally knew were tears of happiness filled his eyes.  She had to swallow the  lump in her throat as Jason slowly lowered his lips to hers in a long lingering kiss.

“I love you” Sally whispered.

“I love you too” Jason responded.  Still holding Abigail in one arm, Jason tucked Sally against his other side as they walked through the terminal and headed home.