a year ago

May twenty-seventh, two thousand eleven.

SFO airport... still hours till my flight home,
hours till Him.
torture.
tired after a 13 hour flight from NZ,
i should try to nap.
I woke up, startled from a weird dream-
my name was being called from the terminal speakers.
wait, is this a dream?
"Katrina Ong, please report to your ticketing counter"
no, this is definitely not a dream.
i grab my bags and start speeding walking,
where i am going, i have no idea.


i have a feeling, a slight feeling amidst the chaos,
He is here. somewhere.
i pick up the nearest phone
"uhm... my name was called from the speakers, where am i supposed to go?"
"ma'am, you need to leave the terminal and go to your ticketing counter.
they might have found questionable materials in your luggage"
oh no,
i got it all wrong. He isn't here at all.
racing, racing.

i finally find the counter and before i approach,
i see what i think is a glimpse of a uniform.
then gone.

i wait
in line
wait

i hear Him,
"what are you waiting for?"

HE IS HERE.

we are both stunned, but i manage to hug him.
awkwardly. (we are still new to each other)
words and looks exchanged, people shuffling by with luggage and tickets.
everyone with somewhere to go.

but we stand,
still.

i stand,
he kneels.

in the middle of the San Francisco airport,
i say "yes"

we sit, outside, watching shuttles and car,
celebrating
with a mini bottle of free champagne
and plastic cups

we sit, knowing without saying,
it is perfect.
after all, in an airport we first met,
we said yes,
and in many airports, we will spend many hours to come.

then reality hits,
"wait, how are you getting back home?
are you on my flight back?"

 .....memorial day weekend, flights fully booked for 48 hours.

"sorry ma'am, we can give him a pass so he can say goodbye to you at the gate"

"WHAT?!? i've just spent 4 months away from him,
he flies down here to propose
and you expect me to leave him here for two days?!?!"

(ok, i didn't say that, i just thought it)

at 4:30pm, in rush hour traffic,
we begin our 15 hour drive home in a rental car.

well, darling, let's start off with an adventure.
our life together will be full of them.

One year later,
15 hours means something a little different.
One year later,
we meet the most precious gift from our Father,
our soft, lovely girl

Letta Evangelyn Hanae

Born at three fifty-six in the early evening on May twenty-fifth, two thousand twelve.
Seven pounds, twenty inches. perfect creature.