1m2aSandbox

My family has been incredibly fortunate in that Brian’s job requires almost zero travel for work; in addition, he works less than two miles from our house and so is often home for lunch, can have lunch with the girls at school, and can slip out of work to see a school play or something.

In short, the girls see their daddy a LOT. And are quite used to it.

So when Brian told the girls he had to make a three-day trip this week, they seemed unfazed at the announcement. But in retrospect, I think they simply didn’t understand. He traveled once (ONCE!) last year and we survived pretty well, so I figured we’d have a few “I miss Daddy!” at bedtime but would otherwise soldier on. Brian gave each girl a hug and kiss Monday morning and sent them off to school, not to be seen again until LATE tonight.

Cora cried the whole way home, and when I finally got hold of Brian on the phone and he was able to talk to her, she said, “Daddy, when you’re gone, it’s like if my Silky (lovey) is gone.”

And burst into tears again.

Cora’s been quite hard hit by Brian’s absence, and is weepy and crabby from the moment she gets out of school until the moment she finally falls to sleep, exhausted from her emotional rollercoaster. Brian’s sent her messages and called her many times, but she’s still barely hanging by a thread.

I pick him up at the airport tonight a good three hours after her bedtime.

I fully expect her to be waiting up for us when we get home.