Love Stories: Deployment Homecoming

Our countdown to Valentine's Day continues! ♥

Love Story: Deployment Homecoming

--Aly, from Aly and Ellie Take the North

It all started Friday, February 3rd.  I don't fly very often.  When I did it was to see my dad out in NY (which for a kid was always exciting) and more recently I would fly down to North Carolina where my husband was stationed.  Every time I fly, I am so beyond excited to get to where I am going, that even the short airplane rides feel like they take an eternity.

By the next morning, I was already shaking.  I was so nervous to see my husband, who I had not seen in 10.5 months and was lucky to be able to have a conversation with him a few times a week.  When you're waiting for something like this, it's incredibly easy to doubt yourself.  You ask yourself things like, "What if I'm not as pretty as he remembered..." or "What if things have changed between us?"

However,  As soon as those Marines call "10 more minutes!", "2 more minutes!", "They are leaving the armory now and will be here in 3 minutes!"  You forget all of that.  At those moments, your adrenalin starts flowing, and you just become ecstatic and overflowing with anticipation.  At those moments, all of your doubt, any doubts you had over deployment, all the disappointment the deployment brought forth, all the tears and hours alone crying to yourself are wiped away and seem miniscule.

Then the buses come.  I found myself cheering and screaming like someone would at a sporting event.  All my friends were crying with sheer happiness.  once all 9 buses came to a stop, I saw my husband in the window of the bus looking for me.  He didn't see me, but I saw him.  As the Marines filed out of the buses and went to their loved ones, I then saw mine.  In my excitement, I tripped.  Oh my gosh that was embarrassing.  But I pushed through, I didn't care.  I don't think I've ever hugged him so tight.  At one point I looked at him and said, "You're never allowed to do that again!"  He laughed and agreed.  We then made our rounds to say our hellos and made our way to the hotel.

When all is said and done, I feel pretty lucky.  Not just to have such a wonderful husband.  But because he and I have the opportunity to miss each other.   When he gets home, we get to fall in love with each other all over again.  Not a lot of couples get that same opportunity.  It might not always make me the happiest when he is away from me and our daughter, but I will never take what I have for granted.  I am the luckiest girl in the world.

photographs copyright Le'Olam Photography of Sneads Ferry, NC

-- Aly, from Aly and Ellie Take the North

♥

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