Jubilation Part II (without the music)

I know exactly what my mom looks like in an airport when she's on her way to see me.

That's because one time I got to see her in an airport when she was on her way to see me. Here's how:

For spring break of my freshman year in college, my brother and I flew independently to meet our parents in Florida for a week at the beach. When we lived in Mississippi, our family vacationed in Destin every year. Some of our best memories are from those trips: long days in the water, sun and sand, never-ending picnic lunches, getting cleaned up to go out to dinner, red faces and wet hair.

As it happened, the trip my freshman year was our last family vacation. The next year, my parents separated, and though we continue to do some holidays together, we have not vacationed as our old unit of four. But I digress.

I flew from Boston. My parents flew from Kansas City. And my brother flew from Texas.

I had a layover somewhere. As I was racing to my gate, I was struck by the sight of a blond woman seated with her back to me. The back of her head looked exactly like the back of my mom's head. I slowed down, circled in front of her and broke into a grin. It had been the back of my mom's head. It was, in fact, my mom. She was reading a magazine but must have felt me staring because she looked up and stared back. And then she broke into a grin too.

"Oh my god," I said. "I can't believe you have a layover here too!"

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "What time does your flight leave?"

I told her.

"Oh, ours is about that time too," she said, her voice dropping, knowing I would have to go to my own gate soon.

"I wish I could stay," I said. "But I bet I'm about to board. Where's dad?"

About that time we both noticed him, cackling to himself as he watched the scene unfold.

"Look at your ticket, Rebecca," he said.

I looked.

We were on the same flight.

It was one of my dad's best gifts ever: time. He had arranged their flight so we would be on the same plane for the last leg of the trip. This meant that we an extra three hours to talk non-stop and just be together.

When you live thousands of miles apart, time means a lot.

Right now, my mom is on her way to me. And so, in a little bit, I'll be on my way to pick her up. And you can guess what I'm doing now, I hope.

That's right: breaking into a grin.