Away

My father is a university professor. Or was, I guess, although he still maintains an office and goes in everyday despite being forcibly retired five years ago. Anyway. One year many moons back he took a sabbatical, and for many many reasons (many more than I want to / can go in to now), he went away for part of it alone.

Six weeks, as I recall. I was eleven, my sister would have been 14. We stayed home with my mom. It was a fine time, I don't remember one way or another it being either bad or good. I don't remember it being any different from any other time my dad went away, which wasn't much.

What I do recall is that he came home one evening, around dinnertime, in the car (he'd driven down south for the trip). And my mother, my normally very reserved and calm mother, RAN out of the house to meet the car before he'd even finished pulling in. My normally calm and logical mother, almost in tears. I remember being kind of surprised at that. She hadn't seemed to miss him overly, not moreso than I'd have expected.

It's only now that I realize that no matter how well it had gone, no matter how much help we were and how easy it was, it's HARD being a solo parent. You miss your co-parent a lot, and not just for the stuff they do, but for the feeling that you're in things together.

Which is to say: I'm very pleased that The Man is home today after two weeks away. My co-parent is back. And Thank God.