Bringing my attention to the present, I proudly watch as all four of my granddaughters count out their performance, then twist, turn, and dive into the water in different directions, only to stand on their hands, then twist and come up for air. By the time they get to the end, they each pop up from the water at different times, and nothing about their well-practiced routine is remotely synchronized.
The moment their hands rise into the air to show their performance is finished, my hands are ready to fill the room with thunderous applause. Raven whistles, and their mothers cheer on their performance.
Once everything has settled, my mind returns to Faye for the millionth time today.
Reaching for my phone from the table beside me, I unlock it, then hesitate. Clearly, there are no notifications, but it doesn’t mean I can’t reach out and share this moment with her.
Opening my camera app, I quickly shoot a few pictures and a short video and send them to Faye, along with a message.
Me:
Hey, sweetheart, thinking of you. Hope your meeting went well earlier.
I barely set my phone back on the table when it buzzes with an incoming text.
Within seconds, I’ve got my message app opened, and I find myself grinning at the beautiful face before me.
Damn, she’s stunning.
Faye:
This is a selfie from my walk when I visited Suviana Lake instead of taking a lunch. I’m done for the day now and just got back to my hotel. I wish I were there, swimming with you. The kids look like they’re having a blast.
For someone who’s never had a family of her own, Faye’s done remarkably well being around them. She never fails to ask about them and loves hearing the silly antics they get themselves into.
Me:
You’re welcome to join us anytime. After your meeting today, do you have an ETA for returning stateside?
Faye:
Unfortunately, I’m still waiting on a few parts. This hardware is really outdated and can’t handle the bandwidth for the amount of data we need it to transfer.
My heart sinks when I read this. I’d really been hoping she’d finish it sooner than later, as she’d planned. I’ve never thought or cared about sufficient hard drives more than I have since she started this job.
Faye:
On a positive note, I’m finally taking the weekend off. I’m thinking about traveling to Sienna and San Gimignano and just being a tourist.
Me:
That’s great. You’ll finally get a small break. You need it.
That’s the understatement of the year. This woman puts me to shame when it comes to her work ethic. From sunrise to sunset and beyond, Faye grinds on for hours to complete her projects. I’m proud of her for taking some much-needed time for herself.
Just as I’m about to text her this, another text comes through.
Faye:
Mom is calling. I’ll call before heading to bed. XO
I’m not sure how long I stare at my phone, but suddenly, Lizzy shakes my arm to get my attention. “Dad, everything okay?”
“What?” I ask, looking around to ensure I haven’t missed anything.
“Are you okay? You were smiling, then looked like you got some bad news.”
“Faye has to stay in Italy for another week or two,” I say before I can censor my thoughts.
