Travelers- Always, In Distress, Cue the Rain

1. My heart is tight for all the love and sweet sorrow I try to suppress. We stand at the curb of the airport terminal behind the open trunk to retrieve her backpack. The final hug when tears spring unbidden and I repeat (to myself or to her, I'm not sure.), "It's okay. It's okay."My lips are on her cheek and I miss her.
2. Henri and I were heading north on NC Route 86, four hours to home when I hit a huge hunk of old muffler in the road. It blew the tire, bent the rim, and there I was, standing on the grassy side of the road in the iconic cell phone-to-the-ear pose. Within minutes, a highway worker happened by and heard my distress. He had that soft, southwestern Virginia/North Carolina accent, a most polite demeanor, and a save-the-day attitude. He even said hello to Henri. I told the young man he was my angel today.
3. Home again! To an empty house this time. Even Steve is away. The low clouds and steady rain suit my mood. I eventually migrated to the porch where I sat and let my thoughts wander to the sound of rain.
3a. I picked tomatoes in the warm rain, the back of my shirt getting first damp and then wet.
4. Tess came home for a couple of hours. She let me lie on her bed and chat with her.