I just had to smile when I was thinking about this wonderful day. Of course, Michelle was annoying and she made rude comments. However, this didn’t bother me much and that was kind of surprising to me. I feel that I have been gaining confidence now that I know my girl name and now that there are some people who know the person I have been hiding inside of me. It felt really liberating. I know that soon I have to tell mom and dad. The thought made me cringe but I know it will feel liberating too. My next thought was about Mary. I wanted to call her and tell her everything but decided against it. I need to tell her in person. Soon I will have my big sister back and this made my heart jump a bit. I decided to pick up the phone and call her anyways. I just loved hearing her voice.

“Hey babe” Mary said when she picked up.

“Hi big sis. How are you?” I inquired.

“Tired. But happy. What have you been up to?” she asked while yawning.

“Oh, I had fun with my new friends. They are nice girls. We had an enjoyable time at Sammy’s house.” I said excitedly.

“That is great. We will discuss in detail when I am home. Oh, I wanted to tell you I emailed mom and dad my flight information. I will be arriving in Boston on Wednesday around noon. I am leaving Portland at 12:05 AM and fly to Dallas, Texas. I have a two-hour layover and will then continue to Boston. The airline is American. I will be very tired but happy I have my family back. Who is coming to the airport?” she asked me curiously.

“Dad and I will drive to Boston and pick you up. I can’t wait to give you a big hug.” I said getting a little teary.

“Me too, babe. Me too.” Mary said excitedly.

“Okay. I gotta go. I need to get everything ready. I am sure we will text a few more times before we finally see each other again. Love you, babe.” Mary said making little kissing noises.

“Good night, love.” I said while also making kissing noises. I hung up the phone. I felt happy inside. I changed into my pajamas, settled into bed and thought about Mary, Sammy and my great new friends. And I thought about being Riley and what that means. Soon I drifted off to sleep.

The next few days went by in a flash. I thought about Mary a lot and I hung out with Sammy and my new friends at school. The girls were wonderful. Tuesday was the last day at school. My mood was getting better and better. During supper on Tuesday evening my parents and I talked about picking up Mary.

“So, Randy are you ready to pick up your big sister tomorrow?” dad asked me a little teasingly as if there was any doubt.

“Oh yes. I can’t wait to have my sister back.” I said excitedly.

“That’s great. The weather is supposed to be ok tomorrow. We should leave by 8 AM. Would you like to go and stop for breakfast on the way?” dad suggested.

“That sounds good. I would like a nice omlette or pancakes.” I answered.

“You can have whatever you want.” dad assured me.

“Great. I will get up early and then we can get Mary home.” I insisted

“Alright, partner. But leave some of her for your mom and me.” dad said jokingly.

“I will think about it.” I said with a smile.

Mom was in and out of the dining room and started cleaning up. I offered to help but she insisted I go to bed early so I can be ready for tomorrow. I threw myself in the shower, went to bed and drifted off to sleep.

My alarm went off at 6:30 AM. I woke up with a big smile on my face and almost jumped out of bed. I got dressed and walked downstairs to the kitchen for some tea and a yogurt. Mom and dad were already having breakfast.

“Good morning, darling” mom said with a smile.

“Good morning!” I replied and joined them at the kitchen table.

“Are you ready to bring your big sister home?” dad asked me with a smile.

“Dad, do I really have to answer that question?” I asked him, smiling myself.

“Well, I guess not. Have some light breakfast and then we will get going. We can stop at about halfway at a Diner before we reach Logan Airport. Mary texted us her anticipated arrival time in Dallas, which will be shortly.” Dad explained.

“Okay, dad. I will get some things to take with me and then I am ready.” I told him.

“Don’t forget your winter coat, gloves and a hat. It is rather chilly out there.” Mom reminded me.

“Alright, mom. I will go upstairs after I finish my yogurt.” I stated.

I finished my light breakfast and went upstairs to grab a book and my cell phone. I doubted I would be able to focus on reading but I decided to take it anyways. I went back downstairs and put my winter coat, gloves and hat on. Dad was already in the garage waiting for me. I gave mum a hug and a kiss and got in the car. Dad and I took off into the morning and towards Boston. We drove down the familiar streets of our town. I observed the buildings, shops and stores, cafes and people walking on the sidewalks. Soon we reached the Interstate and the car was going much faster.

Dad and I didn’t really talk much yet. I think we were both tired but also full of anticipation. It felt weird but also great. Soon I would hug and kiss my Mary and the world will be right again. I watched the landscape go by and got lost in my thoughts. After a while, dad decided to get off the interstate to stop at a Diner called Amy’s. He parked the car and we went inside. The place was very busy but we only had to wait about ten minutes to get a booth. We settled in and ordered some drinks.

“How do you feel, buddy?” dad asked me. I always cringed when he called me buddy or partner. Nobody calls girls buddies or partners.

“Great and a little impatient. I just can’t wait to see my big sister.” I said smiling.

“I know. So how was your day at Sammy’s house the other day. Mom told me you had a good time?” dad inquired.

“I did. I met Sammy’s friends and they were really nice. We had so much fun.” I said proudly.

“That is great. Listen, mom told me about your little argument in the car. She did not want to attack you. She just wanted to voice some concerns. She felt bad the night she picked you up from Sammy’s place.” Dad said with a slight concern in his voice.

“It’s okay. I was mad because I felt attacked. I told mum that I am just happy to make new friends. Regardless of their gender. I feel a little intimidated by boys. They like to rough house and act cool all the time. This is not my world.” I said confidently

Dad had a surprised look on his face. He seemed a bit confused and then slowly nodded. I looked him deep in the eyes and I was not sure what to read from them. However, I believe that I could sense he showed respect which I never experienced from him towards me. I know that he loves me but this was something else and it felt great. I nodded back and we ended our conversation and focused on our breakfast. Soon we got ready to go and were back in the car. The sun was steadily rising on this cold November morning. Mary texted dad that she was about to board the flight in Dallas. In a few hours, I will have my big sister back. Oh joy!

I felt tired and excited at the same time the rest of the drive. I watched the landscape go by and saw the signs that showed Boston was near. Soon I saw planes in the sky and the street signs told me that the airport was close. We took the exit that said Logan International Airport. I watched the planes getting ready to land and paid attention to what airlines they represented. I saw Air Canada, Lufthansa, British Airways and American Airlines. Mary would arrive in one of those.

My heart was beating faster and the suspense was killing me. We still had about two hours until American Airlines 0450 from Dallas would arrive. After parking the car, we walked into this massive building. Dad suggested to settle into a Starbucks for coffee and hot chocolate until Mary’s arrival time was near. We found a table and enjoyed our drinks. Time seemed to crawl. I tried to read my book but it didn’t work. I constantly looked at the screen just outside of Starbucks and tried to find Mary’s flight. I decided to go to the book store to buy a magazine. Then the time finally came. Dad suggested we should go downstairs to the baggage claim area and wait for my big sister there. I jumped up and almost ran there. We arrived at baggage claim and I kept checking the screens for Mary’s flight. On the other side of baggage claim were several escalators where passengers were coming down from their flights.

I kept watching the screens and the escalators. There were a lot of people coming and I was worried that I would miss her. I looked at the screen again and it said that American Airlines 0450 out of Dallas arrived. My heart jumped again. I focused on the escalators but no sign of Mary. Dad was standing behind me and he put his hands on my shoulders to calm me down. It worked a little bit. Then I saw her. She came down the escalator and our eyes met. I saw Mary’s face lighting up and I am sure so was mine. I smiled. Almost laughed. Feelings of joy were overcoming my body. My legs started moving. Everything happened in slow motion. I ran to Mary. Nobody could stop me. Mary was almost at the end of the escalator and also started running. My eyes filled with tears. I was almost there. She screamed the word “babe”. I yelled “Mary” and we embraced each other. She scooped me up and gave me a big kiss on the lips. She was also crying. She then held both of my hands and kissed my entire face. I was the happiest person on earth.

She then let me down again without letting go of my hands. Dad was there too and gave her a big hug and a kiss.

“How was your flight?” dad asked her.

“It was good. I am very tired but happy I got my family back.” Mary said smiling

“Well then let’s get your suitcase and let me take you two love birds home.” dad said seeming amused.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Mary agreed.

While we waited for her suitcase, Mary and I kept holding hands and hugging. We were both out of breath but just happy. Dad spotted her suitcase on the baggage carousel. He scooped it up and started rolling it to the exit for the parking lot. Mary had a backpack on her shoulders and her purse. We walked behind dad and started talking. I asked her about College and her classes. She loved College and felt that Oregon was a great fit for her. We finally arrived at the car, put her suitcase and backpack in and we both settled in the back so we could hold hands some more.

I saw dad smile to himself. Mary whispered in my ear that she wants to hear everything about my time with Sammy and her friends when we were home and had some privacy. I nodded and promised her I will do so. We both smiled at each other. Once we were on the Interstate, we all started talking about Thanksgiving and we all started to remember past family holidays. We laughed, joked and had fun. I was a little sad mom was not there to enjoy this with us but I was so happy my big sister was sitting right next to me.