Hand and hand we walked from a Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game
A place neither of us thought we'd be together
Down the streets of the city I held your hand the way that I always do–
A step behind you
my left in your right,
my right on your bicep,
and my head on your shoulder.

We walked into the hotel and up to the room.
I laid down in your arms
and we slept.
Even in your sleep,
you brought my body back to yours
every time I drifted away.

The next night I laid in your arms laughing
We tangled ourselves in the sheets

I wake up in your arms.
It feels like the first time all over again—
bathed in the gentle, golden light of the morning
my sleepy eyes open to see your gentle gaze.
We say good morning like we have a thousand times,
and you kiss me.
Kind and gentle, you bring me out of my dreams.

The soft cry from the other room
calls us to our baby girl
You go to bring her back to us,
but before you give me a kiss
and that unbelievable smile.
That smile
that makes me swoon like we are eighteen again.

You lay her down in our arms
the birds chirping through the windows.

For a moment I close my eyes,
I remember when we were eighteen
laying in bed
in room 1507 of the Fairmont Pittsburgh.
I was straddling your lap begging you to tell me about the dream you had.
You rolled your eyes and told me it'd scare me,
but I said do it anyways.
You told me that we were in Cape Cod
Wandering the streets.
Just you and me,
and our baby girl.
I laughed it off and pretended to be stunned
but deep in my chest,
in the silence of my heart,
it felt right.

When I open my eyes again,
I expect it to all be just a figment of my imagination.
But it's not,
you
and our little girl
are right there in front of me.
You're waiting for me to return to you,
and when you see I'm back.
You give me that smile.
One more time.

And I am home.

it is 12:04

I am waiting.
You are working.
So my mind begins running.

why was I waiting? I never used to wait for anyone
I could convince gravity to let me go if i needed to
but, even in my desperate exhaustion,
I am sitting here,
pretending to work,
and waiting for you.

Maybe,
it is the way, when my being is floating ten feet above my body
and I cannot seem to be physically the world,
your arms pull me back down.
Although my body is too weak to hold me,
you bring me back down to you without ripping me out of the sky.

Or maybe,
it is because of the dreams that you have about me.
I don't like rushing,
but, when you tell me you dream of us,
married.
with a little baby girl.
Something in my heart says that when the time is right.
Your arms will be more than an anchor, they will be home.

So that is why I wait.
At first I said I'd leave when it was 10:30 and just go home,
then I said 10:45.
Now it is 11:04,
and I am waiting
because I cannot truly go home,
unless I leave with you.