I stood there waiting for the moment i will finally get to feel his warm arms wrapped around me. I could not keep still as people began to crowd around me slowly starting to get closer and tighter by the minute. I stood there next to his parents holding a welcoming sign they had made the day before. This all seemed like a dream i had waited for in 10 days. There on the bright screen said “3:30 PM ETA Madrid.” It was 2 o’clock at LAX and the time seemed to play games on me as the handles on my watch did T’ai Chi. It’s already 4:15 and I don’t see you. I miss your tight hugs and the glow from your brown eyes that always seem to capture my attention. The delicate curls that form right at your hairline that always keep their form without styling gel. These have been the longest 10 days in my life. I see the people around me welcoming their loved ones at the end of the port for international arrivals. I see the tears of joy roll down cheeks like those of a china doll. The occasional dropping of luggage to run up and hug the people you have missed so much.
I now stand between two middle aged men who hold a laminated piece of copy paper with the name of their touring company and the name of the people they await in black whiteboard marker. Each time elbowing me as they erase the name of the person they receive in their group.Another half hour passes. I felt terrible for lying to you that i would not be able to go to receive you from the airport, but here I am now standing in the front row from the international arrivals port after an awkward two and a half hour drive with your parents with a small lunch break. I just can no longer wait I need you in my life. I can not live without you. An entire hour has passed after your estimated time of arrival. Oh how the seconds on my watch are killing me. My palms are beginning to sweat from the anxiety. I quickly put the small white box on the railing to wipe my hands on my blue jeans. The least i want to is welcome you with a dirty white box with a homemade grape soda pin i made. The tiny Coca-Cola bottle cap colored in silver sharpie that comes off with the moisture from my fingers and a small printed out logo with purple letters and small grapes.
I finally see some familiar faces but I do not see yours. One, two, three, but not the face of my true love. Now I know you are one step closer. Then I finally see the familiar curls that can bee seen from a mile away. Time stood still for a moment as our eyes met. I knew that somewhere inside of you you were surprised i lied about my possibility to receive you from the airport but i also saw a smile that started with a smirk to a grin. Time was frozen and i did not care if the random strangers pushed me like the dough in an antique tortilla press. Nor did the middle aged men with the filthy laminated signs that would elbow me every time they erased the name of a person they received. All that mattered is that after ten long days from being half a world apart we were finally in the same room, each second a step closer together until our arms finally met around each other.