A Night All Alone

Wednesday, July 5, 2006 is a day that will forever be in my mind. It was the first night since NyCee’s birth that I was away from her. Why, you ask? I had to fly to Houston, TX for a job interview which was scheduled for Thursday, July 6, 2006 at 9:30 a.m. Because the job is very important to me, I chose to go in the night before to ensure that I was in place. I began preparing for the trip on Monday, July 3, 2006.

In preparation for my trip, I cleaned the house, washed the baby’s clothes, packed her diaper bag, ironed her clothes, laid out her pajamas and of course left very detailed instructions for Lewis, her father, on how to care for her. He was so kind and patient. I constantly asked if he were okay with me attending the interview and if he were going to be okay alone with the baby all night—by himself. He just amused me and replied, “Yes, Dear.”

I kissed my husband and daughter goodbye and held back the tears. When I arrived at the airport, the screen advised that my flight would be delayed 3 hours. As the night went on the delay dragged on and on. I know that I called Lewis 4 or 5 times asking if he were okay and if the baby was okay. I also gave instructions over the phone. And again, he just amused me by saying, “Yes, Dear.” Finally, my flight left Atlanta, GA and I arrived in Houston, TX at about 2:00 a.m. central time. By the time I arrived at my hotel room I was so tired that I thought I would just fall in the bed. I didn’t. I laid there thinking about NyCee and wondering if she even knew that I was gone.

The next morning I arose and dressed for my interview. (Side note: I looked good. I wore a cotton candy pink suit jacket with the matching shirt, black slacks and my shoes where black with a cotton candy pink trim. I should have taken a picture.) The interview began promptly at 9:30 a.m. I met with two recruiters and a panel of supervisors. After meeting with the supervisors, I rushed to the airport and made my flight with 10 minutes to spare. What a day! I arrived in Atlanta and rushed home to see my daughter. She was sitting on her daddy’s lap dressed in the outfit that I laid out for her. I was glad to see that they were okay while I was away. The job that I interviewed for requires me to travel. Whenever I spoke with Lewis on the phone, I never heard the baby crying or fussing. She was perfectly fine.

What about the position I interviewed for you ask? Stay tuned for an update.