Elyse
On the way to Tampa airport to pick up Holly, Drew and I were both so nervous and excited the air seemed to crackle around us.
I had butterflies and sweaty palms, and when Drew grabbed my hand, I felt that he did too.
We didn't seem to have much to say, both of us having exhausted the what-ifs the night before, but we were so in tune with one another, we already knew every word that we'd left unsaid.
I texted Holly as we pulled up in front of the arrivals at the airport. I wanted to meet her inside, but when we'd chatted over text the night before, she'd insisted she could get her luggage and meet us outside of the airport.
We did a few laps around the arrivals terminal before receiving the text that she was outside. When we approached the spot she said she'd be, I saw her short brown hair had been cut even shorter. It suited her pixie-like face perfectly.
Drew came around and put her two large suitcases in the trunk of his car while Holly climbed into the back where Eden was spinning in circles, excited for her visit.
She comes often enough that to Eden she's just another member of our family.
It also made preparing for her arrival much easier since she'd already taken over the guest room on countless occasions.
"We got your room ready," I said as Drew pulled away from the curb.
Holly didn't reply.
"So I figured you can add a few things to make it yours for the time that you'll be with us."
"And how long do you think that will be?" she said, nervously clicking her thumbnails together.
"I'm not sure. It's summer, so we can leave it open, if that's okay with you."
She slouched down in her seat. "Yeah, that's fine. I don't have anywhere to be."
We spent the rest of the trip listening to the radio with the windows down on Drew's Bronco.
As we began the drive over the Courtney Campbell Causeway, I turned in my seat and saw Holly watching all the revelers on the beach.
There were jet skis crossing back and forth through one another's wakes and brightly clad beachgoers jumping into the waves that crashed up on the beach.
A little further over the bridge and we could begin to see Clearwater.
Nervous excitement coursed through my belly as the Welcome to Clearwater sign came into view.
Ten minutes later, we were in front of our house and pulling into the driveway.
Drew got out and opened the door going into the kitchen and Eden quickly ran around to Holly's side, our official Bennett household welcome wagon.
"I'll get your bags," said Drew. "If you can bring your backpack in."
Holly led the way to her room and dropped her backpack on the bed.
"Looks the same as the last time I was here," she said, which sounded more like appreciation than a complaint. I imagine that with all the upheaval in her life recently, something that was the same was a welcome surprise.
"Yes, we wanted you to be able to add things that you liked. We can go to HomeGoods later this week and pick out some new bedding that suits your personality a little more. Anything you want," I said. I gave her a nudge with my shoulder, to which she rewarded me with the tiniest of smiles.
I realized then that getting her re-acclimated was going to take a little bit longer than I had anticipated.
"Well, we'll leave you to get settled," I said. "Drew will be in the kitchen getting dinner started, and I'm going to go through the order for the bookstore. Let either one of us know if you need anything, okay, honey?"
"Yeah, okay," she said without looking up.
She flopped onto the bed face up and closed her eyes.
"Or take a nap, there's really no hurry," I said.
I walked over to the side of the bed and leaned over to run my hand over the top of her head like I have done since she was a baby.
How I wanted to crawl into the bed and wrap my body around hers and protect her from everything that must have been going on inside of her head.
I didn't know how I could take it from her.
What we were both going through with my sister was two completely different emotions, but I felt that I could try to understand should she decide to open up.
At this point, she didn't even open her eyes.
"Well, you know where I'll be," I said. "Make yourself at home and we'll see you in a little bit, okay?"
Drew and I crept out of the room to give her time to settle in or take a nap. Perhaps she needed an escape. I couldn't say that I blamed her.