There was also much chatting and skyping and phone calling, as well as dreaming of a day when the two girls might meet. For real. In person. And hug.
Then, one day, the girl from Canada told the girl from New Orleans she was coming to visit. The girl from New Orleans said, "Psh! Yeah right!"
The girl from Canada had promised to come visit before and totally flaked on the girl from New Orleans, and she was still a little bitter. The girl from New Orleans does bitter very well...and also brings it to potlucks with a side of bread.
The girl from Canada bore the girl from New Orleans' bitterness admirably and, not too long after the "psh'ing" and implied eye rolls, the girl from Canada emailed the girl from New Orleans a photo of her flight confirmation...and there was much rejoicing...and some giggling...and some skin-crawling (in the good way).
The girl from New Orleans didn't sleep a wink the night before the girl from Canada was set to arrive. She tried, but kept waking up smiling, but since smiling was her favorite, it was ok.
Finally, after many months of waiting for the day to arrive, and hours waiting for it to be time to go to the airport, the girl from New Orleans was ready to go meet her friend. For real. In person. And hug her.
She sat, waiting, and chatting with a stranger from Florida, swinging her legs anxiously (something she could still do despite no longer being six-years-old because the girl from New Orleans was short and had equally short legs that seldom touched the ground when she sat in chairs). So, she chatted and swung her legs and took repeated sideways glances in the direction of the concourse exit, hoping the next person walking out would be her friend.
And then,
at long last
there she was...
And there was much rejoicing...and giggling...and hugging...and weepy eyes.
The girl from Canada kept staring at the girl from New Orleans. This creeped her out a little bit, but she tried to play it off like people stare at her all the time and it was no big deal until they reached baggage claim and the girl from Canada was too distracted to continue staring. Then, the pair sat, and even drove, in the girl from New Orleans' car for the first time...together. And there was much rejoicing...and a little squealing.
The girl from New Orleans took the girl from Canada for a ride around her hometown, showing her the elementary school and her parents home and the Wendy's drive-thru. The girl from Canada was, obviously, worn out from all that excitement, so they decided to call it a night and head back to the girl from New Orleans' house.
The girl from Canada exited the car, entered, grinning, and then proceeded to walk around the whole house. She looked in every room, in every closet and cabinet, even the one's the girl from New Orleans tends not to show to company. Then, the girl from Canada called home to let her husband know she arrived safe and sound.
She also picked her fingers.
Before they went nite nite, the girl from Canada and the girl from New Orleans spent some time chatting on the back patio. (Something they could not have done if the girl from New Orleans had been visiting the girl from Canada...at least not without losing toes.) The girl from Canada also gifted the girl from New Orleans with a bag of Canadian treasures. These included: a stuffed moose, maple leaf knee socks, syrup (one of the 4 major food groups), jam, bath salts, a water bottle and a key chain that said "eh" on it. The girl from Canada's mom also sent along a gift for the girl from New Orleans. It was a figurine of a child building a snow man.
And there was much rejoicing...and ooohing and aaaahing...and picture taking...and yawning. So, the girls washed up and hugged and said goodnight for the first time. For real. In person. Then, the girl from New Orleans, who had not slept in over 24 hours, kept waking up smiling. But, since smiling was her favorite and her favorite Canadian was sleeping in the next room, it was ok.
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