Surprise!

On Saturday evening, Brent, Devin and I metro-ed over to Garrett’s house for dinner. I opened the sliding doors to his room and almost fell over from shock. A huge group of people! Screaming Surprise! Laughing. I saw my sister first. My sister who I had tried and failed to convince to come visit the night before. And then Fiona, who lives in NYC and who had texted me on Friday announcing her intentions to come to visit us next weekend. And then Anuse! And Morgan! And Ben! And Garrett! And Forrest! It was a surprise going away party and I was so shocked I truly couldn’t speak for a minute, sputtering what? and you? but how? I never get surprised. I am rather shrewd and very, very difficult to surprise. But they all pulled it off and I had NO IDEA.

Of course Steve was there as well. He had ruined his half of the surprise earlier by showing up unannounced at Garrett’s door because he had finished his test and decided to help Garrett cook! Such good intentions. He knocked and Anuse answered the door. They blinked and each other for a few seconds before Steve said What are you doing here? Then Morgan came out of the bathroom cursing at him for ruining the surprise. Steve maintains he was still surprised, just in a less dramatic way. It was such an amazing night. A perfect cap to our time here. So bittersweet hugging them for the last time before we leave.

Thanks so much everyone for coming. Thank you especially to G for hosting and organizing and wrangling. In our time here you have gone from friend to family and once you’ve crossed that line, sorry, there ain’t no turning back.