Flight to Boise

After cleaning out the car & making arrangements for mom at the local funeral home, everything was pretty much done that needed to be done in Vegas, Pete & Vince were trying to get Dad and me back to Boise.  Dad was content to go back to Phoenix for a few days then onto Boise.  I think he was afraid to go home without mom.  Not that anyone would blame or be angry, it's just a tough thing to have to face.

Ross dropped us off at the airport.  We were on the last flight to Boise.  We hadn't eaten yet that day - so Dad & I split a two piece chicken tender from Church's chicken in the airport.  It was $8. For two pieces of airport chicken. Nasty.  Not that either of us were hungry, we just ate for strength.

We go on the plane.  The flight was relatively full, we were sitting toward the very back of the plane - we checked the 4 bags that they would let us (stuff from the car) and carried on mom's pillows.  We sat isle & window leaving the pillows between us...so no one would be tempted to sit there.  No one did.  Thankfully.

After the plane took off, I layed across on my dad's lap.   He put his hand on my shoulder.  I cried silently.  I'm sure he did, too.  I needed a tissue.  I was starting to snot up the pillows.  I didn't want to wash away her smell.  So I got up to go to the lavatory in the back.  After dad let me pass, and I saw him sit back down - I could no longer hold it in.  I ran back and locked myself in the restroom where I spent the next few minutes convulsively crying.

I gathered myself enough to go back to sit with Dad and rest a bit.

We were the last ones off the airplane.  We had agreed to meet my siblings at the curb so as not to make a big deal at the baggage claim - and to give me & Dad a few minutes to get ready to face everyone else.

Of course, they didn't stick to the plan.  As we walked out passed the security - I could see Ammon standing as close as he could to the glass doors at the end of our corridor.  I tried to hold it in; to be strong for him, as the tears came to my eyes; I used all the neck muscles I had to keep the tears from falling, I turned to Dad to prepare him, "Ammon's here."  As I turned over to tell Dad that Ammon was there, I could see Pete, Mel & Vince through the glass hall separating us. They were walking along side us.

To embrace my siblings at the end of the flight was so painful.  To watch Dad and hear as he apologized to my siblings "I'm sorry I couldn't bring her home."  As I went down the line hugging each of my siblings, I noticed onlookers realizing what was going on as their smiles turned to heart ache for us. One lady grabbed the arm of the man beside her and put her forehead on his shoulder as if she understood the pain we were going through.

We picked up the bags and the ride back to Vince's was full of Dad explaining again everything that had happened just 27  hours earlier.  How he stood alone outside the accident cite as they tried to cut Mom out of the car.  Someone gave him a jacket, someone else gave him a blanket. 

We arrived at Vince's and Dad finished the story as we sat in the car in the garage.  We all then walked into Vince's house to find the rest of the family there.  I must not have been paying attention to the cars out front, I didn't expect to see everyone.  I thought it was just going to be us. Everyone was there.  We all hugged and cried and blew our noses...once we got settled in, Dad talked some more while they all gathered around.  I sat back from everyone just taking it all in.  I was already pretty emotionally spent after getting to Vegas and running around getting things taken care of there. I snapped this photo.

Pete gave dad a blessing.  It spoke of understanding the atonement and the Plan of Salvation. It was touching.