Text sent from Huh mid-week last week:  I won’t be able to come home for spring break.  😦

Me:  Are you positive?

Huh:  Yeah.  😦  I’m too poor.

I had requested that she not drive that distance alone.  A twelve-hour drive for a 20-year-old young woman traveling alone makes this mom nervous.  None of Huh’s school friends live in our state, so none were coming our way.  She had briefly played around with the idea of buying a plane ticket, but discovered that she didn’t have the funds for that.

I struggled with the idea of buying her a plane ticket.  I wanted to see her for spring break, but I also want her to be independent and to learn how to deal with life’s disappointments.  She has a “loan” from us for her car that she is paying us monthly payments for, I could always just add the cost of the plane ticket to her loan.  Or, it could be a straight out “gift” from me, but that would open a can of worms.  Would she then want a plane ticket for spring break every year?  Would her siblings and step-siblings expect the same thing once they are at college?  I really did want to see my daughter, especially after the scare she had last week.  But, teaching her independence prevailed, and I kept my mouth shut about a plane ticket.  

Saturday, Hub and I were out running errands when I got a text from Huh asking if I was home.  I told her no but that we would be returning home after getting a bite to eat.  She replied that she needed me to check on something for her when I got home.  I thought maybe she was exploring the plane ticket idea again and had maybe found a pretty good rate.

As soon as Hub and I walked in the door the house phone rang.  “Mommeeee,” said Huh.  “I need you to check on something for me in your room.” 

” I know,” I said, tugging on my jacket sleeve to pull it off.  “We just barely walked in the door.  Is it something on the computer you want me to check?”

“Yeah.”

Again, thinking that maybe Huh had found a killer deal on a plane ticket, I walked into my room to get my laptop, and there sat Huh.  I gasped and Huh, along with Hoob and Yawlin who had followed me to my room, started laughing.  Of course I gave her a great big hug. 

It turns out that Huh’s step-mom was coming up for a wedding and so offered to ride with Huh.  The whole “I can’t come home for spring break” thing had all been part of her elaborate plan to surprise us.  And surprise us she did!  After dropping her step-mom off at where she would be staying Huh had parked her car at the Middle School across the street and had come into the house quietly through the garage.  The first “family member” to see her was the dog, who simply sniffed her leg and then wagged his tail in greeting.  She was able to make it up to my room without anyone at home seeing her. 

The first person she revealed her presence to was her little brother, Yawlin.  She could hear him playing in his room so she called his cell phone and told him the same thing she later told me, “I need you to check on something in Mom’s room.”  Yawlin’s reaction was similar to mine–a gasp and then a hug.  Huh then called Hoob and did the same thing to her.  Same reaction.  Next, the three siblings went downstairs and casually sat watching tv.  When Shroom walked in after taking a shower he stopped, said, “What the–?” and then leaped over the couch and tackled Huh in a big hug. 

I was the next person she showed herself to, and then she walked downstairs and into the kitchen where Hub was looking through cupboards for a snack.  “Oh!  Hello!” said Hub as he pulled her into a hug.  Juju looked up from the couch in the tv room and said, “What the heck?!”  She also came over to greet Huh.  The last person to see Huh was Mack, who came home later that evening from a day of babysitting.  We were all acting like we were watching tv, but really were too excited to see Mack’s reaction.  Mack did a double take when she saw Huh and then turned on the light to make sure she was seeing things correctly.

All in all I think Huh got the reactions she was hoping for. 

I’m glad she’s here.  And I’m glad I didn’t try to surprise her with a plane ticket!

I’ll be enjoying this week with my daughter. 🙂