Love Comes Home
My heart stopped the moment I saw her beaming face as she sprinted down the hallway of the airport to meet her new family. In an instant, my world was changed forever. It was the end of July 2014 and we had spent countless hours decorating the spare bedroom of my aunt and uncle’s home with a handmade quilt, dozens of stuffed animals, and a whole new wardrobe. The room was filled with anything an 8 year old girl could ever want. The long wait was finally over and tomorrow, July 25, my aunt, uncle, and cousin would begin their journey across the world to bring home the newest member of the Ashley family, Cai Faith Ashley. As we put the final touches on her room, the reality finally set in that after a year of waiting …show more content…
We said our goodbyes as they boarded the first of many flights on their journey to get their new daughter from China. Four days later, as we were eating dinner, we were interrupted by the ding of a cell phone. We knew that was the day Aunt Amy and Uncle Ken would see Cai for the first time, so, of course, we bolted to the phone hoping to hear from them. When we opened the text message, we were thrilled to see a picture of the beautiful smiling face of my new little cousin united with her new family. They informed us that all was well and that after several days of paper work and other formalities, they would be leaving to come home with their little ray of sunshine. Anticipation was eating away at us; we could not wait for our family to be …show more content…
We were not the only ones to make that trip; several friends and family members joined us with balloons, gifts and a “welcome home” sign. Our eyes were glued to the screen in the lobby waiting for the word “ARRIVED” to light up. After what felt like an eternity, the sign blaringly announced in bright green words “ARRIVED”. Moments later, my mother exclaimed, “There she is!” All eyes shifted to the beautiful Chinese girl skipping down the hallway with the biggest smile on her face. The door that separated us was opened and we were united at last. As Cai scanned the room filled with people she did not know, the sweetest grin spread across her face. She politely greeted everyone with a hug. When it was finally my turn, her squinty brown eyes looked up at me and she yelled, “Kelsey!” Joy filled my heart as her little arms wrapped around my neck in the biggest, yet smallest, bear hug of my life. Through numerous FaceTime calls and shared photographs, Cai was able to recognize me. I never imagined I could instantly love someone so much when I had only known them for a matter of minutes. It was truly love at first
My heart stopped the moment I saw her beaming face as she sprinted down the hallway of the airport to meet her new family. In an instant, my world was changed forever. It was the end of July 2014 and we had spent countless hours decorating the spare bedroom of my aunt and uncle’s home with a handmade quilt, dozens of stuffed animals, and a whole new wardrobe. The room was filled with anything an 8 year old girl could ever want. The long wait was finally over and tomorrow, July 25, my aunt, uncle, and cousin would begin their journey across the world to bring home the newest member of the Ashley family, Cai Faith Ashley. As we put the final touches on her room, the reality finally set in that after a year of waiting …show more content…
We said our goodbyes as they boarded the first of many flights on their journey to get their new daughter from China. Four days later, as we were eating dinner, we were interrupted by the ding of a cell phone. We knew that was the day Aunt Amy and Uncle Ken would see Cai for the first time, so, of course, we bolted to the phone hoping to hear from them. When we opened the text message, we were thrilled to see a picture of the beautiful smiling face of my new little cousin united with her new family. They informed us that all was well and that after several days of paper work and other formalities, they would be leaving to come home with their little ray of sunshine. Anticipation was eating away at us; we could not wait for our family to be …show more content…
We were not the only ones to make that trip; several friends and family members joined us with balloons, gifts and a “welcome home” sign. Our eyes were glued to the screen in the lobby waiting for the word “ARRIVED” to light up. After what felt like an eternity, the sign blaringly announced in bright green words “ARRIVED”. Moments later, my mother exclaimed, “There she is!” All eyes shifted to the beautiful Chinese girl skipping down the hallway with the biggest smile on her face. The door that separated us was opened and we were united at last. As Cai scanned the room filled with people she did not know, the sweetest grin spread across her face. She politely greeted everyone with a hug. When it was finally my turn, her squinty brown eyes looked up at me and she yelled, “Kelsey!” Joy filled my heart as her little arms wrapped around my neck in the biggest, yet smallest, bear hug of my life. Through numerous FaceTime calls and shared photographs, Cai was able to recognize me. I never imagined I could instantly love someone so much when I had only known them for a matter of minutes. It was truly love at first