time out

Here’s a tricky bit. Maigen may have to leave the country for a while. Her six months are up. She doesn’t have to go forever (it’ll just feel that way), but she does have to go.

Missing her will be the hardest part, obviously. But we’ve also got all sorts of plans. Engagement brunch in a couple weeks. A wedding to attend just a few weeks later not to mention the staggettetttetete thing she’ll miss: Lola’s Lovely Ladies Luauwow.

It’s been a long day. It started out beautifully because we woke up together and took our time doing it. I took a few pictures from our window of a hundred people on the beach practicing karate drills. Breakfast was apple crisp with vanilla ice cream because that’s what we felt like. We watched a video and showered in plenty of time to mosey down to the jewelers to pick up her ring. While Maigen was fixing her hair I took a call from a good friend who knows someone in immigration. I’d asked her to look into our situation and make sure we knew what we were doing. We do, sorta. We just didn’t realize how short time was. In order to keep the good will of the country she calls home she absolutely has to leave within six months of arriving. January 27 is day number last.

Ugh.

Maigen was pretty upset to hear this. To say the least. Me too.

Time was running short to pick up the ring as well so we had to hustle out the door. The walk was surreal. She barely remembers it. We made it to the shop with five minutes to spare by my watch, but their gates were rolled down. This wasn’t really what we needed to see right then.

With a ragged edge to her voice Maigen told the clerks inside they were supposed to be open. They said they were sorry and she’d have to come back first thing in the morning. That was about it for her. She’s a force of nature, that girl is, but everyone has their limits. She burst into tears, “I don’t want to come back first thing in the fucking morning!”

The clerks reconsidered their unhelpful attitude and after some ID and receipts traveled under the gate she had her engagement ring back where it belonged. A small but vital victory.

Plans for going out this evening were shelved with barely a need for discussion. We came home and holed up for some quality time. On Monday were going to try to get some more information. Find out what the consequences are if she stays long enough, for example, to make it to her engagement brunch. Find out what our options are, where we stand, who we need to be talking to and what the actual questions are.

It’s going to be a rough week, I think, but we don’t plan on dwelling or on missing each other until we have to. There’s always a silver lining and there will be one here as well.