She Returns

She has been away at girl's camp. 5 days.
I have missed her presence.
While she was gone, I still laid out a dinner plate for her each night. Out of habit.
It felt strange falling asleep knowing she was elsewhere.

For 5 days, she had fun. She ate and laughed and built her testimony.
My days remained routine. But yet, they felt off balance. One person short.

I pick her up and she smells like the out of doors.
She states she is tired, but she rolls on and on with stories and songs.
Giggling in between.
I look at her and take her in.
I watch her wild hand motions and the drama she adds to each story.
And I realize, in the singular space there in the car, just how much she has grown. Just how much I missed her. Just how much she is a part of me.