A Full House

After quarantining and testing, Big Cuter and his entourage drove straight through from San Francisco to Tucson, stopping only for gas, drive through In-And-Out burgers, and bathroom breaks wearing N-95 masks and sanitizing themselves before, during and after every intersection with other humans.  Once they arrived, there was no hugging until showers were taken and clothes changed.

This is what over the river and through the woods means in 2020.

Big Cuter lives in a studio apartment, separated by a one mile uphill trek from Queen T's studio apartment.  They've been in their own quarantine bubble since March, observing San Francisco's strict guidelines, as are most of their neighbors.  After months of living in boxes, they wondered if we would mind if they spent the holidays with us.  

That's all the holidays. 

They arrived the weekend before Thanksgiving and are leaving the weekend after New Year's.  Seven weeks of company in a house that has held but two souls for eight months.  We were accustomed to the silence, to infrequent comings and goings.  We'd reached a balance of exercise and eating and Facetime with the grandkids that got us through, day after day, month after month.  Suddenly, doors are opening and coffee is brewing and there are so many more opportunities for hugs.

That's the strangest part - all the hugs.

I'd forgotten how my son's arms and chest feel as he lifts my feet off the floor for the world's strongest hug.  Touching someone else took some getting used to, I will admit.  I have Covid 19 Stranger Danger and that extended to my extended stay house guests.  I'm breathing easier now that we are into Week 3.

It helps that we are all mask wearers and science believers.  It is wonderful that Queen T will eat salmon anytime I make it.  The astounding fact that my son has become an excellent cook makes me smile 6 nights out of 7.  

It was a while before I stopped feeling guilty about having them here.  It was the safest way to travel, and we all took every precaution, but it was more of a risk than we had taken since they made the same trek for 4th of July.  We were nervous then, too.  

But living in a box puts stress on the body that those of us with more than one room to roam can only imagine.  Seeing the same four walls, eight if you count the bathroom, day after day after day, being unable to go out because wildfires have turned your sunny California skies into murky, death dealing sludge just added to the pain.  The combination of the two helped us justify their summertime trip.

It was the emotional pull of the holidays and the confidence that they could make the trip unscathed that allowed us to say yes again.  I still feel vaguely guilty, but am trying not to let it ruin my days.  Seeing him here without his sister and her brood is ......

There are no words.

It's a full house with a large hole, but a hole that will be filled with love and laughter and relief and joy if we can all just hold out a little longer.