The unbearableness of waiting

This whole day has been about waiting.

Chick and I were up (she much earlier) and out (separately, as she was ready fast) to go to the lab for her bloodwork. She was there before the doors opened at 7, and there was already a line of at least 10 people. I caught up to her and we sat together and waited and waited for her to get called. It was after 8 before finally it was her turn.

Driving in to work, I got up on one of the main roads and immediately there were 3 stuffed lanes of traffic hardly moving. It took forever to go about a mile and then, as often happens, there suddenly was no more logjam and the cars just zoomed. Just one of those inexplicable gridlocks.

Work felt like the longest day EVER. Even though I got to see Sis in person after all this time (and man, did she have some story about the horror of her move from the Big A last week), there was no work to do and the time was going excrutiatingly slowly. I sent her home ‘early’, since I had been told last week that we were going to be let off early today (”Maybe 2!”) and I just was waiting it out. I put together end of year report, started working on a process workflow, responded to the 2 emails I received (not from kindergarteners), talked to a few folks who wandered by. I felt that the tick of each second of this day took at least an hour to get from the “t” to the “k”. Chick and I began instant messaging and she started telling me to come home around 1 — and stop at the grocery and get sparklers and cheese. (Aren’t we festive!).

I finally gave up about 10 after 4. I shut down and headed out.

The whole way from work to one of the Publix near us (there are 2) I held my cell phone in my hand so that I would not miss Chick’s call. She was supposed to hear from her bloodwork right after 3 o’clock. She was extrapolating that the delay in hearing was because all bad news is kept until the end of the day.

I bought many boxes of sparklers (they were on sale) and then trekked around the store looking for frozen fondue for the morrow — nada. There were so many people at the store that there were actually no carts, so I was using a little basket. I prefer carts because I can belt my purse into the kid seat and not kill myself hauling it around. With just the basket, my shoulder was really feeling the purse weight. I gave up on the frozen fondue search and picked up a bottle of wine and about 6 types of white cheeses to make fresh fondue. Then I couldn’t find French bread — I was feeling like such a LOSER, and knew that I was basically just not able to breathe because I wanted to hear from Chick’s test. Finally found the last loaf of French bread in the deli and checked out (having some excitement because my brain froze out my pin number on my card). The second I sat in the car I called Chick.

“Can’t talk! Helping Snowy get to bed!” and she rang off. No news.

When I got home, I encouraged Chick to call the clinic and find out what was going on while I finished helping Snowy.

Snowy was okay and then suddenly she wasn’t. As we ’skated’ together across her room she began to cry and apologize for being so much trouble. I hugged and reassured her, got her tucked in bed and said our prayers. She looked so sadly at me and said, “I don’t think I’m going to make it.” OH, stab to the heart to have her so sad. We hugged some more, yet she began sobbing and sobbing. I plopped down on her bed and rubbed her back and patted her and murmured to her to soothe her until she settled down. When I finally came out Chick was still trying to get answers.

She got through to the clinic and they told her they hadn’t received her test results yet. I helped her find a phone number for the lab, also pulling up that they close at 4 (this was now 4:59). We scrounged through the internet looking for some way to call and finally found a number for customer service in Tampa (!), and Chick got a human on the phone at last.

“Oh, yes, we can access your information. No we can’t tell it to you. Wait, we faxed this at 2:36…” NO, YOU DIDN’T! “Yes, we did; clinics always say we didn’t..” TRUST ME YOU DIDN’T FAX IT TO THE CLINIC “Well, yes we sent it to Dr. Hepatitis.” THAT IS NOT THE CLINIC- THAT IS NOT THE INFORMATION ON THE TEST REQUEST. YOU MUST FAX NOW TO THE CLINIC!!!!!!!! “Oh, okay. We will”

Chick immediately called the clinic and found out that they had been calling the lab, too, and were waiting by the fax machine.

And then we began to wait again. For awhile we stared into each other’s eyes. And then we didn’t. I was on one knee beside her where she had 2 phones in front of her (we didn’t know which number they would call). And waited and waited and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And.

Waited.

Then the phone rang. Chick answered, got a response, and then immediately burst into tears. She wiped tears away as she struggled to write down notes. A few more comments and she hung up and stared at me.

Then burst into tears again.

Then FINALLY told me what she found out: she’s still pregnant and she’s got GOOD NUMBERS. And right as she told me this, we looked out the window at the lake and there was a stork:

I think I get to relax for awhile and selfishly think this thought: I’m going to be a grandmother! Hey, I’ve got the hair for it now!

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!