Well, it happened. Our baby moved out. It’s been a week now since Domenica (that’s my wife … and Carla’s mom) packed up our cars and made like a "caravan" all the way to Fitchburg, MA a long hour and twelve minutes away. We followed Carla (she’s our baby), through a downpour, and even though it was an early Saturday morning, the heavy rain made it a long, slow ride. Carla knew the way there … We didn’t. We got to see the rear of her car the whole entire ride as we talked about how much we were going to miss her. After she was all moved in and we said our teary "so-longs" … all we got to see, while we reluctantly drove away, was the great big dormitory she’ll be calling home for awhile as it gradually disappeared in the rear view mirror.

As soon as we returned home and walked in the door we could sense the difference. Cookie (that’s our dog) looked as sad as we were. I think she was a bit jealous. Cookie was there in the room with us when we (Domenica and I and Carla’s older twin sisters) presented Carla with "Rufus" as sort of a "parting" gift. You see, "Rufus" is Carla’s lifelong "stuffed" companion who we cleaned up and dressed in the Fitchburg State colors. Rufus, wearing the "Big F" that Domenica sewed on his sweater was all ready to flop on Carla’s dormitory bed for the first of eight semesters. Cookie was Carla’s living "un-stuffed" sleeping companion who now mopes at the foot of my bed at night. (I’m sure my feet smell a bit different than she’s used to.) Anyway … during the little "Rufus" ceremony … Cookie was teary-eyed too.

This was "music" to my ears. It’s a week since she’s been at school and she couldn’t wait to head back home this weekend (She misses us too!). Carla had to keep an appointment on Saturday with her orthodontist. (Now I’m really happy we spent the money.) We also have a wedding to attend on Sunday, together, as a family. Carla will be leaving shortly afterwards to return to school. When she arrived, it was almost as if she had never left. "Dad … I’m going out. See you later!" … and out the door she went. That was Friday. On Saturday I saw her for a few minutes here and there. Saturday night I took care of the bundle of laundry that accompanied her back home. She had no laundry detergent, she said. Bring it every weekend, I said.

While she was away that first week, I found myself in her room. Her phone was in its cradle. Her bed was neatly made. The sunlight was shining in through her windows. "Rufus" was plainly missing. There was no dirty laundry strewn about the room. It only took a couple of minutes standing there before my vision blurred and my cheeks were watered. I missed her terribly. (Hold on … I need a tissue.) Okay, I’m back. Where was I? … Oh yeah … I was explaining the similarities of Carla’s empty room and my heart. Today, Carla said to Domenica … "Mom, I really don’t look forward to driving home to Fitchburg after the wedding."