And then the Wheatley's Moved

Our neighbors/landlords/best friends/object of much stalking moved.  To Montana.  To say it's been sad is an understatement.  

Friday night, Derick had a final sleepover at our house.

 Monday Rex came home from school, crawled under a desk and just cried.  And I couldn't blame him.  I suggested that he use a homework pass and spend the rest of the day playing with Derick.  I dragged him home that night at 7:30.  The Wheatley's pulled out and started the long drive to Montana at 1:30 Tuesday afternoon.

 We still spent a lot of time at the Wheatley's.  We just kind of gravitate to their house whenever we go outside.  We just end up there.  We don't mean to but all of a sudden here we are at the Wheatley's.  The day after they moved Zora, Henry and I found ourselves riding bikes in their driveway and Henry went to the door and knocked, declaring that he was hungry and was going to get a snack.  Zora checked all of their one million outside doors trying to get in.

It's just a lot of emptiness here without them.  I ran out of brown sugar today and had no one to ask to borrow some.  I got sick last week so Greg had to take a day off to watch the kids, when I normally would have sent them to Becky's.  It snowed this week and we had to sled by ourselves. 

Life goes on, obviously, but the Wheatley's were my family here.  Becky was a mom and a sister and a best friend all rolled up into one.  Her children were like my children, however much they resent that.  I just love them.

Rex and I talked about how we can choose not to be sad but rather be excited and happy for the Wheatley's in their new adventure.  They've had a rough few years trying to get their kids into decent schools and a job with semi-normal hours for Erik and and and...I'm only just now learning of half the stuff Becky was dealing with.  She is always too concerned about others to worry about talking about herself.  So I'm glad they're getting away.  I'm happy that the school is less than a mile from their house so Becky isn't driving 4 hours a day taking kids to and from school.  I'm happy that Derick gets 3 recesses and that all the girls at school think Sam is so cute. 

But I'm lonely.  I miss Becky.  I miss Derick.  I miss Caleb, and Eric and Parker and even Sam, who,  even as they were leaving, couldn't lie enough to say he liked me.  Every night since we've moved here, I've looked out my bedroom window as I get into bed and just checked on the Wheatley's house.  They used to have a yellow door bell that I'd just stare at it like the green light in The Great Gatsby, only in a less jealous way and a more, that yellow door bell is assuring--Becky is right there if I need anything.  I still check on their house every night as I get in bed, but now it's just black.  All the lights are off.  There's nothing to see.  The door bell's been replaced.  Their house is gone--invisible in the night. 

I'm about to check airline tickets for Billings, Montana.  It's just so lonely without the Wheatley's.