Madam came home after being gone for over two weeks this time, and i swear duckie nearly lost his mind waiting for her.

i got to the airport early. way too early. pacing around like some anxious golden retriever pretending to be a functioning adult. every time the doors opened, i perked up like “is that her?!” probably embarrassing for everyone involved.

and then i saw her.

instantly, all that tension just melted out of me. i hurried over, took her bags, and i swear i think i was actually wagging my tail. if humans had visible tails, mine would have been knocking over small children and airport signage.

Madam just looked at me and laughed softly, which honestly made me even happier. she touched my cheek, called me her good duckie, and suddenly the whole world felt right again.

it is strange how much you can miss someone when your entire rhythm revolves around them. the house feels different without her. quieter. flatter somehow. i can manage things, keep everything running, handle responsibilities, but it never feels fully alive until she walks back through the door.

the ride home was wonderful too. just hearing her voice again in person, telling me stories about the trip, listening to her tease me about how excited i looked. apparently i had “desperate puppy energy.”

accurate.

the best part was later that night though. after unpacking her things, after getting her settled, after finally slowing down, she pulled me close and told me she missed me too.

and wow.

that one sentence probably powered this duckie for the next month.