It has been three years now since I’ve last seen his face. I miss the rugged line of his jaw and the soft rounded outline of his deep brown eyes. The last time I saw him; those deep brown eyes were filled with tears. I hold our daughter close to my chest as we wait. I take a deep breath and inhale the scent of her auburn curls. She got those from her father. Her father hasn’t seen her yet. She was born right after he left. She is now wiggling in my arms. She doesn’t understand why we are here in this strange place.

“Stay still honey, just be patient for me please,” I whisper. She notices the change in my voice and turns to look at me. She sees the tears in my eyes and looks at me with concern on her face as she wipes my cheeks with her little fingers.

“It’s okay baby, I’m fine,” I try to reassure her. She looks back toward the other people waiting with us. They are all here for the same reason I am. We are packed into this tiny airport all for the same reason. They are coming home.

All of a sudden commotion erupts as the doors open. My mother reaches out to take my daughter from me. My arms are shaking and numb. My mother can see that, she always is there for me. I try to stay calm as people are rushing past me to find their loved ones. I remain still and wait.

The area is pretty much cleared as we stand and wait. Panic sets in as I realize everyone is already off the plane. ‘Where is he?’ I ask myself. Then I see him. He is coming towards us with a slight limp in his left leg. My eyes blur and I can’t see anything as I am running towards him. When we embrace, his strong arms surround me and I know that nothing could ever ruin this moment. We stay like this for a long time. Our tears are colliding as we cry together. He then releases me and takes our daughter from my mother. He looks at her for a long time. She then reaches out and touches his face as if she understands who he is.

“Daddy?” she asks him.

“Yes honey, it’s me.” he answers. She grabs him around the neck and hugs him with all of her strength. “I love you daddy” she whispers.

“I love you too” he manages to say through the tears. Then he looks at me and we know from that moment on that everything will be okay.