April 2, 2010

It's a date that will forever be etched in my brain.  The day that changed the course of my life permanently.  As the date approached, Dave and I would comment on how a year could feel like a day. 

After work on this day a year ago I did some chores around the house, then Dave and I met Emily for an appetizer before she started work.  She wanted to talk about school.  She had been struggling with her choice of major, and was contemplating taking off a semester to live with Curits and Katie for a few months in Hawaii.  What a great adventure for her, and today she had made her final decision to do it, pending Curtis' approval.  We also talked about our family trip to Hawaii once Curtis returned home, we had booked the plane tickets only the night before.

After leaving Emily, we stopped for a couple of movies, ready for a quiet evening at home.  A few minutes after getting home, Dave stepped out on the deck to call our dog back in, we were in the middle of a conversation, and when he stopped talking abruptly, I looked to see what was wrong.  There he stood with his hand reaching out in a look of questioning.  My first thought is that someone he hadn't seen in a long time had unexpectedly stopped by.  That is when I saw the heads of two Marines walk in front the the deck.  I knew instantly that this couldn't be good.   I don't recall the words they used to inform us of our sons death, I didn't need words to know he was gone.  I sat on the bench inside the door for a long time with my head in my hands, willing them to go away, wanting them to be wrong.  I was in shock, tears didn't even come.

I couldn't tell you how much time had passed, but my first true thought was of Emily.  We needed to inform her before anyone else.  I needed to get to her RIGHT NOW!  After calming me down and getting the information, we got into that infamous black suburban with three Marines, the two informants and the driver, to tell Emily the devastating news.  As her manager walked with her up to the front entrance, I could see Emily smiling and joking with her, my only thought was that I was going to give her news that is going to take that sparkle from her.

Back home we made phone calls to family members, and discovered that the Marine that was in Indiana to inform Katie was having difficulty locating her.  Emily called  to ask her to go home.  Katie instantly became alarmed by such a request, we were told not to tell her, but she was far from her fathers house and in a panic, asking us if Curtis was OK.  I couldn't take it anymore, and after confirming she wasn't alone, and wasn't driving, I was the one to inform her of Curtis' death.  This was not protocol, but it was the right thing to do.  Thankfully, she was home for the Easter holiday and was with family and friends. 

One more task before the Marines left for the evening, was to get some basic information from us because we were to head to Dover to witness the dignified transfer, to receive our son home from Afghanistan.  How strange to be informed of this news, and then to leave family and friends, our support, to travel.

It amazes me how fast news travels, within hours our house was full of people.  There were stories of Curtis, some I had never heard, lots of tears, yet plenty of laughter, he was a funny kid. 

So begins the story of this new life.