Finally! It's Graduation Day!

     For 86 days, April 24, 2015 was the day I had counted down to and anticipated. Finally the day arrived and my excitement was definitely showing with the smile of my bright, pink lips from ear to ear.  I was sitting in the front seat of the Tahoe while my mom pulled onto the base and drove down the straight road with nothing but swamps surrounding it. Parris Island was actually beautiful, full of trees hanging with Spanish moss.   At this point I had been with Hunter for one year and two months, so nervousness was not normal for me to be feeling. But that day, I could feel it in my stomach.
      Finally, we came upon two Marines standing in the middle of the road with machine guns wanting to see my mom's driver's  license, proof that we own the vehicle, and proof that we have insurance on the vehicle. Kinda strange right? We handed the Marine, that looked like he was 16 years old just like me, our papers. He checked them and gave us a pass onto the base. We parked and started walking toward the gate that led onto the parade deck when we hear someone yelling my name. It was Hunter's mom. We waited for her and we walked in together. Once again we were being checked from head to toe. My mom and Hunter's mom walked straight through the metal detector with no problems but when it was my turn to just simply go through, the machine went off. The man looked at me and told me to go back and walk through again just to hear the detector go off again. At this point I was getting frustrated. I didn't even have any metal on. The man asked me to take my purse off and lay it on a table and he then proceeded to check me when I noticed little metal buttons on my denim jacket. I took the jacket off and walked through the detector. This time without setting off the sound.
     I sat in the area of the bleachers assigned for the friends and families of the platoon 3025. We sat down and not long after,  a little band, made of maybe three trumpets and a couple of flutes, marched out being led by a very, tiny guy with a sword. The band marched out to the middle of the floor and played "God Bless America" while the new Marines marched out and got to their spots. I could see Hunter, second from the left, third one back. I watched impatiently while the Marines marched around the parade deck and told about the creation of the Marines during the Revolutionary War. Then finally, for the first time in 13 weeks, the Drill Instructors dismissed the newly graduated Marines.
      The Marines were jumping and running everywhere and the friends and family were rushing onto the platform. I couldn't wait to run up to Hunter and give him the biggest hug, that I had waited to do since January. He was nowhere to be found. His dad said that he saw a couple of guys run back towards the Barracks. I thought to myself, "It couldn't have been Hunter. All he has written about is how he couldn't wait to see me after graduation." I stood there in my brand new "Lilly Pulitzer" dress in a daze. Ten minutes after standing there my phone went off and it was a text from Hunter wanting to know where I was. I replied, "Where am I?? I am standing here looking for you!" He said that he went to his room to get his stuff so that he could find me and get off Parris Island. When I finally found him he was standing on the parade deck beside a little set of bleachers looking right at me.
     I walked up to him and hugged him. he hugged me back and for a while I didn't think he was going to let go. This was it. The moment I had been longing for. Of course 500 pictures had to be taken.  All the  problems that had happened throughout the week and that day disappeared.  It had been extremely stressful, but it was a definitely a day I would never take back! And now let's go to Hilton Head Beach for the weekend! (Oh! By the way! My dad was released from the hospital during the graduation and was on his was way to South Carolina!)

Graduation Week

     Twelve weeks down and now only one to go! Eighty days down and now only seven to go. Out of all the feelings I had been having during this journey a feeling came over me that I had not felt in a long time... Excitement! The now "Marines" get a phone call on the last Sunday before graduation. The letter I received said I would get the long-awaited phone call between the hours of one and four. I had my phone beside me all day constantly waiting for the call from Hunter and to hear his voice for the first time in twelve weeks. Patiently waiting turned into not so patiently waiting. At 3:40, twenty minutes before the closing time, I received a phone call from an unknown number in Beaufort, South Carolina.

     I answered with a soft "Hello" with nervousness taking over me. He answered back with, "Maggie, its Hunter." I knew who he was though. He only had five minutes to say what he wanted to say. I froze. He was in the middle of telling me that he was finally done and that he could not wait to see me in only four more days. The only thing I said was, "Hunter, do you have hair?" He chuckled and said, "Yes. I have hair." He said he had to go that people were behind him waiting in line to use the phone. "I will see you Thursday. I miss and love you so much!" It was not much but I loved every second of it.

     Tuesday. Two days until I see Hunter for the first time eighty-six days and one day until me, my mom, dad, and brother leave for South Carolina. I was at track practice excitedly telling my teammates that I was leaving the following day to finally see Hunter when I get an unexpected phone call from my mom. My Dad was being rushed to the emergency room from work. He had a heart attack. I immediately left practice and rushed to the emergency room. My dad was doing fine by the time my mom and I arrived at the hospital. The doctor's ran the tests and said everything seemed okay and that he could be released Friday afternoon. My heart sank. That was the day of graduation. I definitely did not want to miss that but I definitely was not leaving my dad in a hospital bed. 

     Thursday. I was supposed to be at Parris Island right then getting ready to watch the "Motivational Run" but instead I was sitting with my dad in Holston Valley Hospital. Around 11:00 I received a call from Hunter. He understood why I was not there and to tell dad that he was praying for him. I assured him I would be at the graduation. Late Thursday night my brother showed up to stay with Dad over night and check him out in the morning. My mom and I took off to hurry and make it to Parris Island. We drove for what felt like an eternity because  I was so excited to see him. 

    Friday. I woke up in a hotel and drove five minutes until I saw the sign that said "Parris Island, South Carolina. We Make Marines." I was so excited. I had finally made it. The sign I have been wanting to see since January. "Now, where is Hunter?" I thought.