The Backpack

I went back in time this morning briefly. Ryan left the house to drop Owen off at Oma's and then make his way to work. I continued to get myself ready for work. My phone rang and it was Ryan. He typically doesn't call soon after he leaves so immediately, I'm thinking the worse.

"I forgot my backpack. I'll be there in two seconds to grab it. Can you bring it to the front door me?" A sigh of relief overcame my paranoid self. I ran downstairs and grabbed his black backpack. I waited by the door and handed it to him as he ran up the stairs. I chuckled. "What are you laughing at?" He asked. "Oh, nothing," I said. He rolled his eyes and gave me a kiss goodbye.

After he left I thought about that backpack and the whole seven years it's been with us. In fact it was there at the start of our relationship in high school when we first started "seeing" each other. It was like a souvenir from our past. Ryan and I hung out after classes often. We'd either go to his house for sandwiches or stop by Hometown Hero's for garbage plates. It never failed he always left his backpack in the back of my car. There were countless autumn nights that he would come to my house to pick up his backpack or I would end up turning around in my car to bring his backpack back to him.

Before we made it official, Ryan had this crazy ex that he was trying to ward off. Late one school night I found Ryan's backpack in the back of my car. I decided to bring it to him the following day at school before our first class started. I remember walking down the hall filled with students and lockers while carrying Ryan's backpack. Then she spotted me, the ex. She looked right at Ryan's backpack then right at me. I paused. She started Running full speed in her biker and plaid school girl skirt after me.

I ran the opposite direction. "WHY DO YOU HAVE MY BOYFRIEND'S BACKPACK, YOU SLUT!" She screamed. I didn't stop. My goal was Ryan. Maybe he could stop the bitch. I ran up the stairs to find Ryan waiting at the top. At first he smiled. Then he saw her and his face froze over. "SHE'S AFTER ME BECAUSE I HAVE YOUR BACKPACK!" I yelled as I was almost out of breath. Needless to say, no one was injured but there was a lot of screaming and yelling. Ryan got his backpack safe and sound.

That backpack has been there with us from the million times we have moved, to our summer vacations on Kiawah Island, throughout Ryan's career in the Marine Corps, from our hospital stay when Owen was born. It's always remained constant, just like our love for one another.

So when Ryan forgot his backpack this morning, I had a good laugh and reminisced the beginning of "us" and how far we have come and how much we have to look forward too. I texted Ryan after he left about my revelation. He texted back "I love you and for the record I wasn't forgetting the bag."