Hate the End Call Button

About once a week or 10 days I get to talk to Stephen on Skype. We spend a few minutes getting organized, he hooks up the microphone and camera, I make sure my hair isn't a mess. He calls at the prearranged time (give or take an hour). Times are prearranged by instant messages to one another over Skype that aren't really instant at all. They are actually a serious of post its left for one another when the other is at work or asleep or doing something other than sitting at the computer. Every few days we have a real time instant message back and forth for a few minutes. But these Skpe chats are what I am so thankful for. I know that those who've gone before him didn't have this luxury and I truly am grateful that we do.

We laugh, we talk, he gets the pleasure of seeing me yell at the cat for getting into things and then biting me when I make her stop. (She has some attention issues. It happens to a lot of children when one parent deploys and the one remaining gives them extra attention and then takes it back when the deployed parent is back in the picture.) Anyway, we talk about work and life and people and things. We say things that we're familiar with that make us "us". Little inside jokes and stuff. It's really nice. And I do fine.

And then it happens. I see him look down at the bottom of the screen. I know he's looking at the computer clock. I know the "okay...well" that comes next. He usually starts a few minutes before he REALLY has to go so that there is time for "oh, one more thing. Forgot to tell you. Did you get that email?" last minute things.

Then a lot of I love yous, I miss yous and "mwah!"s. Then it's time. One of us has to click the End Call button. It's usually me because he's having some kind of computer issue, but tonight it was him. Once the clicker of the dreaded button is determined, he or I put the mouse on it and make it obvious this is the last couple of exchanges and then it's clicked. The Skype End Call Sound is made. Boo-a-woop.

And then I cry.