It was easier to say good bye than I (Nate) thought it would be. I dont know why. Maybe it is because when the judge asked Oleg who we were in court he didn’t say “I don’t know”, he didn’t even say “Nate and Katie”, he said “they are my parents”. Maybe it is because after court we had enough seats in the taxi but Oleg made me sit by the window so he could sit on my lap. Maybe it is because at the orphanage when we were actually saying goodbye, Oleg was sure of himself and we knew he trusted us to come back for him. That doesn’t make it easy, just easier.
Over the last 3.5 weeks Katie and I have gotten to know an extremely silly, very curious, tickle machine who gets wrapped up in whatever he does (from taking care of snails to training to be a circus gymnast) and it has been better than we hoped. He calls me “Pop” and likes to have us try all of his food. He sits under my arm most mornings as we read the bible together. He cuddles with his Mama and me watching some movie that is jibberish to at least one of us. I am going to miss him like crazy. I miss him already.
It feels like the end of John Q where Denzel, for the first time in the movie says “Goodbye”, and his son shoots back, “it’s not goodbye… I’ll see you later.”
See you soon, son.
