Thinking about the trip, Ted was super excited. These were the kinds of experiences he lived for: live, in-the-trenches service opportunities where he got to be eye-to-eye with people who were really suffering. He didn’t know how long he would be gone or what exactly would happen, but he knew that they would make a difference.
Although the truck ended up being ready by the end of the day, he knew he couldn’t leave his family without saying goodbye so he prepared himself for another violent exit as he went home to break the news.
Despite what her Mom had said about Dad, Jordan was terribly distressed and disappointed with the news that he was going to New York. Besides being afraid that there might be another attack, she also simply missed her dad! The fact that her mom had been increasingly present in her life over the past few days since 9/11 had brought that out all the more.
Ted had come home on Wednesday evening all smiles and puppy-dogs acting like nothing ever happened (Of course the younger two girls were none-the-wiser). Jordan overheard him from her bedroom playing with her sisters before their bedtime and then telling stories in the living room. Part of that process was to tell them about his coming ‘work trip’ to begin the following morning. They took it in stride.