Late Night Phone Call:

I was sitting in the airport terminal at my gate, waiting for them to finally begin boarding my already delayed red-eye flight to Florida when my phone rings. Receiving a call from Michael. My first thought is that something is wrong--why else would he be calling me? I answer and Michael says, "Carolyn? You haven't left yet? Scotty won American Idol!!"

I've been pulling for Scotty ever since the poor, tasteless people of America voted off Casey. So I was happy to hear the good news. But I was, by far, way happier that Michael--who hates talking on the phone (and will do just about anything to get out of having to make a phone call) had called me of his own initiative.

I hung up thinking, "I am officially family." Not immediate family, of course. Those are sacred boundaries that I would never want to traverse. But family--comfortable-be-yourself-seen-the-best-and-the-worst-of-you family.

I like it.