Hubcaps, Tears, & Keys

With literally only about 12 hours left in the grand state of texas....I found myself sobbing uncontrollably into the shoulder of a strange woman with Riley looking on. Strange, you say? Yes, yes it was.

Riley and I were headed out to a nearby neighborhood to take some more senior pictures and I had just turned onto a street. Suddenly, a bunny darted across the road in front of us. It startled me, but I kept going, because, c'mon, it was a bunny. But then, THEN, I saw the dog out of the corner of my eye....and before I could blink or think or anything, BOOM....dog runs into the side of the van!

I slam the van into park and jump out, already shaking and beginning to cry. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" I was sure I had just killed their dog. The dad told me I was fine and ran into the house after the dog. (Who, obviously was not dead, just scared out of its mind.) I was left standing in front of a 5 year old, seemingly extremely interested in watching me have an emotinal break down. Apparently he didn't realize I could've ruined his childhood forever by ending his dog's life in front of his very eyes. Instead he says, "It's ok, people can fix your van." I had no idea what he was talking about until he runs up the block and comes back carrying our hubcap! "Here you go!"

Then the mom came out and I apologized about a billion times more while STILL crying and she calls me hunny and tells me it's ok and gives me a big hug. Embarrasing? Ridiculous? Traumatizing? All.of.the.above.

We get back in the van and drive to the corner where I have to pull over BECAUSE I AM STILL CRYING (am I pathetic or what??). Oh, but by this time I am also laughing until I can't breathe, because the whole thing is just bizarre. So there I am, my forehead pressed against the steering wheel with tears streaming down my face, while Riley about pees her pants laughing at me in the front seat...

We go ahead and take some senior pictures, down on the side of a golf course, a nice little area with ankle deep grass and surrounded by trees. The sun is just minutes away from setting as we start to head out when I realize....Where are the keys? As in the where are the only set of van keys the Brandons own?? Where are the keys I so intelligently stuck in my waist band because I have no pockets???

And so I found myself on my hands and knees, combing the grass with my fingers, once again crying, thinking "George is going to kill me" and "Nothing happens the whole time I'm here, and in the last 12 hours, all this has to happen." The sun sets and Riley goes to recruit some friends who live in the area, coming back with flashlights, and an annoyingly optimistic attitude. I, on the other hand, was convinced, we would never find the keys, and I would leave texas with the Brandons hating me.

After an hour of looking, with no luck, Riley finally calls her mom. But right before the dreaded words leave her mouth, Michelle, the friend, shouts, "Here they are!" And there they were, sitting so nicely on the green. "I LOVE YOU!" I shout and throw her into a huge hug.

Then we went home and Riley re enacted the whole horrible evening for her parents, who enjoyed it tremendously. I'm sure it wouldn't have been so funny if we hadn't found those keys!!