To even out the mass amount of negativity in the thread I created I figured I'd post here in more detail the better part of my trip.

The plane ride (well, rides, I had a connecting flight from Memphis) wasn't as awful as I thought it was going to be. I almost missed my connecting flight because we got in 30 minutes before the flight was scheduled to leave so I ran through the airport and made it just barely, they'd been about to close the gate. I got in Orlando about a half hour early, took a cab to my hotel and took a small nap after getting settled. After a bite to eat at a TGI Friday's down the street I waited for Hattie to get off work. He had told me the day before he'd see about getting off early, but wasn't optimistic about it so I didn't really entertain the thought. Around 6pm my phone rang and I answered. "So, where are you?" "I'm at the hotel. Where else would I be?" "Funny, so am I." Without further word he hung up on me and I heard a group of people pass in the hall before there was a knock at my door.

I let him in and wordlessly he breezed past, set his things down and made a remark about the room being small and shut off the A/C unit with the complaint of being cold. There were two small beds in the room, one had my carry on bag and purse laying on it and the other I'd messed up when napping, I was leaning on the former when he finally came over and pulled me into a hug that pulled me off my feet and nearly cracked my ribs. After dangling like an idiot for a bit he let me go and smiled, saying it was good to see me. He then occupied himself by trying to hook up his ps3 so we could watch movies and game, but the TV was bolted on top the closet at a bad angle and after helping him untangle all the wires he packed, he gave up. I hadn't said much out of minor nerves but he seemed alright with that. We hugged, hit each other with pillows, and talked about my flight. Eventually we just laid on the bed I'd messed up together, curled into one another and watched television, he now and again messing up my hair just for fun. Somewhere in the fray we finally kissed and he laughed at me afterward, pointing out that I was shaking violently. I gave him the gifts I brought (books, CD, dog tag, Valentine's Day card, etc) and the muffins I promised him a year ago when we began dating. We called it an early night and I learned the hard way he snores like a lion.

The next day we slept in, or rather he did. I woke up early and just watched him sleep, messing with him whenever he snored too loudly. After he woke up we watched some television and beat each other with pillows again until he kissed me, laughing when I didn't know what to do. I told him I'd never been kissed before so we spent a few minutes with him teaching me how to kiss. Things became heated and before I knew it we were tangled up in each other. It didn't last long as we got worked up and tried being intimate but when he broke my hymen I got blood everywhere and he lost his vigor in concern (he's never been with a virgin and didn't know what to expect) and almost carried me to the bathroom so I could clean up, asking me if I was OK, if he hurt me, so on. After that we basically stuck to kissing and cuddling, I think he was scared of making me bleed again. We ordered in food, which he paid for, and watched Braveheart on TV, basically making fun of it and laughing too loud. It was around 1 am that we finally fell asleep after he spent an hour messing with my hair and pulling at my pigtails.

Thursday we again did nothing and around noon I actually ended up falling asleep curled up against his side while he watched House on TV. Our leftovers were eaten and we brainstormed for a while on some writing ideas before giving up as we were both so braindead. Toward evening he laid down, clutching his chest and grunting, complaining of pains in his heart and a pain in his right ribs, saying they felt broken or bruised up. He had told me earlier he had a doctor's appointment the next day, just a check up, and considered rescheduling but when he was hurting I told him he had to go and have that checked out. Unbeknown to be this was to be our last night together and we spent it side by side, me rubbing his chest gently and making sure he was alright, even after he fell asleep.

Friday morning came and we lazed about for an hour or so, he had made me set the alarm for 8:30 am, and around 10 he began to gather his things. The ps3 came down first, the wires wrapped back up and then he began stuffing the gifts in his duffel and I realized then he was planning to actually leave, not come back after he was done at the doctor's. My heart sank and when he sat on the bed I clung to him, sobbing into his chest and pleading with him not to go. He kept telling me, "this isn't goodbye." over and over. I asked if he was coming back, he said he couldn't promise me anything but he would try his best Sunday. He gave me a kiss and wiped my tears before going. Ten minutes later I noticed he'd left his apartment keys and one of the gifts, a stuffed tiger I dressed as the Mad Hatter. I texted him and he came back but I refused to look at him, thoroughly hurt that I was being abandoned. After leaving that second time, he texted me this: "Just remember: our love truly knows no distance." I called my mom sobbing, relaying what had happened and she calmed me down, convinced me to shower and dress, and I ended up taking a cab to the nearby mall where I spent two hours. When I got home I texted Hattie to see how the doctor's visit went and received no reply. By 10 I was calling him frantically, hoping I could get him on the phone and beg that he come back, bargain with him, bribe him, whatever I could do to ensure at least one more day. I must have called him 30+ times in the span of 3 hours before I fell asleep.

Saturday morning I called once more and he answered, sounding annoyed that I had called "a million times" and explained the doctor had given him pain medication that had knocked him out. I was still upset at this point and asked once more if he was coming back. There was a moment of silence before he mournfully said no and proceeded to apologize, begging me not to stay in the hotel all day and mope. Angrily I asked him what I was to do then, I was 600+ miles from everything I knew and couldn't exactly go hang out with friends. He said he knew that and again apologized, telling me he wished there was something he could do. We hung up because he had to get ready for work and again I called my mom crying. Knowing I'd had my heart set on seeing Disney World or Epcot with him while down there she convinced me to go to Epcot and get a 2 day pass and spend the weekend there. It was a better idea than moping in a hotel room that only had maybe 30 channels, about 10 of them Spanish.

I spent all of Saturday and most of Sunday at Epcot and bought souvenirs for some people and decided Sunday night I was going to change my flight to Monday. So I texted Hattie and then called, leaving a voice mail message that I was changing the ticket and would appreciate him coming to see me once more before I left, I would even pay his cab fare. He texted back later that he couldn't get off or take another day otherwise he'd be in trouble with his superiors. So with a heavy heart I changed my flight to Monday afternoon and began packing.

Monday morning I contacted him again, telling him my flight times and we talked for a bit, he again apologizing for leaving me alone so long. Something in the message read as so sincere that all my anger toward him, all of my bitterness flitted away and I told him I was happy for the time we had spent together and that I would treasure it. At 1:30 I was on my flight to Atlanta where the connecting flight was delayed until 5 and an hour later I was at the Baton Rouge airport hugging my mom, just glad to be home. I miss him terribly because when I was with him I felt safe, understood, and most importantly, loved. He treated me like a princess, handled me with care, and made me smile and laugh constantly. We talked about the next visit being him visiting me, but I don't know when that will be as spring and summer are the busy months for him. I wish we'd had more time, but I'm grateful I had the time I did. Like I said, it was truly bittersweet.