Who Will Love Emmitt

He is hiding under a table right now because Harlow is barking.  Poor Emmitt.  He is scared and not really happy.  Ashlyn left today and Hayley leaves tomorrow.  All he is left with is Jacob and that is no comfort at all. 
I know how he feels.  Because not only did Emmitt lose his momma, but I lost my Lynnie to the bright lights of Ames.  She will be busy fixing up her apartment, cheering on her Cyclones and doing all her big girl homework.  I will be missing her as will Emmitt.  He will probably miss her more, but not really because anyone can kind of scratch him behind the ears correctly, but not everyone can keep me in check like Ashlyn can.  No one has ridiculous hard and fast rules like I do (except Jacob!).  No one will remember to feed Harlow when I forget. 
But don't feel sorry for us, we did this to ourselves.  "The world is yours to explore and love and blah blah blah.  You can do anything, go anywhere, be anyone!  Seize the carp and all that crap!"  We didn't think she was listening.  We didn't think she would go.  All that roots and wings talk is a bunch a bull when it is your daughter that has wings. 
But I would not have clipped them, even if I could have.  I knew this day would come again and again and again.  And every time she packs up, I get sad and happy.  Sad for all the obvious reasons, but happy because we did it.  We watched her grow such beautiful wings.  We see her fly to college and Chicago and London and beyond.  And we don't forget that there was a time when things were different.
But that brings us back to the age old question, Who Will Love Emmitt? 
I will love him when he bursts into a room hollering about God only knows.  I will love him when he grips my neck tight like a monkey, purring in my ear.  I will love him when he gets cantankerous and a tummy rub quickly escalates into a fierce bare knuckles brawl.  I will.