It was great :)

Interesting thing, today is March 31 - exactly 5 months since I last saw heather on October 31st...

Thank you again to everyone who commented to my last post. I had all your wisdom in my head as I drove to Orlando. I prayed to God on the way there. I "rehearsed" my mindset, stay in the present, don't ask questions, stay with what is, only give advice when asked, said the Serenity Prayer... etc. I REALLY needed all the encouragement and advice that was given so I could "memorize" it on the drive. I asked God to be with us during the dinner.

It was great :) As soon as I saw her we hugged like I can't remember us hugging - tight and for a long time - in front of the California Pizza Kitchen.

She looked great! She was wearing makeup, her hair was done, she had gained some weight (to where she no longer looked like a skeleton). Last year she almost always looked a mess, like she was recovering from the flu and days in bed or something... Today she looked and acted "like my old daughter". Last year when we'd meet I could always tell she was high (on ?something?). Today her eyes were fine, she was fine, I really don't think she was on anything.

She still has that cough though and smoked a cigarette after dinner. She said her allergies were bad - it is like a dry cough every 5 minutes or so - it's actually pretty distracting when you're in a restaurant... but... I didn't say anything (except, "please turn your head..." lol)

I don't know what she is or isn't doing but I feel like she must be going in the right direction. We kept the conversation light and I didn't bring up drugs, her ex-boyfriend, her dad, her living situation, her job situation, taxes being due - (all things I wanted to bring up/find out about) - nothing. The only *thing* of interest I found out was that she had applied for a job at a restaurant.

After we ate we went to my car so she could hear a song she wanted to hear, then we went to the Nine West store. She bought some shoes, I didn't offer to pay, she didn't ask. She said how much she loved me (and I said same) and thanked me for going to the store with her.

When we left we hugged again and she told me she loved me and thanked me for driving out there (again, I said same).

I felt God guided me through it and we had a success :) Thank you again for the comments, I can't express how much they meant to me and how much they helped!!!

I love her so much. Now my heart aches she is "gone" again - but I can't even say how thankful I am right now!!!