Making The Call

I dialed with a mix of both apprehension and excitement in my stomach. Once I punched in that last digit, there would be no going back. I was about to open a big can of worms making this call...a can I've wanted to open for awhile, but just haven't had the courage to do it. I was reaching out to one of the "3 long lost cousins." That's what we call them, my brothers and I, because we haven't seen or spoken to them in almost 30 years. Growing up I always wondered about them and felt sad that we didn't know one another. My dad doesn't have much contact with his family. I'm not really sure why, it's not spoken about, it just is. He's in recent years reconnected somewhat with his brother through phone calls and I've had very simple contact with his 3 girls on Facebook.
So what do you say to someone you're related to, but don't know at all? Well, first you play phone tag for a week because of time differences and schedules. Then you finally get that voice on the other end and you start with a hello. It's a little uncomfortable, but okay at the same time. There's some nervous laughter, but then you are both talking at the same time because there is so much to say. There's an invite to come visit and then you find yourself the next day booking a flight to Arizona for 6 days. The can is wide open now.....