This news, delivered in the first sentence (even before a hello) of a quick, early morning phone call from my mother as she worked on her school's computer server, makes me want to cry and rejoice will all the abiding satisfaction of the world.

I am coming home, leaving Texas, arriving in Missouri for Christmas, sometime on the 23rd and staying through most of the 26th. I know I keep reiterating those dates, but you have no idea how many people I want to see or how strongly I'll want to see y'all by then.

For now, I need to go to work. I will be hunting for plane tickets this afternoon in the box office.