Searching for Godmother at Charles De Gaulle

When the call finally came I was frantic with worry. I could hear a terrible cracking in her voice. She sounded so close over the phone, as if she were next door. "Maddy isn't here mom, I waited for one hour in baggage and I did not see her. I waited and waited, I was so scared mom. I want to come home. I feel sick, and I want to catch the next plane home." My heart sank into my stomach, I felt faint. I breathed deeply a few times. I asked if she was at the Air France Counter. "Yes Mom, I am at the Air France counter" "How are they treating you?" I remained calm, and focused on the positive. I knew they would treat a lovely, polite, and frightened 13-year-old well, why wouldn't they? I asked her if I could speak to one of the agents. I tried to think in French. Thank goodness the woman spoke to me in English. "Yes, she will stay here until her godmother arrives. Do you have a phone number" No I did not, Maddy could easily have purchased a European Sim phone and card. I wanted her to buy one. Damn, I should have bought them myself. Alas there was no way to reach her, I just had to wait for her to call me. I reassured Summer. Maddy will be there soon. She called last night, she is stuck in traffic, maybe there was a strike, there are often strikes. Do not worry, I heard myself say. Call me in one hour, I told her regardless of whether she arrives or not. Relax, this will be a story you tell your children later in life. Now you understand the saying "If it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger!" She laughed nervously. I ached inside hung up and ran to the computer to see the next flight to Paris. What if something terrible happened to Maddy. Why would she be late, we discussed it, she knew how important it was to meet her. I was frozen with upset and concern. I watched the clock. About 40 minutes after I got off the phone with Summer it rang again. It was now 3:30am. It was Maddy and she was crying. I have know her for 35 years and I have never seen or heard her cry. It was a mess. She used the alarm in the apartment, not her own clock and she had set it incorrectly. It was dark and she slept through it. She was in the Metro now, inroute to the airport. I was faint with relief. I did not want to make conversation, I told her exactly where summer was and hung up. The minutes seemed like hours and at about 4:15am Summer called again. I told her that I spoke with Maddy and that she would be there in about one hour. I spoke with the same lovely agent I had spoken with earlier. I laughed with Summer, told her some very silly jokes, we hung up and I waited and waited. Around 5:45am the phone rang. Maddy finally found her, she had originally gone to the wrong terminal. Relief, I spoke with Summer, she had been up for hours but was not tired. They were going to take the Metro into the apartment a lovely place in the 6th Arrondismant, near the Luxembourg Gardens. At around 7am, I fell asleep.