Leaving on a Jetplane

Ty left for Florida early this morning. He actually left last night, but was staying with his dad in Boston. We spent the day at the park yesterday, and he was extra loving and would just come up to me and hug me throughout the day. It made my heart melt. It's so easy to get caught up in the chaos that has become our lives, and remember that even though Ty is my oldest, he is still my baby and needs just as many hugs (although he'd kill me if they were public ones) and cuddles as the youngest ones.
It was a great feeling to truly know he was getting a bit emotional. It was nice to feel very much needed by him. I let him pack his own suitcase for the first time. Correction, I let him pick everything out, and I folded it and packed it. He is very particular about what he wears now anyway.
We talked about staying close and about strangers and busy airports. He insisted on discussing plane crashes and kept telling me I better say goodbye to him because his plane was going to crash. Not exactly the way I wanted to spend the last moments before he left, but I think it made him feel better to discuss it. I reassured him and we talked about every possible scenario. I begged him to remember to call me as soon as he landed to let me know he was okay. I remember being younger and sadly, even older, and getting caught up in the excitement of being with my dad, or where ever I had travelled to and forgetting to call my mom right away, and feeling horribly guilty for it. Ty on the other hand called me from the airport (cell phones do make this easier now) and told me about his flights (he had a connection in Newark this round, DC on the way back) and when I told him I missed him so much already, he told me he did too. I feel like there is a part of me missing when he is gone. Like when you leave the house and keep saying "did I forget to turn something off" and that feeling nags you. That is how I feel. Like I'm constantly forgetting or missing something. It is only a week, and I know he will have the best time, and I am grateful for that, but it still tugs at my heart.