Moments to last a lifetime: A journey home

CHELAN – A homecoming story that could make author Nicholas Sparks himself envious are few and far between, but for Chelan native Brooke (Jenkins) and her husband Zachary Dodson, the storyline wrote itself. The journey began with a surprise homecoming planned by Brooke’s parents, Keith and Deena Jenkins, and husband Zach. However, as we all know, life does not always work out as planned. And sometimes, the obstacles life throws at us make the small blessings even sweeter.
As part of the Army, Zach is stationed out of Ft. Lewis, Wash., but has been deployed in the Middle East for the past nine months. While on deployment, Brooke came home to Chelan to stay with her parents. In the midst of moving her belongings from Ft. Lewis to Chelan, the Dodson’s realized that there would soon be a new edition to their new family.
After nine months of deployment, Zach and in-laws Keith and Deena planned a surprise homecoming for Brooke, to have her husband home for Christmas and the birth of their first child. Originally, the plan had the father-to-be arriving Wednesday, Dec. 20. Zach boarded the plane Tuesday, Dec. 19 and was on his way home when, half way across Saudi Arabia, the pilot came across the intercom, explaining that a flap had broken on the plane and it was necessary to turn the plane around. The delay lasted exactly 24 hours said Zach.
Once he landed in Baltimore, he ran into yet another 24-hour layover. “I was on the phone trying to get my flight bumped up,” explained Zach, “when mom (Deena) called. I figured I’d just call her back,” he laughed remembering the moment. “I got my flight bumped up and called he back,” he added, “she told me ‘Brooke’s gone into labor, we’re heading to the hospital.’” As he sat in the Baltimore airport, with his wife hundreds of miles away in labor, he was on his phone, coaching the exhausted Brooke through labor using video call, Deena explained. “It was easier having him at least be able to video,” Brooke expressed, “because it at least felt like he was in the room. Mostly because my eyes were closed the entire time,” she joked, “I was just so tired, but it really felt like he was there even though he wasn’t.” Deena glowed while expressing the moment, “it was amazing, it was just such a gift to be able to be there for her and support her and be there where he couldn’t be and find ways to include him the best that we could.” Having to turn his phone off to board the plane, Zach sat, waiting for takeoff, when the man sitting next to him on the flight suggested he call his wife one last time. “As soon as I turned my phone on,” he explained, “I got the message.” The text message included a photo of his just born son laying on Brooke’s chest.
Zachary Dodson II was born at a healthy seven pounds and 21 inches on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 2:29 a.m., 24 hours prior to Zach’s arrival home. The new family will soon head back to Ft. Lewis to finish out a little over a year that Zach has left in the Army.