In the Beginning

The first thing we did was to set sail for two weeks on a luxury cruise ship to take a sampling of the western Mediterranean countries. Our son was still at home, but had a job and, and being a responsible kid, we knew we could leave him and life would be good.
Hubby had never been to Europe and being cradled in the lap of luxury while floating on the blue sea was the perfect ticket. We were in Spain, Italy, France and Corsica. It was the kick off to the empty nest and an early celebration of our 20th anniversary. We savored every minute and took a thousand photos. Our son met us with a huge smile at the airport two weeks later, and the house was intact on our arrival home. It was discovered later that he had had several parties, of course, but in a month he would be off to college where the shenanigans can be mind boggling. We still stuck to the premise that our kid is responsible and smart. At least that's what I told him to be as I squeaked out a tear saying goodbye to him on the street corner of his dorm 400 miles from our empty nest.
Looking at his somewhat empty room was a little startling. He wouldn't be sitting at his desk glaring at the computer screen where I would come and give him a little squeeze around his shoulders and sit on his bed to chat for a few minutes. I wouldn't hear him bound through the house and asking what's for dinner, or trying to slide across the kitchen floor in his socks, or watch him throw himself onto the couch reaching for the clicker then surfing the channels in that maddening way. No music coming from his room, no clothes on the floor, no wet towels in the bathroom, no one to mock my technical skills. I wouldn't have to wait to hear him come into the house at 1 in the morning, relieved he made it home safely, which was a plus. I kept looking for those pluses.
Cooking for 2 was a plus.
Waking only myself in the morning for work and not having to nudge a sleeping body to get up and go to school
This is a short list of pluses. By the time a kid is 18, he has his own life anyway. Hubby and I did pretty much what we wanted by the time sonny boy went off to college. So, except for being in my birthday suit to make the coffee, what else had changed?