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Cherelle Griner is reflecting on her wife, Brittney Griner’s, homecoming after the WNBA star was detained in Russia for ten months.
According to PEOPLE, Griner finished law school while waiting hopelessly for her wife’s return.
I was hopeless a lot of days. You try and stay grounded, but I’m human. Still, I would never completely give up hope on my wife’s life.
On December 8th, Griner received her wish. As previously reported by The Shade Room, President Biden announced that Brittney Griner was on a plane out of Russia, on her way to the US.
I had thought about that moment a thousand times, and I thought I would be full of tears. But I was overwhelmingly happy. It was the first time I was able to finally exhale, and I’m like, ‘Oh, thank God, this is such a great day.’
As Griner waited for her wife to deplane in San Antonio, Texas, the couple locked eyes for the first time in months.
We were both just instantly crying. I was standing there full of tears and someone ran over and handed me a handkerchief. I definitely needed it.
When the two finally met, Cherelle said that she couldn’t stop touching Griner’s face.
I was like, ‘Is this really you?’ It did not feel real. It was chilling — and warm. I was just holding on tight. I couldn’t let her go.
Cherelle Griner also shared details about her wife’s first night home.
The first night, we didn’t sleep at all. We just talked all night long and all morning. And it was so good to be able to do it without three weeks in between the conversation because for 10 months we were passing letters. It was great to have that dialogue back and forth.
Griner also shared that she and her wife are excited to update one another on the changes they’ve experienced as people since being separated.
It’s unfortunate that those 10 months happened without us being able to be side-by-side. But it happened, and we’re embracing the fact that we now get to learn each other’s story through that time. So we’re taking it slow. We are not doing it all at once. But we are honoring the fact that I went through something that was really hard and difficult without BG’s awareness, and vice versa. Day by day, we’re just feeding a little bit to the soul and understanding each other’s journey so we can actually start walking together.
Cherelle Griner adds that it’s a “new journey” for her and Brittney. However, the two are “trying to figure out how we blend back as one.”
