TAMPA, Fla. — The arrivals area at Tampa International Airport buzzed with anticipation Monday as families prepared for long-awaited Thanksgiving reunions, some marking their first holidays together in years.
Quincy Wilson clutched three bouquets of flowers, anxiously checking the phone. Quincy's girlfriend and her family were returning from a week-long trip to New York. After spending two weeks away for work training followed by their New York visit, November had kept the couple apart for most of the month.
WATCH: Families reunite at TPA for heartwarming Thanksgiving homecomings
"It's being in love with your best friend is the easiest thing to do," Wilson said, eyes scanning the terminal. "This November, we've barely seen each other, so I'm like, ready to have her home and have my family back."
When Kristen, Riley and Cindy finally emerged from the tram, Wilson's face lit up. The family had coordinated matching outfits for their return, adding to the festive atmosphere.
"We're excited to be home," Kristen said. "We're going to make gingerbread houses."
This marks the couple's first Thanksgiving together, though they've celebrated many holidays together as friends over the years.
Nearby, Erin O'Brien waited patiently for her sister and nieces to arrive from Louisville, Kentucky. The reunion would bring together family members who hadn't shared a Thanksgiving in five years.
"My sister and her kids are coming to visit us for the first time in a really long time, and Thanksgiving is probably our family's favorite holiday," O'Brien said. "For all of us to be able to be together for this holiday is just so special."
O'Brien's parents had already arrived from Maryland the night before, making this the first time the entire extended family would celebrate Thanksgiving together.
"My parents always made it a big deal of celebrating gratitude and being together, and now we actually get to be together," she said. "My sister is my best friend, and we talk every single day on the way to work, and to be able to have her here in person is the greatest gift."
The emotional anticipation was evident as O'Brien watched each arriving tram, hoping to spot her sister, 12 and 15-year-old nieces among the passengers.
"We're a very close family, and even if we don't get to see each other in person, we still talk to each other nonstop," O'Brien said. "She's always treated me like I'm a miniature best friend."
When the family finally arrived, the reunion was everything O'Brien had hoped for.
"This is so good, so wonderful," her sister said. "We only get to see each other, usually once a year, so now this is twice in a year. It's fantastic."
The heartwarming scenes played out as Tampa International Airport prepares for one of its busiest travel periods of the year. Airport officials estimate more than 924,000 passengers will pass through TPA during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period from November 20 to December 1, with Sunday, November 30, expected to be the busiest day with approximately 86,278 passengers.
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