Epiphany

Chapter 16 Part 1~Do...

Many people in winter clothes were walking in all directions; several running all around us with eager faces, trying to catch up with their trains before it could abandon them behind. And that's why my parents were speed walking their way around the crowd of people trying to catch up with their own. But because of my small feet, I was forced to run rather than walk.

I stumbled a little from the uneven cobblestone ground. My father tightened his grip on my little hands. "Baba, can we go there."

We passed a pastry shop. It was a pink pastel color, totally in contrast with the place—which reflected off the colors of brown and bronze. I caught mouth-watering food in there. People were seated at small tables and were eating some colorful macaroons. My stomach groaned at the smell of pastry, but mainly because we haven't had breakfast yet. We didn't have time to. We overslept.

My mother was swarmed in panic, but my father seemed calm, like always.

"Where, honey?"

I pointed my fingers beside us. "There."

He stopped for a second to carry me in his arms, his brown coat brushing against my cheek. "I'm sorry, Alyssa, we don't have time to."

When he saw the disappointment in my face, he sent me a smile. "As soon as we reach Wiltshmerz, I promise the first thing we'll do is get you some macaroons. That's what you want, right?"

I nodded, tightening my hold over his coat.

"And that's what you'll be getting. Right, mama?" My father asked my mother in a playful tone, but because she was more focused on finding our train, she didn't hear us, or probably because the noise around us deafened her.

"Sh!t. Where is it?" my mother cursed.

I turned my upper body around so I could see her; frustration etched on her features.

She sighed, glancing at me before rubbing my cheek. "Sorry," she mumbled sheepishly.

"Excuse me, sir. But is the train heading to Wiltshmirz gone?" A middle-aged man in a coat asked my dad, stopping right beside us.

My father stopped in his tracks, turning his head to the side to look at him. "I have no idea. But we hope not."

I winced at the screeching sound and saw the black vehicle that looked like a snake, that slithered on railways instead, slow down to a stop, next to several identical ones.

A young woman seemed to have heard us as she shook her head. "It's gone. It took off five minutes ago."

It did?

My father gave her a polite nod. "Thank you."

I pouted when I looked at my mother and saw the dismay in her face. I had the feeling that she wanted to spew every bad word she had in mind but second guessed it.

I then gazed at my father and what I saw made my eyes widen and demeanor brighten.

He was grinning, eyes closing to small slits. "No worries, people. Next train will come in about thirty minutes or so, right?"

He then glanced at me. "Now we have time to get us some macaroons and fill our empty stomachs before the next train."

My mouth dropped slightly, arms tightening around my father's neck. "Really?"

My father's eyes traveled to look at my mother, who still had some sadness lingering in her brown eyes. "Right, Lisa?"

She chuckled after a moment. "Yeah, why not?"

I smiled as I felt happiness settle in my body.

"We have plenty of time now."

Although it was crowded, we managed to find a table to sit at, but it only had two seats so I was either sitting on my parents' lap or standing in place.