Season Of Love (gxg) | ✍︎︎

10. Back Home.

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| SEASON OF LOVE |
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Friday.
30 November 2018.
Riverlin, Michigan.

"Babe," Katherine placed her hand on Hope's thigh because her leg was bouncing up and down uncontrollably. "Calm down."

"Sorry," Hope whispered. She stopped bouncing her leg and instead nervously played with the hairband she had around her wrist. She pulled it repeatedly, letting the band smack against her skin.

"Girl, why are you so nervous? I don't understand how you're still nervous when you're on a plane every other week it feels like."

"You know the descent and landing is the worst part for me."

No matter how many times she's traveled via plane, sometimes twice in a single 24-hour period to make photo shoots, fashion shows, or for other various business endeavors, she always gets nervous right before the plane begins to land. That, and she was also nervous about being home for the first time in years. She was nervous about how her family would react to her not-so-subtle avoidance of Riverlin since she left for college at the age of eighteen. But ultimately, it was easier to blame her motion sickness for her uneasiness.

Hope was nervous until she was being engulfed in her father's arms the second she saw him waiting for her outside of baggage claim. Hope hadn't seen her father in much longer than she'd care to admit, so the fact that she started crying as he held his arms tightly around his baby girl was not surprising at all.

It felt good to hug her father. It felt good to hold him close and breathe in his very comforting and familiar scent. Because in a world full of constant changes, the warmth of her father's hugs and the cologne/aftershave he's used since she was a little girl never changes.

Katherine even snuck a few pictures of the beautiful moment on her phone because she knew that was a memory Hope would love to look back on.

"I didn't think I'd cry," Hope sniffled when she pulled away from her father's embrace. "Why am I crying right now? I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Nadine," he said as he wiped her tears away with his thumbs before placing a kiss on each of her cheeks.

"Oh God, where are my manners?" Hope straightened up when she realized Katherine was just awkwardly standing behind them with her hand protectively placed on the cart with all their luggage. "Daddy, this is Katherine. Kat, this is my dad. I don't think you guys have met before."

"We've met in passing once when your parents came to visit in L.A., but it's nice to officially meet you, Mr. Turner."

Katherine held her hand out for a shake, but Norman pulled her into a quick, welcoming hug instead.

"Oh, you don't have to be so formal. Norman or Turner is just fine. Hearing Mr. before my name makes me feel old."

"He thinks he's still a young man," Hope rolled her eyes.

"I am," Norman laughed as he ran his fingers across his fully grey beard.

"Okay, daddy. We should get out of here before I say something that might be offensive. I wouldn't want a geriatric joke or two to slip out."

"You've always been so funny," he replied very sarcastically. "Just like your mother."

"Mmm, and speaking of mom, where is she? I'm surprised she didn't come with you to pick us up the way she was carrying on about me coming home."

"That's because she's been up since early this morning cooking like we didn't just have Thanksgiving last week. Apparently she thinks you've never eaten before the way she's in there cooking."