I tensed up as a hand grabbed my shoulder. A tingle went through my body, the kind that brings goosebumps to the surface of your skin, and I whipped my head around to face whoever it was. My sister was there, face red and wet as well. She was pointing at a car that sat in our driveway, and I hadn't noticed before now. It was the same beautiful car that held the family, except to my surprise it was one man who sat there now. I instantly stood up, scared of the effect he could make on our lives right now, and blocked Kenna from him. I felt her shift her head to peer at who was there through the opening between my arm and my waist. I watched the car door open and braced myself. This could get messy.
Once he stood up I could see his whole figure. Tall, skinny, perfect Brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. He was wearing a black suit and carrying a suitcase in his left hand, and as I started to wonder who this crazy jerk could be, he started toward our house. Just as I realized...
"DAD!!" I screamed. Kenna looked at me, then wide eyed we both ran towards my father. He held us in his arms, tears running down his face onto my head, and dropped the suitcase.
"I--I thought you were gone forever!"
I said through tears, just starting to realize how true those words were. He continued to hold us, silently, for a few more moments. Then his voice entered my ears for the first time in years.
"I will never leave you forever." I let the words soak in, my body like a sponge, as I stood there for just a while longer. My knees started to go jelly on me, so I started to lower myself down pulling him and Kenna with me.
"Dad..." Kenna whispered. "I--it's mom." He quickly pulled his head from the hugging position and stood up. The look on his face was enough to scare me straight, and I could tell it was the same for Kenna. He ran towards the house, and I followed, not hesitating to run as well.
When we got inside, the screen door banging against the wall leaving a dent in the wall, my dad looked frantically from side to side. He started rummaging through everything, from the papers to suitcases to even stuff we had lying under the couch. I wondered why he was looking through papers and objects when he was looking for my mother, and suspicion hit me like a bus.
"Dad!" I started, yelling. "Dad!!" He finally looked up from the bright pink suitcase that was Kenna's once upon a time. He had a "What-could-you-possibly-want-from-me-right-now" look on his face that I easily ignored. My finger found itself pointing up the stairs to the kitchen where my mother lay. He ran, his feet kicking up air that blew my hair back.
Grabbing her up, tears started running down his face once again. I couldn't believe how much this hurt him, being away for so long. I actually couldn't believe how much this hurt me.
