3,471 Miles [Undergoing Editing]

Seven- Leap Of Faith.

Tomorrow was the big day. Renee, Harper and I was jetting of to New York for a whole entire month!

Everything was perfect.. Well, nearly everything.

My dad hadn't said a word to me since our argument. He completely ignored me and pretended like I didn't exist. In my opinion; he was acting like a drama queen. I just didn't get why he was so set on controlling my future. Just let me breathe and go find myself.

I had spent the first half of the day sprinting round London like a lunatic, in and out of every clothing store frantically searching for acceptable clothing for New York. The other half was spent trying to fit a months worth of clothes into as few cases as possible. To say I was exhausted would be an understatement.

That night, whilst Harper and Renee dreamt easily in sleeping bags on my bedroom floor, I lay wide awake staring blankly at my ceiling.

It's weird how when it's quite, everything seemed so loud. Like, normally I wouldn't even notice how much the bathroom taps leak. Or how the boiler in the attic creaks every thirty seconds. Weird right.

Just as my eyes fluttered shut after hours of tossing and turning, I heard the electronic gates outside open and the sound of tires scrunching the gravel.

I slid out of bed as carefully as I could making sure I made no sound. I weaved my way between Renee and Harpers sleeping bags and made my way down stairs just in time to see my dad walk in through the front door.

"Rhi, your awake." My dad said as he quietly shut the front door and locked it.

"Couldn't sleep." I said though a sigh as I sat down on the second to last step of the stairs.

"I know the feeling." My dad slipped down next to me and nudged my shoulder with his.

"Can we talk?" I asked as I turned to face him.

"I think a chats in order. But let me speak first." My dad replied as he fidgeted with his hands, a habit he only did when he was nervous.

"I'm sorry for blowing up on you like that. I just get scared of loosing you. I'm your dad, I'm suppose to look after you. How am I suppose to do that when your half way across the world?"

"Dad, I'm always going to be your little girl. But I'm just not so little any more. I need to learn to look after myself every once in a while. Not all the time, I still need you to drive me around and cook your divine Sunday dinners. But I need to go and find myself. Find out who I am away from London."

"I know I know. And I want you to. It's just, I want you to have a good life, you know? I want you to be happy, and healthy. And not want for anything. I want you to have stability. A nice little house with a white whicker fence. A nice husband and kids playing in a treehouse whilst you cook them dinner. I want you to have the world. And if I'm honest, your not going to get that in New York. Your homes here. Your happy here." He said through a sniff.

I was shocked. Since my mum left, I'd never heard my dad speak like this. We wasn't very open about feelings and things like that, so to here him speak so honestly was very, weird.

"I'm not happy here. I mean, not entirely. I haven't been happy for a long time. When mum left, it felt like a huge piece of me went with her. And I hated her for it. I felt like half a person, walking around empty, at first I thought it was her that was missing. But it wasn't, I figured out the missing piece. She would take me to practice almost ever day, she pushed me and worked me so hard that I didn't think I would live to see eighteen. But I loved it at the same time. It made me happy like nothing in this world could. So when she left, it felt wrong to sing again, or even step foot on stage because I felt so empty. When I sang the other day, it finally clicked. I figured out what was missing. It wasn't mum, after all I couldn't miss someone who walked out on their own flesh and blood. It was theatre. It was standing on stage being any one I wanted to be. It was singing just because I loved it and the heat of the spotlight. It was everything. I felt complete, for the first time in a long time." I said as I took a deep breath and rested my chin on my knees.

It felt amazing to speak to my dad like this and have him actually listen and understand what I have to say, instead of the other way round.

"Theatre makes you happy." My dad said after a long moment of silence.

"More than anything in the world."

"Then you have to go for it. I'm glad you're going after what you want."

"What? You're agreeing with me?" I said as I tried to register what just he said.

"I sure am. Happiness is more important than the house with the white whicker fence or the husband and kids. Thats all I want, for you to be happy. And if this is the way, then so be it. Grab it with both hands and never let it go." He smiled.

I pulled him into the biggest, soppiest hug I'd ever given anybody. "Your acceptance means more to me than anything. Thank you. I mean it."

"Now, your strict father is back and he needs you to promise him a few things, put your old mans mind at rest. Number one, I want you to look after yourself. No roaming the streets and stumbling out of clubs at stupid hours in the morning. Two, no boys. I know I said grandchildren but I mean when your older, like fifty. And three, I want you to put your heart into this. Give it everything you've got. Make me proud." My dad said through a laugh,

"Deal, no street life, no boys. And make you proud. Got it." I grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

After pulling my dad into one last hug, I made my way upstairs. The tiredness that I couldn't find ten minutes ago eventually found me, I was exhausted.

Just as I reached the last step my dad stopped me from the bottom of the stairs.

"And Rhi.."

"Yeah dad?"

"I love you."

I smiled, because now.. Everything was perfect.