National Anthem {Editing}

VI

"Thank you! Have a nice day!" The cashier smiled at me as she handed me my receipt and a a fee pennies and dimes.

"You too." I smiled, shoving the change and already crumbling paper into the plastic bag in my hand. I had been back in my hometown and I couldn't help but feel incredibly happy.

I made a deal with Daddy that while he was somewhere in Europe again I could go back to my small hometown and see if I could visit my parents. I smiled and looked inside the bag, I bought mom's favorite candies and also some of those books where you entertained yourself with riddles and soup letters. I bought dad's favorite fruits and candy along with his favorite book.

The town was empty due to everyone working or just being at school, something I could've been doing if I hadn't met my Daddy. I smiled at the thought of him, but for some reason I was very happy to spend some time for myself. I skipped down a flight of stairs that took me to the institutes of the city. There were teaching institutes, cultural institutes, dancing institutes, you name it. I just had to walk a little further away from the very colorful institutes. I smiled as I approached the gray and navy blue building.

I hope my parents weren't busy or I would've been very sad. I just wanted to see them today, I had bigger plans for tomorrow. I pursed my lips as I pushed the heavy doors and walked into the place. There was a girl a couple of years older than me sitting in the front desk as she organized some papers with a bright smile on her face.

"Hi! Good morning." The girl got her focus on me and smiled politely. "I'm here to visit the Fletcher's?" The girl pursed her lips as she nodded and lowered her eyes down to the papers on the desk.

"You're in luck!" She grinned. "They are out today so you got all the time you want with them." She grabbed a clipboard and a pen before looking back at me. "In what way are you related to them?"

"I'm their daughter. Caroline Fletcher." The girl smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

"Come on. I'll take you. You've got no idea how long Mrs. Fletcher has been talking about you! She just kept saying she knew you would come someday, just didn't know when." I smiled apologetically at her and nodded.

"I was out the state for a long time. I've been so busy singing and studying it feels like a dream." The girl nodded and guided me down a hall.

"I understand. I'm sure they do too. If you want to see your father first go in this room and your mother is in that room." She said pointing at two different doors.

"Why can't they be together?" She showed me her clipboard to which I nodded. "Well... Can't they be together this one time? I got them handled. Please?" The girl looked at me with hesitation. "I won't be back for another long time and I wouldn't really enjoy seeing my parents in different rooms. I'd like to have them together."

"Alright, fine. Let's just... Help me get your father, yeah?" I nodded and followed her. She opened the door and there he was. There was a brown desk and papers in front of him as he stared out the window bored.

His brown hair was sticking in different directions and I was so happy to see him. He hadn't aged a day and I held myself back from squealing and running up to him, instead I walked slowly and stood next to him placing my hand on his shoulder. His green eyes snapped up to meet mine before a wide smile took over his dull features.

"My sweet little girl!" He chuckled as he got up and wrapped his arms tightly around me. "Oh how I've missed you!" He laughed as he kissed the top of my head over and over.

"I missed you too, dad." I grinned hugging him tighter. "We going to see mom!" I said as I backed away. His eyes sparked up at the mention of mom as he held my hands while shaking.

"Are we?" I nodded. "Are you allowing me to do so?" The girl nodded and guided us to the other room where mother would be. She was just like dad, her cheek pressed against the palm of her had as he twirled a pencil around on her other hand.

Her blue eyes snapped towards the door causing her body to visibly tense at the sight as she let out a small chuckle.

"If this is a joke Bianca..." The girl next to me shook her head and flashed her a smile. "You're really letting me have my husband and daughter all together in the same room?" She nodded causing mom to drop the pencil and let out tears of joy. "Thank you." She whispered before the girl, who's name I learned to be Bianca, left and closed the door behind her.

"I'm so excited!" I squealed as I ran towards mom and hugged her tightly. Her black hair was so long and her eyes looked so tired but she was still so beautiful to me. Dad came up from behind me and wrapped his arms around the both of us, all of us staying there for a long time before we backed away. Dad sat down on the desk as he held mom's hand and smiled at her lovingly while mom sat on her chair still and stared up at me. Her eyes would flickered back to dad sometimes and then to me. She didn't know who to look at first.

"I come bearing gifts!" I announced as I dug my hand into the bag and gave them their gifts with a wide smile. Their eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas and before I knew it they were both crying.

"We haven't seem you in so long and you bring the things we most love." I smiled nodding as I took out two small pictures from the back of my pockets.

"I brought this for you both. I know how they don't let you be together so I brought you a picture of it. See?" I handed them the pictures. "Those are your favorite pictures of each other." They both turned to each other and kissed as if it were the first and last time they would be able to do so.

The day was spent in that room. We played some charades, spoke about things that had happened in our lives in the past two years, father told his favorite stories over again while mother told him she loved him. I took pictures with them as well until it was finally time to leave. I had convinced Bianca to let me spend a couple of more minutes and to please let them keep the gifts I brought for them. She agreed and promised to take care of them to which I responded with a hug.

I did truly miss my hometown and I was so ecstatic to be back.

There next chapter is the continuation of this one.