i was sitting in traffic, no clue where i was. i was tapping my left foot along to the songs playing, not bothering plugging in my aux cord. i was, at that point, just angrily tapping my index finger on the wheel and singing lightly. i glanced around at the cars around me and the people in them. when i was a kid, i used to look at people and start making their life story. i'd name them, make up their entire life from birth to present, and it was a blast.
but this is now, and now i'm an adult.
i looked up at the sunroof of my small car, sitting back and admiring the clouds.
one looks like a mouse.
one looked like an elephant.
one looked like a drum
my daydreams were interrupted when i heard an array of car horns blaring behind me, signaling for me to go. i stepped on the gas and glance in my rear view mirror, biting my lip. i go until my intuition tells me that my exit is next, then i see it. the oh-so-familiar welcome to ohio sign.
it was great, seeing that sign. it brought me peace. though it was only a mere drive away from my estate, it still was humbling. i went along as my gps instructed, mindlessly turning and getting on and off highways. then, a song came on the radio station that was on. it had this upbeat tone to it. a ukulele, some drums, some techno stuff, i liked it.
i tapped my finger along to the beat of the song on the wheel, lightly swaying with the tune. the guy's voice was good, and the instrumental was even better. i don't think i've ever heard them.
the song ended, and i finally got to my destination. the lights were all off, and i realized it was 3 in the morning on a friday before school. no one was awake.
i went around the back of the house, parking my car in the driveway. i figured i'd grab my stuff a little later in the day, as i was exhausted. i snuck into the house the same way i'd usually sneak out in my high school years. i smiled to myself as i looked around the dining room, which the window was always unlocked in.
i tip-toed through the house, trying to get to my old bedroom. i cringed as the old door squeaked open. i remembered that i had mastered opening that door without it creaking, but i've lost it now. suddenly, light peered into the small hallway of the quiet house.
"lynn?" asked a small, familiar voice behind me. i looked over my shoulder to see my little sister, her hand wrapped around that of her teddy bear's as she stood in the middle of the hallway.
i turned around entirely and nodded, a small smile creeping onto my face. i knelt down to her size and opened my arms, her running over to me excitedly in response. i engulfed her in a huge hug, squeezing her like i hadn't seen her in years. well, i hadn't, but the point is there.
"where have you been?" she asked, her voice at normal volume.
"shhh... shhh... you gotta keep your voice down, everybody's sleeping, and it's a surprise that i'm here." i let her go from my hug, my hands still on her shoulders. sure, the surprise part was a lie, but it was apparently a surprise for her.
"where have you been?" she asked, more quietly this time.
"i've been at school. i've just never had the time to come back..." my voice trailed off. i should've come back sooner for her. "but it's too early. you gotta go back to sleep, g."
"okay. see you later?" she put out her tiny pinky in front of me. i locked my pinky with hers and nodded.
"see you later."
that was our thing. see you later promises. when our dad deployed all those years ago, since i was still pretty young, we all made a little thing. whenever we'd leave each other, we'd lock pinkies and say see you later.
those promises were always kept, no matter what.
~~~
a/n: ok im overly obsessed with simplistic stuff and lowercase now what
