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Chapter 2

With Fluffy under one arm and a large suitcase in my other hand, I make the trip to the front of the house, glancing at the endless ocean of blue before I climb up the wide staircase to the house, waiting for my mom to open the door for me before I enter. I let out a sigh as I look around the old beach house, that hasn't changed a bit since I left. I'm home... ugh, I think and haul the overstuffed suitcase up another flight of stairs to my attic bedroom, that hasn't been touched since I left, most likely because my mom knew I'd be back, like I said the woman must have ESP.

I drop the suitcase on the floor, with no intention of unpacking the rest of my car right now. First, I want to sit down at my laptop and try to write, I refuse to live with my parents forever.

Well here goes nothing.... And, that's exactly what I had written three hours later, nothing, so I shut the screen on my laptop, giving up once again.

I look up from my desk when I hear a knock on my open door, "Hi daddy," I smile at him, knowing what the first words out of his mouth will be and he doesn't disappoint.

"What happened with that loser Tim or Tom or whatever his name was?" My dad has this idea that no man is good enough for his daughter and sometimes I let him believe that, like now.

"Apparently he wants to do bigger and better things with his life," I explain, using the exact words that Tom used when he was packing his belongings.

"So, he was just after your money and once the money was gone, so was he, just as I suspected," dad says sadly, balling up his fist like he wished he could hit Tom.

"It's alright daddy, I wasn't really attached to him anyway. It was time for him to move on, trust me." I explain as I stand and cross to the floor to get to my dad. I wrap my arms around his middle, hugging him tightly, like I always did when I was a little girl. "Daddy, how'd you know the money was gone?" I ask, my voice muffled from hugging him.

"You're back here." I look up at him for a second, a little taken back by his remark. "We've been coming to Chicago to see you for ten years now, not once have you come back home. I figure you have no other choice or you wouldn't be back here."

"Sorry, Daddy."

"It's alright. I didn't come up here to talk about that thought, I just came up here to let you know that shortly after you called to come stay, I received a phone call from the main office in New York." He pauses and when I let him go, with sad eyes says. "I'm needed, your mom and I are leaving this evening. I wish we had more time to catch up, but we will have plenty of time when we get back."

Well of course, the news made me sad, but I also had a feeling of relief because I wouldn't have to listen to my mother tell me how great Alex is, at least not until they get back. "How long will you be gone?"

"A week, maybe two," He says then turns, but quickly spins back around, I've put some money in your account here on the island, so you will be taken care of while we're gone."

"Thanks daddy." I watch him walk out, wishing I didn't have to depend on them once again, but sadly I did, and he knew it. I'm just glad I left that account open when I left ten years ago. It has actually come in handy when I needed money while I was in college, or for birthdays or whatever. Dad always put money in for my birthday, if they didn't come to Chicago to see me that year.

I decide that I'm done staring aimlessly at my computer so I jump in the shower, finally deciding that if I'm not going to get any work done then I'd get cleaned up and finally eat something. At this point my stomach felt like it was eating itself as it tumbled creating a rather large thunderstorm inside me.

When I was dressed in a pair of cut off shorts, a tank top and had slipped on a pair of flipflops, I ran down stairs pulling my wet hair into a messy bun. Mom and dad had their suitcases by the door as they ran around collecting the rest of their things, like airline tickets, print out receipt for their hotel and other last-minute things.