Homecoming

Chapter 2

I had to admit that I hadn't slept as well as I had tonight. It must have been yesterday's fatigue from the trip or the hidden sense of security that I wasn't alone here. Although I still hatched in the duvets, familiar sounds were already spreading through the house. Somewhere downstairs, a radio was playing or a television was on, a cheerful father's voice was heard, and muffled sounds from the kitchen could be heard. My mother was probably already preparing breakfast and coffee, the smell of which I could smell up to my room.

I opened my eyes and lay lazily in bed. I flew from side to side and got to know familiar things. Our room did not change much after my departure. Everything was in place, just like I left here.

On the shelf above the desk were still framed my photos with classmates from school, from the trips we had taken and our wedding photo with Jack. I took her gently in her hand and looked at her dreamily. We looked extremely happy, young and carefree on it. I ran my thumb along the line of Jack's face and finally sighed back to its place.

While I joined my parents for breakfast, I took a good shower. I wore comfortable sweatpants at home and a simple white T-shirt without printing. I combed my hair and pulled it into a braid. As soon as I went downstairs, the front door opened and Caroline and her husband and children burst in. The nurse immediately hugged me and, of course, reprimanded me.

"Why didn't you say you'd come earlier? How long have you been planning this? " she came at me immediately.

"When have you caught up with me?" I turned to my parents, who were already fully engaged in Theo and Alessia. No news. They were their pets.

"Did you think we'd keep it to ourselves?" my father scorched me.

"I wanted to surprise them myself, at home," I replied.

"As if you didn't know your father. As soon as you closed the door behind you, he called them. "

"Nice," I sighed.

"And we decided to spend the whole holidays together at home," Caroline whispered like a small child and threw herself into my arms.

"What?" I looked at her blankly, and only now did I actually notice the pile of suitcases and bags in the hall. "Are you moving here? You only live three kilometers from here. "

"So what?" Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Actually, it was my idea," Lucas, my brother-in-law, interrupted. "I thought you'd be happy to spend as much time with your family as possible."

"I am," I assured him immediately. "It just surprised me."

"I heard my father had baked a delicious pastry," the nurse said, winking mysteriously at me.

"Well, you start with that, too," Mom said, and my sister and I laughed out loud.

"Come on, get dressed! Let's take a walk, "Caroline changed the subject out of nowhere.

"I haven't had breakfast yet," I turned to her in surprise.

"Nothing," she shrugged. "We can stop for coffee somewhere."

"And the children?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "They have a father, don't they?" she smiled, walked over to Lucas, and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"And grandparents," his brother-in-law raised an eyebrow. "I've had enough of those diapers. I take care of the kitchen."

"Great," Caroline clapped her hands. "And in the afternoon we could decorate the tree together."

"Don't you have it yet?" I turned to my parents with a question.

"No," his father shook his head. "We wanted to wait for you with him. She always liked to decorate it. "