sunshine // joel miller

EIGHTEEN

Chapter Eighteen
You've gotta breathe

Fran didn't know why she was so enraged leaving Maria's house. Maybe it was a build up of emotions, maybe it was because she'd had twelve guns all ready to shoot her just an hour ago. Maybe it was because Maria didn't know when to quit; whatever it is she wanted out.

She threw her coat on over her shoulders, the thing slightly to big, not like her well fitted one that had now been traded off without her knowledge.

She didn't know her way around, barely remembering everything that Maria had told her, and ended up back by the sheep farm. The girl from before was gone now, leaving Fran alone with a bunch of sheep.

She ended up sitting on her own on the small steps by a greenhouse, looking out at the sheep as she tried to simmer down her emotions. Everything was building up and it was beginning to piss her off.

She should be happy - Joel found his brother, alive, they didn't die on the way. They were in an actual town, with hot water and food and fucking Christmas trees.

But she was so mad. Joel had thought Tommy was in danger when in reality he was doing better than they were, and she'd lost her jeans, and her pack with her favorite childhood book in it, no doubt that had been traded too.

She just wanted her sister, her family. She wanted to have that feeling of reuniting with a loved one, she wanted it so badly but she'd never be able to have it. Her family was dead, Tess was dead, Sam and Henry were dead. Everyone was dead and she couldn't fucking breathe.

-

It took her two hours to move from that spot still shaking from anger and all she wanted was to see Joel. The streets that had been bustling with people just hours ago were now completely empty.

Completely empty except from one man.

He was stood a little away from her, packing up some wood mostly likely to take home. The same thing that had been happening all day happening once again as he looked over to her for a second.

Her father.

Giulio Romano.

But this time was unlike the others. She knew the other times that it wasn't actually Sam or Giulia, she knew that. This time, through blurry tears, she genuinely thought with every fibre of her being that it was him.

A feeling of relief flew through her at the sight of him, he had yet to care for her presence, but he'd know soon enough that his daughter was there... right? He wouldn't forget her. He knew her as much as she knew him.

A smile was wide on her face as she raised her shaking hands to her mouth, cupping it and yelling to him, "Papino?"

The man looked up at the yell from the woman, turning towards her. She raced towards him, excitement clawing up her chest as she approached with open arms, but as soon as she was close enough he was shoving her away.

"What are you doin?" The man asked, his voice full of annoyance at this grown woman who he didn't know running at him.

At the shove; reality seemed to set in, looking at him in shock as her whole body froze.