Our Moonlight

12

Emilia
Five Months Ago

"Get in the car."

Eleanor reluctantly opens the door, sliding into the backseat.

"Why are you two always fighting?" My dad asks, looking at both of us once he's seated in the passenger seat.

"You're not driving. You just got off an 11-hour flight." I put on my seatbelt and start the car.

"She's right, mija," My dad glances at Eleanor in the backseat through the rearview mirror.

I pull out of the parking lot, driving towards the freeway entrance. Eleanor and dad had just come back from a business trip in Japan. It was more like a vacation for all the hours he put into his schedule the last year.

It was supposed to be a romantic getaway for my mom and dad but she had been called into the hospital for an emergency patient.

My mom has been spending more time at the hospital than at home. My dad didn't want to cancel the trip, so he took Eleanor since she likes traveling.

They were gone for two weeks and are now finally back home.

I missed them. Mom missed them. The house was just too quiet. I was alone for most of the time since mom was spending her nights at the hospital. Whenever mom did come home, we began to butt heads over simple things.

So I'm just glad they're back home.

"So . . how was it?" I ask, smiling.

My eyes switch between the road and the rearview mirror, waiting for their answers.

Eleanor's face light up, a smile breaking out. "It was so fun. The food was so delicious."

"Did you eat anything alive?" I scrunch my brows in disgust.

I am not a judgmental person. People can do whatever they want. But when I heard people like to eat live things, I was baffled.

"No," My older sister rolls her eyes. "But I did eat raw sushi."

I make a gag sound. I hate sushi.

"What about you, papa?" I turn my head to look at him, his eyes on the road.

"It was nice." His eyes don't waver from the road but his lips turn up into a smile. "You should've seen your sister when we went to see the cherry blossom trees."

"Those were so pretty." Eleanor defends. "Look I have pictures."

While Eleanor looks for pictures, my dad continues to tell me about the trip. He tells me all the restaurants they went to, the temples they visited and how the people were so humble and nice.

"They brought your wallet back to the police station?" My face lights up with shock. "And all your cards were still in there?"

My dad nods. "No se llevaron nada." (They didn't take anything)

"Is crime low over there?" I question curiously.