Wherever You Are

Two: North Dakota

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"Charlotte!" I heard both my mom and dad cheer as I walked up to them waiting for us outside their home. It was a little after eight at night, yet they seemed wide awake waiting out on the snowy porch they had. Smiling slightly, I hugged my dad, Cleff, first, his tall tan, six foot eight height hovering over my small five foot five self. He always gave the best hugs, but now since he was getting older, his hugs definitely decreased to a mere touch, before letting go completely.

"We missed you!" my short, blonde haired mother, Cindy cheered once more, encasing me in the next hug before I looked back at Luke. He had both suitcases locked in either hand of his, carrying them up to us at the front of the house and smiling over at my parents. It might have been sweet to any other woman, but to me, it was proof that my husband only showed affection to me in front of my parents for their ultimate approval. 

"Hello, Luke! How sweet of you to carry the suitcases!" she weakly smiled, before hugging him faintly and motioning us all inside. Trudging behind, I took a moment to look up at the magnificent white house that my parents had bought back when I was eighteen. It showed signs of needing repair, such as the chipped white porch that rung around the place and the water damaged roof. However, all in all, the place was still looking the best out of any of the other homes on the block and that was a win in itself.

"Charlotte! You're not eight anymore, stop daydreaming and get your 36 year old butt in here!" I heard my mom yell for me inside the house, sending me to shake from my trance and scurry over. Inside was just as magnificent as the outside, with a grand staircase leading up to the second level immediately once getting in, a book room to the left and the dining and living room to the right. I remember when living here climbing all around this place from how big it was, never getting bored at what places I would explore next.

"I'm here," I noted, leaning up against my suitcase Luke had brought inside and closing the wide wooden door shut behind me. "It's just as beautiful as I remember it being," I said once more, as I stripped off my winter jacket from the sudden heat of the place and hung it up on the tall coat rack.

"It changed quite a bit actually since your last visit, want a tour?" my dad eagerly asked, holding out his large hand to me and wrinkling up his aging face into a smile. Nodding at him, I grabbed it and followed as he led the way to my right and brought me into the large kitchen. Looking around once there, I definitely did notice a few changes. Instead of the linoleum walls they had before, now wallpaper boarded up the place and gave it an old-but-in-style look. "We needed help for sure with the new walls, that was a big job ripping everything out," my dad said, placing one of his hands on his hip and pouting- thinking back most likely to that day.

"Thankfully, it's all finished though! Right in time for your arrival today!" my energetic mom chimed in, disturbing my dad from his thoughts and scattering him back to the way he was before to lead the rest of the tour. Bouncing practically throughout the kitchen, my mother was always full of energy most days, unlike my dad who was slow and quiet usually. 

Looking again at the kitchen, I thought about how many memories I had in there, such as burning my hand on the fine white oven that was lined up with all the other appliances, cutting my waist along the middle island from running around it too fast, and getting hit in the head with a frying pan. Maybe my memories in the kitchen weren't really that good after all...

"And the dining room has a new table and chairs," my dad said from the other room conjoined off the back of the kitchen, making me push off my memories and dart over to him, my mom, and Luke.

"This wood is glossed to perfection," I heard Luke say, right as I came into the dining room and saw for myself what he was talking about. A long, glossed, wooden table placed in the middle of the rectangular room with big chairs to match, as the old chandelier I used to hang on still swung above everything in perfect harmony.

"It is very beautiful, where did you get all the money for these new things?" I wondered, tracing my small fingers against the fine wood. With a laugh, my mom straightened out the pink robe she wore over her pale, skinny figure before responding.

"Honey, we have always had the money for things like this. Your father was a doctor after all, and now being retired, money still comes pouring in like rain. Being the richest couple on the block has its expectations you know," looking at her after her response, I wasn't pleased with what she said. Yes, my dad was a doctor for years beyond years, but my mom on the other hand did nothing to support our family. She merely sat at home chatting on the phone, as our cooks and maids did all the real work. And now she was bragging about all the money she gets, yet never lends money to her under paid daughter who would die for a house and the security they had.

Shaking it off due to a glare from Luke, who was my parents "poster child", I nodded and merely continued on with the tour my dad effortlessly still led us on.

"And here we are, back to the stairway. Nothing has been changed upstairs, so you two should remember where your room is from your last visit," my dad ended, scratching atop of his bald head and sending me back into reality as I grabbed my suitcase and dragged myself up the staircase behind Luke. Upon reaching the top, I followed him once more to the left of the hallway to one lone guest room where we would be staying for the time being. Everything was always the same here, hugs from recently arriving, a tour because there was always something new to see, and then being shoved upstairs into the same bedroom to sleep the night away until the morning sun came back up. Things definitely changed for the better, though, upon finding something the next morning under the door...