The Triple S

Chapter Three

{{Chapter Three}}

I would never forget my dad’s face when I called him daddy. He stared at me for a moment, motionless. His face covered in the look of shock and disbelief, like he couldn’t believe I was here; standing in front of him.

“Greenly,” my dad said tentatively like someone was going to pop out and scream, ‘April fools!’ I could understand it though. Here I was the daughter that they probably thought was dead, standing in front of him at a party that’s meant to celebrate the life that I lived.

I watched as he lifted his hand and put it on my cheek, his other arm soon followed as he traced my face with his fingertips.

“It’s really you,” he whispered hoarsely before letting out a loud sob that I was sure caught a lot of attention. Not that I really minded. He pulled me into a hug, my head smashing into his chest. The smell of home surrounded him, made me feel loved and safe. Something that I haven’t felt since I was taken, it felt nice to feel those again and I couldn’t stop the tears as I felt my dad’s emotions and read his thoughts.

He was feeling relieved and worried and I knew he wouldn’t voice those worries to me. I didn’t need him to as I tuned into his thoughts.

My baby girl is here, God I thought she was dead. I thought she was gone. She looks . . . I can’t even think about what she was going through where ever she was.

We sat there crying and hugging as he stroked my hair at the back of my head. It was a comforting thing he used to do when I was little and upset. It always worked and it worked today as I’m in my dad’s arms after being ripped from them.

“Tom!” I heard a woman yell and I knew it was my mom. She sounded distressed and upset.

“Mandy,” my dad sobbed into my hair, all these years that I’ve been with him I have never seen him cry. Not even when his own father died, he just stayed silent, not uttering a single word after his speech. Even as you could see the deep sorrow in his eyes because he lost yet another parent, he still hadn’t let one tear slip.

So now that his daughter was in his arms he was bawling his eyes out and I was right here with him.

My mom rushed over to us, I could hear her footsteps as she got closer.

“Who is that, Tom?” My mom asked my face still buried in my dad’s chest.

“Greenly,” he let out and my mom gasped. I lifted my head and my dad loosened his hold on me, though he was still holding me as if he let me go I would disappear again.

“My baby!” My mom screamed as she too started to cry once she saw my face. She stared into my eyes, and I saw her face go white. “Why are your eyes a different color?”

“What?” I asked as I wiped away my tears.

“Your eyes are a different color,” my mom said. She was in shock, not from my return but from my eyes.

It was not long after she sent everyone home, they all stared at me and smiled. There was a lot of tears and the feeling of relief going around. A lot of people though, my dad included were still contemplating what I went through.

They wondered why I showed up in a dirty hospital gown, why my eyes are different, and why my once long hair was cut short. That last one was a really stupid thought sent by a girl that I once considered my friend. Though today I saw her kissing my boyfriend, well ex seeing as I was taken a long while ago. It’s not like I would want to be with him anymore anyway.

My sister though, she really changed and that scared me. She didn’t become a Goth, or even angry at the world. In my opinion she joined it, she went from being a super nerd to super slut. Yes, I just said it. My once amazing little sister is dating anything with a male anatomy part.