My Father Is Who?!: An E.P. Fan Fiction.

Chapter Eighteen: I'm Moving On.

I stood on the platform in terminal three watching the movements from some far off place where none of this was really happening. The trains whistled as they came and went. It was the only sound that could really be heard. I stood with Chelsea and Cody as we said goodbye to Charlie. A week had come and gone since the night of the fight and I wish I knew what happened in that barn because this morning in the midst of pancakes and eggs, smiles were exchanged as well as hand shakes. I asked Aaron but he said he didn't know anything about the odd events.

He and daddy stayed behind to tend to the yard work. Daddy didn't seem to pleased about seeing Charlie off, he almost tried to put off saying goodbye. I didn't feel bad, but I did feel something. I just wasn't sure how to describe that feeling. I watched the exchanged embraces for a moment before glanceing around the platform. People run past one another in a rush to get where they were going. Couples kissed and in the corner, a young boy played the blues on a beat up flat top. My eyes traveled to the party I was standing with. Chelsea and Cody stood with smiles on their faces, the news of an apartment in Dallas had assured that. Charlie, however, looked disheartened by the words he was saying.

"Dahlia?" His small calloused hand waved in front of my face, calling me back to reality. The transition out of my dream world was some what jolting, but welcomed.

I answered him sweetly with a grin, although in my mind lingered in some far off place. My eyes voyaged back to the kissing couple. They were swaying to some music that only the two of them could hear. It was no doubt that they were in love.

"I have something for you." Charlie said after a moment of comfortable silence. "For both of you, actually." He motioned for me and Chelsea to come closer.

We glanced at one another and took a step closer to the male who was digging into his suitcase. When he turned, he set a black case into each of our hands, "Open them." He beamed.

Flipping the black case back, I stared with a twinge of excitement at what stared back at me. A gold TLC necklace lined with diamonds. He handed me the third case with instructions to make sure Aaron received it. I slipped the little case into my pocket and smiled at him.

"I'll miss you, Charlie." I said with a slight nod.

Charlie opened his arms welcoming me in and I advanced on him. Wrapping my arms around him, I couldn't help but smile. It was a real smile, one that meant something.

"Train three heading to Memphis is now boarding." The voice over the loud speaker blared.

I released Charlie and watched as he gathered his bags and left us standing there. I felt my heart break but wondered what Chelsea was feeling. An over abundance of joy flowed from the couple who stood beside me but I had no use for the feeling. I felt like something was missing. Charlie tossed a wave out the window and we returned it. We stood on the platform, standing shoulder to shoulder until the train roared to life and rolled down the tracks while the whistle screamed. There was a heavy sadness settling in side me. I wanted Charlie to stay and tell me more of his tales about the man he once called his best friend.

For a split second, I longed to be on that train beside him. He was the only one who could unsuspectingly spoon feed me the information that I needed to know. I had listened to Charlie in hopes that maybe he would let something slip that might lead me to where I needed to be. No, I didn't need to know, it was more of what I desired to know.

Turning to the happy couple beside me, I did my best to smile, although the motion was gradual and felt cliché to me. "Now what?" I asked softly to anyone who was listening.

"Let's go home," Chelsea said, hooking an arm around Cody and slipping her hand into the confines of his back pocket. "Cody wants to show me his place, and mom said we were going out to lunch once dad and Aaron get done with the yard work."