The Joke

Chapter 18

Annie's POV

I missed this town, though it carries all these painful memories I want to forget.

Time flies, but memories stay always there.

Tears stream down my neutral face, as I walk streets that I remember myself as a little girl, running and laughing through the large, grey pavements with my family. Everything was so real and beautiful,  so simple and happy.

Those times were the times... until...

I can't cry anymore, I'm tired of this. I want to be happy , I want to live.I want to be independent, I want to feel free and have money to spend, depending on my needs. Why life is so hard for me?

And now, I crumple.  My home, our home is there, just in the opposite side of the road. It's been so long... My pace becomes quicker and I finally stand in front of it, staring at the entire dwelling. Nothing has changed, even the garden. All the kinds of flowers, lemon trees, apple trees, orange trees, everything's there like the day I left. I stop for a minute to calm down and I wipe the burning tears on my cold, pale cheeks. Am I ready to get inside? Am I ready to meet my dad?

I think I am. I want to be.

So, I get closer and closer the door and I stop before I knock to take a deep breathe. Suddenly, the door flies opened and my laughing dad comes on view. When his eyes find mine, the laugh stops and his face gets to the very serious form. He moves in like a slow motion, while I'm frozen there staring at him.

There's a minute of silence, when he finally speaks first.

"A-A-Annie?" he's so surprised by this sudden arrival of his failed-in- every-domain daughter. Then, a blonde woman, in her early 40s I guess comes and looks at us, standing next to the wooden opened door.

"Hello dad," I only achieve to say and he almost runs to my side, hugging me tight as I do the same. "I missed you, daddy." I add and tears escape from my already wet (from tears) eyes.

"Oh my God, I can't - I can't believe you're here. I've missed my girl, love you so much!" he's sobbing now and my heart aches .

"I love you more." I tell him, my head touching his chest. I've also missed this warmth of his hug, it's so precious. My dad's appearance has changed since I went to London. He has lost much weight and his beard is shaved. His brown hair is no longer only brown because he has many grey hairs, well,  almost everywhere. In contrast, his deep green eyes are the ones that I have always known and the ones that will never change. This is my lovely man, the one and only .

"Thomas, I gotta go." the good-looking lady tells my father. His arms loosen around me and he looks at her.

"Okay, see you." he goodbyes her and she leaves, smiling at me.

"Who is she?" I immediately ask of him.

"She's Megan, a.. friend of mine." he explains quickly like he wants to change subject as soon as possible.

"Anyway, let's go inside." he says, taking the suitcase from my hands and heading inside of our home.

As we get in, every single moment, every single memory comes alive. The couch we used to relax and watch movies, the table at the living room we used to have lunch or dinner, mostly when we had guests... The photos of my family, of my mom and sister... My sister's dolls. It happens, I'm here to touch them all again.