The Deal

2- Thank You and Goodbye

The sun was setting, bringing the warm light into the kitchen. Neil sighed as he looked outside, taking in the view one last time. Turning around, he placed the final glass in the box before closing it up.

"Sweety!" he called for his daughter. He heard the patter of feet and smiled when she appeared in front of him. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail alongside a silver bow on the side. With her light brown eyes, she looked up at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Yes Daddy?" she said when he kept staring at her. Neil shook his head with a smile.

"Do you want to eat the sandwich now or when we get to the new house?" He walked over to her and picked her up, placing her on the counter. She let out a giggle as she kicked her legs back and forth. "What's so funny, huh?"

"Nothing," she said quickly. Raising an eyebrow, he looked down at his giggling daughter. He turned around and she let out a loud laugh. With a sigh, he reached for his back and stopped until he met the post-it-note that she had stuck onto his back.

"Again?" She didn't say anything as he read over the note. With a small smile, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Well, I love you too, Tesoro."

After giving her the sandwich, he put the last box into his car. Lara stood at the doorway, holding her cardigan in her hand. Once he locked the door, he walked over to her, taking a hold of her small hand. "Shall we say goodbye to the house one last time?" She nodded her head and closed her eyes.

"Thank you house for keeping me and Daddy safe. I'm sorry I wrote on the walls and we couldn't get it out. And I'm sorry I called you ugly because you don't have a balcony." Neil suppressed a smile as listened to her apologise for all the things she had done in the house. "...but thank you for making me laugh and let me play in your house. And thank you for looking after me. I love you house." She opened her eyes and looked down the empty hall. "Amen."

Neil sighed, looking at the walls where photos of him and Lara hung. He remembered how each time they hung up a photo, Lara would be by his side and telling him when it was bent. She was wrong most of the time but he appreciated the effort. "Daddy, you have to say Amen. Grandma said."

"Been spending too much time with your grandma," he muttered under his breath. "Amen." He looked down at his daughter once again and smiled. "You ready to go, Tesoro?" Nodding her head, she tucked her hand into her pocket. Neil roamed his eyes over the entrance once again and stepped out the house, closing the white door behind him. "Alright then, let's go home."