If We Were Perfect (herophine)

Chapter Four: Anything You Want

Josephine

10:00 A.M.

My flight lands at exactly 10:00 A.M.

Hero's interview was thirty minutes ago, and I decide to not disturb him just in case it lasted longer than expected, and my phone didn't charge so I didn't have much battery left and my Mom didn't want me wasting it on a ten minute call.

I slide my phone into my bag and follow my Mom and Jamie out to the exit of the airport, where Dad was supposed to be waiting for us. My parents divorce wasn't messy, and they didn't hate each other afterwards. They got along well, actually.

"Melissa!" A deep voice echos from in the middle of the crowd, and the turn at my Mom's name being called out by an all too familiar voice.

I see Dad a few feet away, his slick brown hair was drenched in hair gel and sun glasses covered his eyes. He wore brown khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt.

I run over to him, dropping my bag and wrapping my arms around his waist, burying my head into his chest and never wanting to leave his embrace.

I haven't saw my Dad in exactly five months from yesterday and I missed him so much. Unlike Mom, he wasn't as hard on us, even though he was a Detective.

Maybe that's why though? I mean it would make sense he was keeping tabs on us.

"Josephine, mi dulce niña!" He says, tightening his embrace.(my sweet girl)

I pull away a second later and let Jamie hug Dad, then Mom saying a simple hello, followed by a side hug.

"Mom, where are you staying?" I ask as Dad walks us out to his car, our suitcases bouncing slightly as we pulled them around behind us.

"I'm staying with Aunt Jess and Grandma, you two are staying with your Dad tonight and tomorrow, then coming to see my family on Sunday." She replies.

I didn't hate staying with Dad. He lived in an apartment high above the busy Chicago streets. It was like an escape from the hustle and bustle. We stop when Dad stops in front of his car. The white body was spotless and the wheels looked fresh and new, as if they had been put onto the car before he came to get us.

While Dad and Mom begin to load our suitcases in the trunk, I pull a hair tie off my wrist and pull back my hair again. For some reason, it felt hotter here than it did back home. Which was weird, especially since Florida is closer to the equator.

Jamie and I get into the backseat and I buckle my seat belt, the black leather seats burned under my thighs. I slide my hands under my legs and lift the lower half of my body off of the seat.

The twenty minute drive to get Mom out of the city and to Aunt Jess's house is a long one, the car bounces through traffic, going from one lane to another until Dad can finally get out of the city.

As Dad pulls up to the large, brick house, Jamie and I begin saying our goodbyes to Mom.

She was my entire world. She loved me when I felt unloved, she took care of me, fed me, she did everything for me.

I should've given her more than a side hug and a peck on the cheek, I should've held her as tightly as I held Dad at the airport.

I knew that I would miss her the next day and a half.

***

We get back to Dad's apartment and he brings up our bags for us.

The moment I push open the door, a blast of cool air hits my skin. The wide windows light up the room and I don't both flipping the switch to turn on the large overhead chandelier.

Dad leads me down the hall and pushes open the large door. The room remained untouched, the pink bedding was the way I had left it and the room looked as if time had stood still.

I frown, take my bags from the hallway, then shut the door, turning the lock. I pull off the tight black material that covers my legs and throw them toward my open closet. I kneel down and sit on my knees as I dig into my suitcase. My shorts are buried in the bottom of the suitcase, so it takes me a moment to find them and yank them out of the bag.

"Jo! We're going to the Pier and lunch, are you coming with?" Jamie shouts, his fist pounding against my door. I think about whether I want to go with them or not.

"Yeah, give me five minutes." I say, pulling on my shorts hastily, then dig into my backpack to retrieve my sunglasses. I hang them in between the strings attached to my hoodie, then I exit the room.

Jamie and my Dad were waiting in the living room, neither of them changed, but Jamie now had his camera around his neck.

It must've been something we had inharated from Mom. She ran a personal photography business back home, it was like a side hobby for whenever she wasn't bossing kids around.

"Finally. Took you long enough." Jamie jokes and I playfully punch his arm, he shakes his head with a joking smile, then wraps his arms around me, then dropping me into the couch. I sit up, fixing my hair and jumping towards him, but Dad steps between us. It was just playful fighting, but I knew very well that one of us would be crying in a minute. I decide to leave my phone here and let it charge, if I need to call someone, I'll use Jamie's phone.

I knew deep down I should've taken my phone, but that could be a big mistake.