Road back Home

1

Almost 7 years later

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, dear Anni, happy birthday to you!"

Anni sat on a chair with a bright smile on her face, listening to her dad sing, happily joggling her legs under the table.

Tino finished singing and brought the cake in front of her.

"There! And don't forget to make a wish!" he said with a loving smile. His girl had grown up so much! He could still remember first feeling her kicking in his belly, could still recall the pain of birthing, but it was worth it, for without it he'd never have his little girl - his ray of sunshine on the days he felt like clouds were about to take over his world.

"What will you wish for?" he asked with a curious smile. Anni just smiled back.

"Dad! You know I can't tell you! If I tell you, it won't become true!" she explained.

"Oops! Sorry!" he apologized.

Anni closed her eyes as she thought of the wish. It would be the same as ever.

She took a deep breath and blew the six candles. I'd like to meet my other dad!

"And now the presents!" announced Tino happily. There were two boxes on the floor. One bigger, one smaller. "Open the bigger one first!" her dad adviced.

In the box were a pillow, a leash, two bowls and a bag of dog food. Anni laughed. "But we don't have any-" and then it clicked and she was ripping the second box open. Something small looked back at her. She picked it up.

It was a puppy. A cute, fluffy, small, white puppy. "Aweeeeeee!" she squealed. "Doggie! What's her name, dad?"

The Finn kept smiling. "Well that's up to you."

"Oh! Is it a he or she?"

"It's a little girl."

"Hmmmm, I don't know...could you help me?"

"Well, what about Hanatamago? Hana for short?"

"...I like it!"

The dog seemed to like it as well, as she wagged her tail and licked Anni's cheek.

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5 years and 3 weeks later

Anni blinked at the sudden memory. She was standing outside in the small garden of their apartment building. The older Hana was relieving herself behind a bush.

She shook her head. This memory was a pleasant one. Memories from school were not quite this nice, rather the opposite, actually. Not that she was dumb or learning bad or anything, but the children were giving her a hard time sometimes. They mostly ignored her - in the better case. In the worse case, well...

And one more head shake. Come on. Think positively. Easy to say, hard to do.

She couldn't help but wonder about her father a bit more - how would her life be different with him? Would it be better? What kind of father would he be like?

Anni was so lost in thinking about the past that could've been she didn't even notice the small dog approaching until Hana jumped on her leg and ended Anni's train of thoughts.

Anni took her inside, ran to the second floor, taking two steps at a time (it was a game she was playing with herself - how many times can you take two or more steps at a time and she played whenever she could), unlocked and opened the door and shrugged off her coat in a record time. Anni could win gold if this was an Olympic discipline.

"Good morning, dad!" she called in the direction of the kitchen.

"Good morning, sweetie! Would you like a cheese sandwich or a ham one?"

"Uh, cheese, thanks," Anni answered as she quickly dressed. (She took Hanatamago out in only pyjamas. What? This is a free country!)

After breakfast, Anni and Tino's ways parted as he was off to the school he teached in, and she was off to the one she studied in. Those two were sadly not the same, as Tino's school was a private one.

So after saying their goodbyes, Anni headed to the bus stop, somehow still thinking about her father.