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Home, sweet home.

Chapter One;

Summer seems to end before it even started. And like always, I'm left here still struggling with my duffel bag. 

"Dad?" I yelled, yanking at the straps in an attempt to free my duffel from the trunks clutches. With already one on my back it was hard to pull and keep my balance without smashing my face against the cement.

"Dad?" I repeated, elongating every letter.

It wasn't like him to leave me to fend for myself, let alone not come out to greet me when I arrived. Giving up, I trudged into the house with only one duffel in tow. He could have stepped out for a moment and forgot completely that I was returning home today, or maybe he hadn't heard me pull up. Comforting as those sounded, they were both unusual and unlikely. A door slammed from upstairs, followed by a lot of yelling.

"Shit." I muttered under my breath.

Dropping my duffel, I quickly ran up the steps two at a time. But just as I could reach the top, a mass of blonde hair came flying out the hallway, down the stairs and stalked out the front door. Nice to see you too 'Sis'. 

In the hallway stood my Dad. His brown hair now with a hue of grey, and wrinkles forming just above his brows. He seemed to have aged 10 years in only 2 months.

Laughing lightly, "What no welcome back party?" It felt forced and awkward choking out, but his knotted forehead relaxed and he pulled me into a bear hug. 

"Welcome home, Libby" 

With a ruffle of my hair and a light laugh, he let me go. Groaning I tried to flatten it back down. "Thanks, Dad." 

Though I knew he was happy to see me, I could still sense his worry. Melissa must have really pushed him over the edge this summer. Guilt pained my stomach if I knew it was this bad I would have come back earlier so he wouldn't have had to deal with her alone. Even during our brief and scarce phone calls, he never let on how much of a problem she'd become. Maybe going away wasn't such a good idea.

"So, tell me how was the island?"