A Choice Of Abiding

↠just a kid with no ambitions wouldn't come home for the world↞

Los Angeles, Winter 2022

»in which I fell for you.«

It felt like ages since Lucy had been here. She had been so caught up in establish her carrier back in Germany, that she didn't got to think all too much about home. But Christmas was near and so was her birthday. What better to do, than using the holidays to visit her parents? Caroline accompanied her, since Lucy's parents had invited Caro's parents visit California and their old neighborhood as well.

One thing Lucy for sure didn't miss about Germany at this time of the year was the biting cold. This was the first thing, she had to detect, when she got out of the airplane and into California's summery temperatures of twenty degrees*.

Caroline also grinned up at the sun and took of the thick pullover she was wearing. She let out a hearty yarn. She overslept at least seven hours of their fourteen hour fight. Caroline could sleep everywhere in any position. She needed all the sleep she could get, so she wouldn't get grumpy. Also caffeine, which the two girls got on the way from the airport in form of Starbucks.

Lucy felt her excitement grow, as their cab took a turn into her old road. A lot of memories were coming back to her; the happy ones and the sad ones. It was the road, in which her father taught her how to ride a bike. It was also the road, where she ran over their cat with the car on accident. If this street already could cause this kind of nostalgia, what would the inside of her childhood home do to her? Caroline seemed as stunned as her, but she was sadder.

"It's crazy, how I spend 16 years of my life here and then all of a sudden I'm so far away." she whispered.

"I know." Lucy pulled her into a hug.
"Pull over here", she introduced the driver and had to let go of Caroline to pull out her money. The trace of nostalgia, that had come over Caroline, was forgotten already. It was supplanted through excitement.

"We have to visit all the old spots", she determined happily, while she removed her seatbelt, "the playgrounds, the pool, the stupid golf club your dad always dragged you to." She had to interrupt her recital to get out of the cab, "Oh, high school of course. What do you say, you want to crash one of this stupid Christmas balls they used to have around this time a year?"

"Don't you think, we're a bit to old for that?", Lucy grinned helping Caroline unload their caskets.

"Speak for yourself, Grandma. I'm only delicate 22 years young and let me tell you: German schools are so boring, when it comes to this kind of stuff. They might be drinking like it's their job from the age of sixteen, but they don't know nothing when it comes to the horrors of American school spirit. The only ball I ever went to was 'Abiball' and I don't think it has much of the insanity of good old American prom. I feel like I missed out."

"Well, I'm actually glad, I don't have to go back there, so sorry. Not interested." Lucy pulled her casket away from the taxi and Caroline followed; "And I promise you, the only thing you missed is two more years of trauma."

"Fine, Granny, no high school." Caroline pouted. Lucy shook her head and rang the door bell.

"Would you stop referring to me as Granny?", she complaint.

"Would you stop being boring", Caroline countered. Lucy didn't get to answer anymore as the door was opened enthusiastically. A second later, her mother; Amelia; pulled her into a hug.
"My baby's home", she squeaked exited.

After a little eternity, she finally let go of her daughter to hug Caroline an equally long time.

„How was your flight? Are you hungry? Do you need something to drink? Or help with your caskets?"