Hello

1

Just Like Starting Over - John Lennon

My eyes started to sting, I couldn't believe I was finally leaving the navy base. Leaving the harsh life of the military, and all their standards.

"Abilene, " I looked at my father and ran to his embrace. I pressed my face into his shoulder, inhaling his presence. He smelled like he always has - fancy cigars and Armani.

He let me go and looked around us.

"Guess we're finally out of here, huh Billy?" I inwardly cringed at my nickname, but smiled and pushed my hair behind my ear instead. "I guess so." I looked up at my dad, so much had changed in the last ten years, and I hadn't noticed the effects it had on my father. Laugh lines, crinkles by his delicate brown eyes, and salt and pepper hair.

He shoved his hands in his front pants pockets and looked at me. "Welt. Wanna go get some brunch?"

Answering for my lips, my stomach grumbled in response. "Sounds good!" I giggled.

The small bar we usually visited on base held karaoke and live bands every Friday, so we decuded to drop in for a bite. We were shortly greeted by our usual waitress - a girl by the name of Susan - a petite, giggly, little redhead who could persuade you to buy almost anything on the menu.

"What'll it be today, Ab?" I looked over the menu and decided on some new item containing salmon. Susan quickly scribbled down my order, as well as my dad's. After she left was when it got awkward.

"Ahem..." I glanced up from my coke. "So uh, how was high school?" Dad stuttered. I smiled - even though we look almost nothing alike, one thing my father and I share in common is our inability to small talk.

"Um, it was fine I guess," I swirl my straw around the plastic cup. "As fine as school can be, ya know."

"Yeah, it sucks," Dad half chuckled, half sighed. "Your mother was the only reason I actually went to school."

"What a romantic..." I teased.

"I was a teenager!" He screeched. "I was head over heels for that woman."

"Or," I proposed. "you had raging hormones and she was the closest lifeform."

"Ha-ha. Very cute, Abilene."

"It's not easy," I said with a flip of my hair. Just as I spoke, Susan arrived woth our meals.

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After a little catching up - these things tend to go on for hours when you only see your dad a month or two out of the year (if that) - we decided to head down to the beach I grew up on.

Every once in a while, if you came at the right time of night and the tide is low, little jelly-like sea creatures stay on the sand, and my dad and I would throw them back out to sea, for hours sometimes. I like to think of it as a small good deed to a little life.

I bent down to pick up a little guy when I heard a little sniff from behind me. I looked back to see my dad with a little tear streak down the side of his face.

Pulling my finger out of the mouth of the little creature, I carefully plopped it into the ocean with a little tlunk!

"What's the matter?" I approached dad.

"Me? Oh, nothing." He shrugged and wiped a stray teardrop from under his nose.

Then it hit me - today it had been eleven years since my mother passed away.

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Author's note: Sorry it took so long to write this! I hope you enjoy the first chapter, even though it's kinda on the short side. Message me any questions and spread the word!

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-K