"𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚍"
For most of her life, Frankie Hopper had everything she wanted. A loving family, loyal friends, and her little sister. Until bad luck struck her harder than a lightning bolt, making her burn out...
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'All right, Chief , just sign here, and here.' Jim took the pen from the elderly woman, and messily scribbled his signature on the paper. His hands were shaky, his palms were glistening with sweat, and his heart was ready to jump out of his chest.
His little girl was coming home. After a year of not being able to see her, they were finally reuniting. He handed the papers back to the wrinkly lady and wiped his palms on his pants. The woman smiled and stored the papers in a drawer.
'We're gonna miss Frankie. She was the light around here. Always managed to cheer up the kids.' Hopper followed the receptionist down a hallway, a small smile spreading across his lips.
'Sounds like my Frankie.' The woman flashed a key card to a reader, and after a beep sounded, the doors slid open.
The sight in the room brought tears to Jim's eyes. Frankie was surrounded by kids and teenagers, all with watery eyes. The girl opened her eyes as she was hugging a tall boy, and her eyes met her fathers. Her whole body tensed up, and as soon as the boy let her go, she ran at full speed in her father's arms.
The force almost sent the duo to the ground, but Hopper managed to stabilize them. Frankie shoved her face in her father's jacket covered chest, and let tears run freely down her cheeks. Jim cradled her head and leaned down to put his chin on the top of her head, a shaky breath leaving his lips at the familiar feeling of his daughter's arms wrapped around him again.
The other patients who came to say goodbye to the best thing that happened to them that year all awed at the father-daughter reunion. Hopper rubbed Frankie's back soothingly as the girl sobbed in his chest. As soon as they let go, Frankie's things were brought to them. Hopper held his daughter at arm's length and studied her face.
She looked the same, but also different. The young girl in front of him was his little girl, but also a stranger. Her hair looked the same, but curlier and much longer.
'Let's go home.'
Frankie nodded frantically and turned around to throw one last wave to her old family. She quickly hugged Mrs. Potts, the receptionist, who was also her nurse, and minutes later, she was back in her father's car.
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They stayed in silence for the first half of the drive, Frankie's favourite Mötley Crüe album filling the car. She had been chewing her lip harshly as she tried to come up with something to say. What could you even say to a parent after almost taking your life by accident?
Jim cleared his throat, fully aware of the thoughts in his daughter's mind. Frankie swallowed the lump in her throat, and finally spoke.
'Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen-' Hopper stopped her mid sentence by tightly grabbing her fidgety hand.
'Nothing to apologize for, kid. All that matters is that you're here.' Hopper threw her a small glance, as at the sight of tear stained cheeks, he pulled over the car.
