A Light in the Dark: The moon

Chapter 11: Home is where the heart is

The days flew by, and soon came first snow. Etta loved it. It also meant that the lessons would take place in the big heated arena instead of outside. With the snow, came the Christmas break. Etta would spend this one with her father, since he hadn't been there last summer. She was leaving 10 days earlier to spend as much time with him as possible. On the last day of school for Etta, as soon as classes ended, she went up to her dormitory to pack. She heard a knock on the door.

-"So, you're packing already?" Asked Hansengrove.

-"Yes I... I just want to get it done." Said Etta.

-"You seem exited to leave me, your father is only coming in 3 days." Said Hansengrove, in a joking voice.

-"No, I- I just, I..." Etta began, but stopped when she realized Hansengrove was only kidding.

-"I'm going to miss you." She said.

Etta stood up and threw her arms around her neck. Hansengrove tenderly wrapped her arms around the small girl. They stood there, hugging, for what seemed like an eternity. Etta was holding back tears. It would be so very weird to celebrate Christmas without Hansengrove, Tim and November.

Too soon, Etta's father came. After a heartwarming farewell, she and her father were off to their home.

-"Dad, you look nervous." Observed Etta.

-"No honey, I'm just... I am happy to have you back." He said from his driver's seat, and turning around for a moment to smile at his daughter.

Etta took his explanation, and pushed her father's strange behavior to the back of her mind. When they got home, Etta went up to her room to change. When she came down, her father had prepared dinner. Some homemade lasagna. She smiled.

-"Love, before we start eating, could you go pack a little bag with a change of clothes and some essentials?" He asked.

Now Etta was confused.

-"Oh, sure, why?" She asked.

-"Well, you never know when... I-you know, impromptu paleontologist stuff." He said quickly.

Confused, Etta obeyed and went up to her room to pack a small duffle bag with bare necessities. When she came back down, dinner was ready, and she and her father filled each other in on what had been going on in their lives since the last time they'd met. Soon, it was bed time, and Etta quickly drifted off into sleep.