The car ride from Utah to Tennessee was the worst to come out of our whole situation. The kids and I stopped at a hotel overnight twice, but that still made three days of nothing but the car for a five year old and a one year old. They handled it better then I thought they would, but if we ever go back to Utah—we are flying.
The movers didn’t leave Utah until the day after we did, so we all got to Nashville around the same time. We were moving back into my childhood home with my parents for a little while, until we found a decent, affordable, place of our own. It wouldn’t be so bad. I always loved that house. It always had the perfect setting—up on a hill just high enough to see over the trees. When I was little, my mother and I used to get up once a month before dawn and watch the sun rise over top the pines. It was always our special thing, even to this day my older sister doesn’t know about it.
We lived just outside of Nashville in a place called Belle Meade. The house was decent size—three bedrooms, two baths. For the time being, Paige would have her own room and Austin and I would share. My parents offered to finish the upstairs loft for Austin if we were to stay for the long run, but I declined—I already felt like we were intruding. I was glad to be moving back though, it would give my parents a chance to really get to know their grandkids.
We pulled up to the curb outside my parent’s home sometime in mid-afternoon. Austin had fallen asleep about twenty minutes prior to our arrival, but Paige was wide awake. Her crystal blue hues stared out the window, focused on the house, a smile on her face a mile wide.
“We’re here!” I stated the obvious, excited to be out of the car for a long while. Turning the key the engine seared off, making a noise that can only be described as a missile making a speedy downfall. I saw my mother’s small face pop in the window between the curtains, soon followed by my father’s. Her small frame didn’t waste anytime hurrying out the front door and to the curb. Paige had since jumped out and ran to meet her; they embraced. Through the window I could hear my mother’s joyous squeals, but no one could actually understand them. I stepped out of the car and opened the backdoor, unbuckling my sleeping Austin from his car seat and softly moving him to my shoulder. Shutting the door, I made my way over to my mother, “Hey Mama.”
“You look so good baby! I’ve missed you guys!” She screeched, throwing her arms around my neck cautious of Austin. She kissed Austin’s cheek, “He’s getting so big!”
I chuckled slightly for the sake of the moment, “And heavy!” I glanced up the sidewalk to the top of the steps. There stood my father, tall and solid, a face that screamed respect yet showed no emotion. My mother’s glance followed mine, and as Paige moved next to me she locked her vision in as well. My father had always liked Art, but although he believed that what we did was the right thing to do under the circumstances, he knew I didn’t love him and that broke his heart. I wasn’t sure how he was going to react. After a few moments of complete and utter silence, I found some courage, “Hi Daddy.”
He stood there for a few moments longer, his gaze set on me as if he was searching my soul for something to tell him what to do or think. He sighed heavily and slowly made his way down the steps until he was barely two feet in front of me. A smile came across his tired face, “We’ve missed you baby girl.”
