Status: Work in progress
Yellow Flowers
Introduction
"Daddy, where are you going?" the girl with the perfect blond curls asked as she held her teddy bear and tugged on her dad's jacket," Why are you leaving?"
"Don't worry, Hannah, I'll be back soon,"He smiled at her with his perfect white smile.
He noticed how upset she looked, and he dropped his camouflage duffel bag and kneeled down to hug her.
"I'm going to miss you,"He said, holding his arms out as he tried not to look upset.
"I'm going to miss you, too, Daddy,"Hannah dropped her bear and went over to hug him. Her short arms barely reached his back, while his wrapped completely around her.
He put his arms around her tight, and he kissed her forehead. When he let go, Hannah just stared at him. He couldn't stop looking at her. Her big, baby blue eyes just stared right back at him.
"Bryan?"another voice called from upstairs,"Are you still here?"
"I'm leaving now, Mel,"Bryan said, still watching Hannah. He could feel his eyes start to water, and he turned around, not wanting Hannah to see him cry.
He picked up his bag and started towards the door when he heard another person's footsteps. He turned around and saw his wife, Melanie, with her arm around Hannah. She tried to smile, but Bryan could tell she's been crying.
"I love you,"he said one last time before he walked out the door, his blue gray eyes filling up with tears.
He was hoping for an "I love you" back, but Melanie just stood there, biting her bright red lips.
"I love you, too,"she said a minute too late.
***
That was the first time my dad was deployed. It was eleven years ago, I was five. Of course, I didn't think much of it, I was five.
He's been deployed several times since then, usually only for a month or two, but it's been almost a year since Bryan's been back. Mom's been going crazy worrying about him, constantly checking her phone and her e-mail.
My little sister, Abby, doesn't even know what's going on. They're doing the same thing to her as they did to me when I was five.
I wish I was still living in that fantasy, back when Daddy was only going on vacation, and would definitely come back every time. Now, I live in this constant worry that something will happen to him, something I can't fix. My mom's a wreck when he's just out, imagine if he was gone forever.
"Don't worry, Hannah, I'll be back soon,"He smiled at her with his perfect white smile.
He noticed how upset she looked, and he dropped his camouflage duffel bag and kneeled down to hug her.
"I'm going to miss you,"He said, holding his arms out as he tried not to look upset.
"I'm going to miss you, too, Daddy,"Hannah dropped her bear and went over to hug him. Her short arms barely reached his back, while his wrapped completely around her.
He put his arms around her tight, and he kissed her forehead. When he let go, Hannah just stared at him. He couldn't stop looking at her. Her big, baby blue eyes just stared right back at him.
"Bryan?"another voice called from upstairs,"Are you still here?"
"I'm leaving now, Mel,"Bryan said, still watching Hannah. He could feel his eyes start to water, and he turned around, not wanting Hannah to see him cry.
He picked up his bag and started towards the door when he heard another person's footsteps. He turned around and saw his wife, Melanie, with her arm around Hannah. She tried to smile, but Bryan could tell she's been crying.
"I love you,"he said one last time before he walked out the door, his blue gray eyes filling up with tears.
He was hoping for an "I love you" back, but Melanie just stood there, biting her bright red lips.
"I love you, too,"she said a minute too late.
***
That was the first time my dad was deployed. It was eleven years ago, I was five. Of course, I didn't think much of it, I was five.
He's been deployed several times since then, usually only for a month or two, but it's been almost a year since Bryan's been back. Mom's been going crazy worrying about him, constantly checking her phone and her e-mail.
My little sister, Abby, doesn't even know what's going on. They're doing the same thing to her as they did to me when I was five.
I wish I was still living in that fantasy, back when Daddy was only going on vacation, and would definitely come back every time. Now, I live in this constant worry that something will happen to him, something I can't fix. My mom's a wreck when he's just out, imagine if he was gone forever.