Dry Your Tears and Wave Goodbye Solo Summer 2025

Interacting with: N/A Mentioning: N/A Date: 07/02/25

Word Count: 1078

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The land was familiar. Too familiar for her to be going somewhere she had never been before. Where was her father taking her and why were they going there? Many questions swam through Avery's head as she sat in the passenger seat of a car her father's friend had lent them. Her father had woken her early that morning. Telling her to get dressed and ready quickly. She had done this, of course, but he wouldn't tell her why. A smile had been on his face then. That alone was something Avery hadn't seen in a while. This smile wasn't full of sadness. Instead, it actually reached his eyes. Making Avery wonder even more what was to come and where he was taking her. He had acted as if it was somewhere she had been before, but as she racked her brain, nothing came to mind. It had been many years. Too many years since she had last visited most parts of her home country, so no wonder she didn't know what to expect. The scenery was beautiful. Like it had just been plucked right out of a painting and stuck there for all to see. A castle stood alone on a grassy hill as the sun rose. Bathing its walls and the scenery around it in the golden light of dawn. She leaned her head against the window and let the gently sway of the car as her father drove lull her into a trance. A trance where she wasn't quite asleep, but she wasn't completely awake either. The perfect kind of trance for memories to resurface. One memory was clearer than the rest. It was a beautiful day. The late sun bathing the valley in light. Fluffy bumblebees lazily moved from flower to flower as a gentle breeze rustled the grass. A family was there in the middle of the valley. Two young adults and a toddler between them. The young couple smiled as their daughter sniffed a flower and sneezed afterwards. It was so peaceful. So warm like nothing could break the moment. The car suddenly lurched to a stop causing Avery to lose the trance the memory had pulled her into. She glanced out at the road and saw a small family of birds crossing the road. The mother in the lead with her babies following close behind. Avery smiled. They were a big happy family. Connected. Unlike her own family which was broken and built on lies and deception just waiting to crumble their foundation to dust. The family of birds passed quickly and eventually the car was moving again. This time, slower than before. Avery stole a glance at her father as he smiled. They had made it, but where were they? And what was it about this place that made her father so happy? She watched as her father turned right onto a gravel road. She watched silently as the gravel crunched under the pressure of the tires. After about a hundred yards a house could be seen past the trees. It was a beautiful two-story cottage house with ivy growing on the walls and large windows letting the sun shine through. Avery gasped. She recognized the house as a faint memory came across her. What was this place, and why did she feel at peace for the first time in a long time? "Where are we and why did you bring me here?" Avery asked as she got out of the car to stand in front of the car. Her father smiled as he leaned against the car. "This is where you were born and where we lived before we moved to London. I brought you here because I believe you need to see your childhood home again. It's been almost ten years since you last saw it anyway. Consider it an early birthday gift." There were no words for what came over Avery at that moment. Her knees gave out and she collapsed to the ground. The gravel digging into her legs as she stared at the house. Her mouth slightly agape in shock. This was her home. Her real home. How could she have forgotten such a beautiful place? Why hadn't her father taken her to see it sooner? She felt a hand touch her shoulder and looked up to see her father staring at the house with sadness in his eyes. The house wasn't just her home. It was also her father and mother's even though her mother refused to admit the fact that Wales was still her home country. "Do you want to see the garden?" Her father asked as he began walking down a smaller gravel path that led to somewhere behind the house. She guessed it led to whatever the garden meant. Avery followed closely behind her father. Awe planted on her face as she admired the beauty of the world around her. The trees gently swaying in the breeze, the birds chirping and soaring overhead, a deer drinking from a small pool of water, all of it. It was as if this place was where time had slowed. Preserving it for the past nine years that it had been unoccupied. It was then that she saw the garden. A meadow with tall yet graceful grass blowing softly and wildflowers dotting the hillside. She gasped again. The scenery was exactly like what she had seen in the memory. How could such a beautiful place have been forgotten so easily? That's when the tears came. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. Happiness. A sense of peace now that she was finally home and where she belonged. Time flew and before she knew it, her father had placed his hand on her shoulder again. "Time to go, Avery. Dry your tears and say goodbye. Dinner will be ready soon and we have to get back to your grandparents." Avery sniffed and wiped her eyes before saying, "Will we ever get to see this place again?" Her father stiffened before saying, "I don't know." Then he walked down the path towards where they had left the car. Avery followed behind her father slowly. Brushing her hand against the rough bricks of the house and whispering, "I will return no matter what." Then she placed her hand at her side and got into the car. She couldn't wait for the day when she would finally return to the beautiful home. Even if it meant going alone.

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