The Howling Moon

Chapter Fifteen

Ashley

There it was, before me stood my once favorite place in the world. Right now, it just looked foreign, I know this place like the back of my hand, a few weeks ago, I just wanted to come back here and sit on my bed and cry my sorrows and problems away. So why did I just want to leave? All I wanted was to go back to wherever Nick was and just lay in his arms. My heart yearned for him and the more I thought about him, the more painful it felt.

But Something felt off, I felt like my heart was beating uncontrollably and my head was screaming at me to just run, I had a terrible guy feeling.

I pushed that feeling aside, must be the nerves right? I haven't seen my mom in close to a month and now here I am, so I must be nervous.

I hesitantly walked up the stone steps, Natasha following suit, and knocked the door. Natasha pat my back lightly, calming me down a bit.

"Thank you for coming with me." I told her sending her a smile.

"Of course."

I heard the door being unlocked and I felt a little antsy. The door swung open and a man stood in the frame smiling down at me. I blinked and stared at him blankly as he towered over me.

"Daddy?" I asked shock apparent in my voice and on my face. He laughed his familiar heart warming laugh and enveloped me in his big arms.

"Hey, baby girl." His voice made my heart jump and I couldn't help the water works. I haven't seen him in almost a year, now he's right here in front of me and it's very overwhelming. "Aw, Ashley, don't cry honey." I squeezed his torso hid my face in his shoulder.

"I missed you so much daddy." I pulled back and saw that he was tearing. He cleared his throat and wiped his eyes, still looking down at me.

"I missed you too." He looked to my side and noticed Natasha standing quietly beside me. "Natasha, it's good to see you." He gave her a quick hug and gestured for us to come in.

"It's nice seeing you too, sir." He laughed as we walked inside, he's told her many times to call him Howard, but she said she didn't want to be informal around a sergeant. She even saluted him sometimes, but that's the way they were, they joked around a lot.

"Ashley!" My mom yelled coming into the living room, with her apron on. She looked restless, they both did and I knew it was because of my absence.

"Hey mom." I hugged her and kissed her cheek. Natasha and my mom also greeted each other and we all sat down at the table, my mom told us to sit at.

"When'd you get back dad?" I broke the ice, asking my dad what both Natasha and I were wondering.

"Two weeks ago." He nodded his head and reached for a piece of bread on the table.

"Is-is this permanent? When do you have to go back?" It was wonderful having him back home and I kept thinking about how much my dad would like Nick, if they met.

"This is permanent." He said nodding his head. My mom laced her hand in his and they both smiled at me.

"Now we can all finally be a family again." Once the words left her I knew this was going to hurt her. Natasha sent me a worried look and then directed her eyes toward my parents.

"Tell them." She mumbled. My mom had her eyebrows furrowed together, she obviously knew something was up.

"Uh, I promised Natasha to stay with her for the summer, until her parents get back." Both my parents frowned and my dad cleared his throat.

"You can't just leave for the whole summer, we need time to hangout kiddo."

"And we-we will dad." I lied right through my teeth, I felt a pang in my chest, I was always open and honest with my parents, this made me feel crappy. "I'll call you guys from time to time and we'll come over some days." The lies spilled right out of me, I knew I wouldn't call them too often or come to visit, I wanted to, more than anything, but I couldn't. I had to lie to them, I couldn't tell them I was living with a 23 year old man, who I've only met about a month ago.