I know you're somewhere out there,
Somewhere far away.
I want you back, I want you back...
---
The next four days went by swiftly, at least during day time. Sarah had kept herself busy working around the ranch. There were a good number of staff members that were essential to keep things running smoothly, but the family had always remained very involved on the ranch's management, proud to be hands-on owners and any extra help was always welcome.
But when the night came and it was time to go to bed, the tears would start pouring and she would cry herself to sleep and then spend the rest of the night tossing and turning in bed, despite the physical exhaustion. Hence, afternoon naps were becoming a must for Sarah to keep functioning. She was lying face down on her bed when some commotion coming from downstairs woke her up. She lifted her head trying to determine what the big fuss was about. For a moment, she thought she heard a familiar voice.
"It can't be..." She muttered.
She rolled out of bed and walked down the corridor, her steps quickened as the voices started getting more and more clear. When she got at the bottom of the stairs she squealed in excitement and jumped into her dad's arms.
"There's my doll!" He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her from the floor.
Her father's embrace had this power of making her feel that, no matter how bad things were, everything would be right in the world. She did not want to let go and fought back the tears.
When he put her down, Sarah turned to her mom.
"What are you guys doing here?" She wondered, lacing her arms around her mom's neck.
"Surprise!" Bri said, squeezing her daughter tight.
As thrilled as she was to see her parents, she was troubled by their motives. They sounded very worried about her unforeseen trip when they spoke on the phone and playing it cool for her aunt, uncle and grandma was one thing, but for her parents... that was a different story.
The first question was about her foot and Pat insisted on Sarah sitting on the couch so he could inspect it as if he had a clue about orthopedics. After the consultation with Dr. Anderson, she headed to the kitchen with Lilly and grandma Fay to start getting dinner ready. Uncle Bob was in charge of grilling the steaks, while Bri and Pat went upstairs to get settled in their room and shower after the long hours of traveling back from Africa.
During dinner, the conversation revolved around her parents trip, Sarah was relieved that her life in Dubai did not come up but it was hard to pay attention to what was being said on the table when she could not stop wondering if her parents knew anything. They might have suspected that something was off, but there was no way they had any idea of what was happening, she had covered her tracks pretty well.
Sarah offered to do the dishes while everyone else headed to the porch to get some fresh air. She was finishing loading the dishwasher when her dad popped up in the kitchen.
"Almost done?" He asked, sticking his head into the fridge.
"Yep!" She replied, drying her hands with a towel.
Pat held up a beer bottle. "You want one?"
"No, thanks."
"Come on," he pointed to the back porch with his head. "We have to talk."
She pressed her lips and followed him, every excuse possible circling around in her mind. What was the point of troubling her parents with her complicated love life? Especially at that moment when her future with Hamdan was so uncertain.
YOU ARE READING
Promise This (English Version)
Fanfiction"A strand of hair was laying over her left eye and he slowly tucked it behind her ear with his index finger. His hand kept going down to the back of her neck and he caressed her blushing cheek with his thumb. She did not seem to be cold anymore. His...
