Kiss Home Goodbye with the Strings of your Hair

"Goodbye, mother...father." Emily nervously glances at the tall man. Her father was not the most emotional man, but also he was just a little bit on the crying side when it came to his daughter. "I-I promise I'll call-" The man only sobs louder at his little girl's farewell promises.

"Oh, hon, you really are growing into a woman, I'm so proud of you- please ignore your father." Her mother, Lanie, smacks the back of her husband's head as the endless sounds of misery of the man was worsening the soon to be trip of his daughter. The bus station was just a field at the background and a sign for the bus to stop at their spot. Emily holds her rolling bag and straw hat, watching her father waste his tears. It was a flattering scene but also her father should've been over crying her a river, an hour ago. Lanie takes her daughter's long white locks and strokes it slowly, taking the girl's attention. "Remember to write or call. Your father will probably have a heart-attack if you don't call when you arrive there."

"Aww, I will ma! If it makes you feel better I ask, little ol Patty to move in with me so I wouldn't be so lonely at that place. That's why I bought cookies." She puts the pack up out nowhere, showing dark brown baked cookies, oozing with melted chocolate.

"That is sweet, love. Now, I think your bus is there-"

"They grow so fast!" The father sobs into the cloth. "It was only yesterday I was picking strawberries with our little girl and her favorite fruit basket with that one green and pink ribbon." He cried even more, damping the poor object.

"That was yesterday, sweetheart, we have a strawberry farm. It's literally our living." She pointed out, taking her hand back from Emily's hair to pat his back, sighing out loud and scrunching her brows as the sun is actually starting to feel hotter by every passing moment. Her man is not helping with the heat tolerance.

The bus booms a horn to take their attention, driving down to the road with little people inside it, fortunate enough for Emily and her dislike for crowded vehicles in particular- especially when she is so sweaty upon waiting underneath the smiling sun. "Welp!" She pops her lips, turning to her parents and pulling them into a hug. Lanie gladly takes her once little girl to her arms, while her husband seems happy enough to cry into his child's shoulder. They pull off after a while of just resting in each other's arms while they could.

The bus' doors hissed from behind her. "Take care, honey. Write, message or call to us alright? If you can't, ask Patton." Lanie said, watching her go up to the bus with her rolling bag.

"Yes, ma." She waves.

"Don't forget papa!" The father whimpers, snot hanging from his nose.

"I don't think I can even if I wanted to pa."

"Oh my sweet summer child!" Another round of sobs and tears it seems.

She fully enters, getting a seat in the right, second row and window chair, getting comfortable there as this was going to be a long road to the city from her province. She smiles as she watches the two who grew her up wave enthusiastically at her departure.

The doors hissed close again, and the engine groans, wiggling as it started driving forward and out of her home. A small wooden house where she's been for her whole life, living differently from others in the city where she needed to be to fulfill what she worked hard for in college. The waves of her parents and figures fades into the background as they drove further, making her realize that this really was it, the peak of adulthood and a new beginning to her life as a doctor.

"Miss? Where to?" A man lightly taps her shoulder to make her glance his way and away from the glass window.

She blinks at him. "Oh. Florida." She grins.

A new chapter to her life. A new chapter and chance for an independent life of her own. A farewell to province.

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When she got to her destination and new home, she raveled at how everything looks, before immediately pulling in every thing she owned and entered. The door creaked when it was opened, the knob hitting the wall behind it.

The house had a second floor, 3 bedrooms, a kitchen connected to the guest room and... already a few objects showing that her friend has already arrived in their new sharing home. "Patton?" She called, putting both hands at the side of her mouth to sound louder, but the only noise that came was the echoes of her own voice going back to her. "Huh, well, he already did get a job, he might be already getting to that at this hour." She sighed, putting her arms on her hips. "Ahh, first day and I'm lonely. Oh well, I'll make some food then." She quickly puts up her items at one of the empty rooms, deciding to fix it up later, just like how a procrastinator would say. "Yeah, that's going to be fixed tomorrow." She mumbled to herself, before making her way down and to the kitchen.

Eggs would be great for energy right now and some meat. Emily gets to work, not seeing the the eyes on her upon arrival.

"A new neighbor." A woman with her black hair just above her hips, sipped her coffee from a luxurious tea cup with delicate painted yellow and purple swirls, sitting by the the porch of her house. Unlike most people here, she felt wonderous upon being lonely in her home. "I wonder if this one is annoying as well."

"Oh, dearie, be a little kind." A voice from the other side of the porch chimed, a cup of her own stirred by a small spoon between her wrinkling fingers. "She seems nice. Maybe make friend's with her, at least anyone. She looks your age."

Ah, yes... her grandmother who have decided to live with her upon getting sick. She isn't cruel despite her love for isolation, she would still take a beloved and someone who grew her up at the physical and emotional absence of her parents, in her home, whether she disliked so or not. "Grandmother, you always say that."

"Well can you blame me? I'm almost at the end of my years! I would love to see you having a lovely woman in your arms." Her grandmother, Lucy, hugged herself in example of what idea she had in mind. "Make a family, go to work then come back with some cooked meals or you cook for her when she gets home late and crashes on the couch."

"Grandfather and you were a once in a lifetime couple. Two people who found balance in each others arms. I can't take the risk." She replied, coldly. She has always been quite distant from her peers since a young age. Scared of being hurt, being pained by the people around her, she distanced herself instead, and if anyone decided to go even near she would make sure they would never do so again. Lucy looks at her grand daughter in worry, sipping from her cup to find her words first.

"Karrie, you can have what I did."

"We're not having this discussion," She stood, putting her cup on her chair, before moving to leave the situation by going into the house. "Let's just hope this one won't ask for a welcoming gift as well."

Lucy is left with her cup and the falling yellow and orange leaves behind as autumn marched closer. "Oh, dearie..." She mumbled, her wrinkles stretching down with her deep sadness for her granddaughter. She glances at the new neighbor in front of their house, small clicks of ideas and hopes puzzling in her brain when she watches the woman run outside and play with the grasses as if it were disappointingly small. Which it is, but grass is grass. "Hm."

"Wah, I already miss all the long grasses in our home, this one sucks." Emily pulls at one and scans it. "These things are itchy."

Lucy smiles. Yes, this opportunity won't pass through her fingers this time.

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"I'm happy you got here safely!" Patton cheered, taking a big bite out of his food. "Oh my... Your food is as delicious as ever. How amazing. Tomorrow I'll bake."

"Oh, that's really sweet Patton, I really would love some cookies tomorrow." Emily, wipes her mouth off of grease. "Those ones you make that just has melting chocolate in em?"

"Oh absolutely!"

They both giggled continuing on with their conversation about each others lives lately. Patton just got into a new relationship with a man he met working as a doctor in the nearby hospital Emily is to soon to work in. While Emily told of her relationship status still staying single, because despite the many men that has asked her out, her final interest do fall on women. "It's been wild, but I'm very flattered." She giggled, chugging her water down. "I'm thinking of trying harder this time in Florida."

"Tinder?" Patton burped.

"Oh, no, not really my thing, I would really just love if it's a person to person thing."

"What's your type?" He cocks his head curiously, before putting it down on his arms stacked on top of each other on the table. "I'm pretty sure it's not so far from mine though." He winked and laughed, knowing full well that was less a joke and more of the actual truth.

"Serious?"

"Smart?"

"Takes no shit from anyone?"

"Tall?"

"And tall."

"Oh, Emily, you should just ask if my boyfriend has a twin sister for you at this point."

Emily snorted, fixing up her plate to prepare it for the sink's mouth to wash later. "I guess you do have a point." She plays by the end strings of white hair, curly and long. She hasn't found much of people she likes, being a picky person, but then again better picky then taking every person who seems nice and just compliments you on a daily basis, but when it comes to actual family and life they'll leave you hanging on the air like a piñata ready to get hit by a bat. She sighs in her own misery, "Maybe-"

The ring of the doorbell cuts the moment, Patton not taking a single word and standing to open it himself. Just like when they enter, the door creaks when he opens it to feel the outside night breeze pass his form. Oh, it really is horrifyingly cold today. "Hm?" He looks down to find a basket of bouquet, the lines on the baskets red and green, hugging the brown materials used to build it, beautifully. Hanging by it's handle a white card with the cursives, 'Hello, New Neighbor!' Patton picks it up despite his confusion. He closes the door with a push of his foot, clicking when it locks.

"What is i- oh?" She brightened in interest. "You saw who gave it?"

Patton shook his head, putting it to her arms. She dives in with her hand, pulling out several chocolate of her favourite kinds. "Well whoever neighbor it is, really has good taste in chocolate. And that I can respect." She said, splitting the plastic open and biting a half then giving the other to Patton who bites the whole thing left.

"Mmm, wow, this is really good."

"Right?" She half mindedly replied, reading the small white card hanging on the handle. She opens it to find the words, 'Hello! This is a welcoming gift to you my dearest neighbor! We live in front of you, yes! We would love to have you over tomorrow morning. Your friend could come to if he has time. :DD <3' All written in perfect cursive, as if they perfected it like some sort of art form.

Patton whistles when he saw the words written on it. "I have work, but to keep up with our safe protocol, I'll be late for work to watch if you'll be fine!"

"Oh Patton you don't-"

"Safe protocol of two friends is sacred do not taint it with a 'no'!" Patton huffs, pointing a tense finger at her.

She blinks, before smiling at the determination. "Yeah I can't do that. Can I?"

"Yes!" He puts his hands to his hips like a mother scolding a child.

This is already quite a wonderful beginning for little ol Emily it seems. Now, mysterious neighbor, let's know you tomorrow.

"Well, alright, but let's go to sleep now." She gently speaks.