Please Reveiw!!
Chapter 2
“Hey munchkin, you all packed?” Nadia asked of her niece.
“Yup.” Anna answered, taking her final box of books to the car and loading it into the back. She climbed into the front seat with her mother and aunt, ready to set off on another journey.
***
They pulled up to their new home many hours later, exhausted from the trip. It was twilight, and they couldn’t see very far off to the water, but enough to know it was there. The cool breeze swept over the land, assuring the small family that they were somewhere new that was full of possibilities.
“Let’s get to bed, we have a big day tomorrow.” Sydney ushered Anna inside and up to the small room that she would call her own. Tucking her daughter under the covers, she left a kiss on her forehead and went back downstairs to unpack what they could.
Sydney found the letter Anna wrote on the dashboard, waiting to be mailed. She placed it atop the box she was carrying in, setting them on the dining room table.
“Nadia, I’m tired, I’m gonna head up to bed.” Sydney hugged her sister, retiring upstairs to get some sleep before facing the next new day.
***
A week passed, Sydney had found a decent job at a local coffee shop, Anna started in her new school, and all were happy. Anna’s first letter got mailed as well as another, after she started school.
Dad,
Guess what? From my window, you can see the sea. It’s really beautiful. We do geography at school, dad. I’m really good at it. Mrs. Mackenzie gave me two gold stars.
I made a friend here too. Her name’s Claire, and she’s horrible at geography. Talk to you soon.
Love from your daughter,
Anna
Anna sat in class, reading the assigned material with the rest of the students. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Claire handing her a folded piece of paper. She took it and opened it quietly, so the teacher wouldn’t hear.
For the rest of the day she couldn’t wipe the grin off her face.
***
While Anna was at school, Sydney got on a bus headed towards Normandy. After a hour long bus ride, she got off the bus in a small business district. She went down to the local post office and walked inside.
“Name?” The teller asked.
“Bristow, 647.” She answered, telling him the box number as well.
“Take a seat and I’ll get right on it.” The man said with a smile. Sydney sat down in one of the chairs across from the window, patiently waiting for the old man to find her mail. He returned moments later, handing her two letters.
“Thanks.” She replied and left the post office to find someplace quiet. She followed the sidewalk a few meters before she came upon a bookstore. The owner immediately recognized her.
“I was wondering when you’d be back.” He smiled and took a novel from the shelf behind the counter. “I got a good one for ya. She’ll love it.”
“Thanks.” Sydney said quietly, paying for the book and wandering off to find a table to sit at.
Dear Anna,
Glad to hear you made some new friends in France. It’s a very pretty city, I’m sure. How was that last book I sent you? I hope you enjoyed it, I can’t wait to hear about it. We’ll be docking at the Cape soon, and I can’t wait to get a look around. I hear it’s magical this time of year.
The sea out here is such a clear blue, just like the stone in your mom’s engagement ring. Ask her about it and she’ll tell you. I better go now, it’s my turn on watch. Be good for your mom.
Sydney wrote, making her handwriting look different than her normal style. She hated having to lie to her daughter, but she had to protect her from the truth. She knew she should stop, but she didn’t feel that Anna was ready for that yet. Rather, Sydney wasn’t ready for that yet.
She didn’t want to crush her daughter’s hope, but she just couldn’t bring herself to tell her the truth. Finishing the letter off with ‘
Lots of love, Dad’ she had to force herself not to remember the horrible man that was Anna’s real father. He didn’t deserve their love. He didn’t deserve anything after the way he treated her.
Sydney had told Anna that her dad was working on a ship. The ‘Sancta Marina’ traveled all over the world, exploring all the wonderful places Earth had to offer. Anna was proud of her father, thinking he was being brave and traveling the seas.
What she didn’t know, couldn’t hurt her, right?
TBC...
