The little girl ran down the hallway, skidding to a stop beside a coat cupboard opposite the kitchen door. Her left overall clip bounced off the button that held it and clanged against the wood. She quietly unhooked the little hook holding the two doors together and climbed inside, her fingers clinging to each wooden panel as she closed the doors. She curled up, drawing her dainty knees up to her chest. 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiVA4UpvYY
And waited for the counting to mumble to a halt. 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSOHBjq0nJb
‘Petite Belle,’ a voice chimed down the hallway, the melodic sound almost making the girl make a delighted noise. It had been four months and two days since she heard it.
‘Where are you my little Angel?’ He laughed, his footprints dancing on the wooden floorboards. She clapped her fingers over her a little nose, lips beaming behind her hands like sunlight through shutters.
‘Bella,‘ he sang, ‘Come out little bon-bon.‘
She opened the door a pinch, seeing the back of his head, golden hair tied back in a sailors pony tail. She giggled and he looked over his shoulder, a grin setting off the gleam shining from his hazelnut coloured eyes.
‘Excuse me My Lady,‘ he said, spinning around and falling to kneel opposite the cupboard. 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mnqv0XIXq
‘Have you seen my baby girl?' he cried dramatically, eyes dancing, 'she is my sunshine in fog, the rainbow after a storm - I have missed her much.‘
She opened the doors another inch, grinning when he peered closer.
‘I have a surprise for her,’ he said, his voice softening, his ‘r’s‘ rolling charmingly, ‘have you seen my angel?‘
She threw the cupboard doors open and launched herself at him, curling her fingers in his shirt as he wrapped his arms around her.
‘Papa!’ she piped, giggling as he threw her up in the air.
‘I found her!‘ he cried, hugging his little daughter to himself, ‘I found my sunshine!‘
‘Papa!‘ she laughed again, the sound erupting from the quiet child and cascading down the hallway.
‘Have you been a good girl?‘
‘Yes Papa!‘
‘Would you like your surprise?‘
‘Yes Papa!‘ she crowed again, hugging his neck. He kissed her on the cheek and gently set her down on the ground, shutting the coat cupboard soundly. Bending down he fastened the claw of her overalls back onto its button.
He bopped her nose with a long finger and a crooked grin spread across his face.
‘Go to my room my petit angel and tell me what you see.‘
She ran down the hallway, her feet like rain on a tin roof. 788Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9LIMwOS2A
She squealed and pulled the object into the hallway, dragging it behind her the way a toddler drags a teddy bear along the ground.
‘Papa!‘ she cried, pulling the object in front of his eyes.
‘It’s empty Papa! Empty!‘
He peered into the suitcase curiously, ‘really?‘ he ran a finger along the suitcase lining, ‘so it is!‘
He scooped her into his arms and leaned against the wall, staring into her large baby eyes.
‘No clothes?’
She shook her head.
‘Not even an umbrella?‘
She giggled and shook her head, ‘nothing papa, rien!‘
Their foreheads touched and he grinned, ‘I guess I can’t go anywhere then.‘
She didn’t say anything. She didn’t laugh, she didn’t cry.
But her eyes shone.
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