Insider by Micalea Smeltzer Read Free Book Online Page A

misted my eyes. Three days. Only three was the time I had had with them. That just didn’t seem fair. Who knew when I’d get to see them again? Even in death, Peter Grimm was causing me problems.
     
    “We’ll see you again soon, baby girl,” he said and slung his arm over my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around his middle and leaned my head against his chest. He kissed the top of my head before ruffling my hair. “I’ll miss you squirt.”
     
    “I’m going to miss you guys so much,” I said. I had said goodbye to my parents in August but now I had to go through it all again and for some reason this time felt more difficult.
     
    “I need to make some calls , so I called for a cab to take you to the airport,” he said.
     
    I took a deep breath and pulled away before hugging my mom again. She squeezed me tight . So tight , that the air rushed out of my lungs in a gush.
     
    “You’re squishing me,” I choked.
     
    “Sorry,” she pulled away. She patted my cheeks and stared into my eyes. Hers were the same ch ocolatey brown color. “I love you Sophie. So much,” she hugged me quickly before letting go.
     
    A horn honked outside. “That’s the cab,” dad sai d a bit forlornly. He patted Caeden on the back and my mom hugged him.
     
    “I’m so sorry ya’ll have to leave so soon. It just breaks my heart,” she said and my dad slung his arm around her shoulder .
     
    “Me too,” Caeden said, “but we need to get back to our pack.”
     
    “We understand,” dad said.
     
    “Love you guys,” I said and blew a kiss as I walked to the door. Mom held her hand out and caught it, our ritual since I was a child. Caeden went on out with our bags and then returned for Murphy’s flattened crate. By the time I made it outside he already had everything loaded in the taxi .
     
    “Do you have everything?” he asked while his hands rested on the open trunk.
     
    “Yeah,” I said sadly as I looked back at the house and my parents where they stood on the front stoop.
     
    He closed the trunk with a loud thwack.
     
    “Come on, Sophie. It’s time to go home,” he took my hand and guided me into the back seat. Archie jumped into the car and onto my lap. Caeden slid in beside me and closed the door. He told the driver to take us to the airport and then took my hand in his as the car started to pull away.
     
    I waved to my parents and they waved back. It seemed like it had only taken a matter of minutes for us to leave and I had no clue how long it would be before I saw them again. One month? Six? A year?
     
    Caeden’s thumb gently stroked my hand in circles.
     
    “I’m sorry Sophie but we have to go home. Our pack needs us.”
     
    “I know,” I turned around to watch the house and my parents disappear. “It’s just hard to say goodbye. You’d think I’d be used to it. I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
     
    “You’ve been saying goodbye to friends not your parents. There’s a difference.”
     
    “Goodbye is goodbye, Caeden, it doesn’t matter who you’re saying it to,” I turned around and sat down. Archie glared at me for disturbing him and Murphy sat in between us on the seat, his head almost touching the ceiling.
     
    I crossed my arms over my chest and soaked in my last sights of Germany. Rain splattered the windows and the wipers swung back and forth as fast as they could.
     
    The taxi pulled up to the airport and Caeden went to fetch a cart. He set up Murphy’s crate and coaxed the reluctant dog into it. I slung my suitcase on top of the cage and then Caeden’s.
     
    Archie pawed at my legs so I scooped him up into my arms and then followed Caeden to the check in and then through security. Once we were through that nightmare we collapsed outside the gate.
     
    Caeden’s knee bounced up and down with restlessness. Finally he stood and said, “I’m going to get some coffee, you want anything?”
     
    “No,” I shook my head.
     
    “Alright,” he said and shoved his hands