The mustard house stood tall and proud, towering the girl as the gentle breeze whispered through the trees and grazed her arms. The sun amidst the cloudless sky beamed at her, welcoming her back to her place. After traveling for endless hours across countless time zones, she had finally arrived at her destination: home.
Home, thought the girl, grinning as she glided through the front door, expecting to be greeted by her family — yet everyone was gone. Where are they? Disappointed, she paused to look around, her smile slowly twisting into a frown. The framed photographs, the books on the shelves, the paintings on the walls — nothing seemed as she remembered them anymore. Everything had changed. Slumping down in the nearest chair, which she had never even seen before, she took a deep breath and stood up again, commanding herself to walk around.
Like an explorer roaming strange land, she carefully and swiftly paced around the house, inspecting its every crevice and corner. From the front door to the living room to the kitchen to the backyard, every part of the house now seemed so familiar yet so foreign to her. Strange-looking bushes had replaced beds of colorful flowers in her backyard. The pottery pieces she created in third grade, usually lining the display shelves, had all vanished. Her childhood bedroom? Now a cluttered storage room. Even the puke-green painting her mother loved and she secretly hated had disappeared from its usual place on the wall — and though she didn’t mind its disappearance, a part of her still missed it just a little.
With a heavy heart and a sigh, the girl thought, Has it really been that long since I’ve been gone? Is this even my home anymore?
Her mind began to wander off to her college dorm room with its plain white wall, its wooden floor, and her snuggly bed. Perhaps, she contemplated, that is where my home is now. But then again, she would have had to say goodbye to that room eventually. After all, she has but two years left.
Hung up on her thoughts, the girl stood still as a statue, her eyes gazing into the distance, oblivious to the sound of engine rolling into the garage.
Suddenly, a high-pitched squeal broke through her bubble — and the next thing she knew, her baby sister had yanked her into a bear hug, holding onto her tight, shrilling out “I miss you” over and over at her. Warmth and joy flooded her heart and flashed through her body as she laughed and smiled and hugged back. And there at the door, her parents stood, beaming at her with love and pride. Pausing for a split second before running into their arms, she snuggled up close and breathed in their familiar, comforting scents — just like when she was a little kid.
And right there, she forgot about how much things had changed and would continue to change. She forgot all her disappointment about how they weren’t on time to greet her. All she knew was that, despite everything, this place right in their arms was where she belonged.
This right here was her home.
