Story of father and her daughter

 I’m getting late for a meeting, 

'need to run', he said, 

as he slung his coat over his shoulder, 

and bounded out of the house. 

 

 

he slung his coat over his shoulder…

sling : 

loosely and casually THROW something.

 

He threw his coat over the shoulder.

He slung his coat over the shoulder,

and bounded out of the house. 

He leaped out of the house. 

He jumped and ran out of the house.

He bounded out of the house.

 

 

As he drove away, 

she came running down the stairs 

two at a time. 

(taking two steps with each step down)

 

As he drove away,

she came running down the stairs 

two at a time. 

 

 

‘Wait, wait’, she said, 

but he had already left.

 

Her mouth crumpled 

like used wrapping paper. 

 

crumple :

crush, 

scrunch up, 

squeeze and wrinkle.

 

Her mouth crumpled 

like used wrapping paper. 

 

 

‘He forgot to give me a goodbye kiss’, 

she whispered in a voice that trembled under the weight of her hurt. 

 

she said softly 

in a shaky voice 

because she felt hurt.

 

…she whispered 

in a voice that trembled 

under the weight of her hurt.

 

She called him on the phone, 

‘you left without giving me a kiss’, 

she said accusingly. 

 

accusingly :

an expression, or tone of voice

indicating a belief in someone's guilt.

 

‘you left without giving me a kiss’, 

she said accusingly. 

 

 

‘I am sorry sweetheart’, he said, 

his voice contrite. 

 

contrite :

feeling or expressing remorse; 

affected by guilt: 

 

‘I am sorry sweetheart’, he said, 

his voice contrite. 

 

‘It is okay’, she said, trying to be 

all grown up as she cut the call.

 

‘It is okay’, she said, trying to be 

an adult as she ended the call.

 

 

Sadly,

she gulped down her breakfast, 

(quickly swallowed her breakfast),

put on her shoes, 

picked up her school bag 

and started to walk out of the door, 

her shoulders slumped. 

slumped :

heavily drop, 

collapse, sink, fall

…her shoulders slumped. 

 

 

As she climbed down the front steps, 

the car glided to a stop 

outside the house. 

smoothly slide to a stop.

glide to a stop

 

the car glided to a stop 

outside the house. 

 

He got out of the car. 

She ran to him, 

her whole face lit up 

like a Christmas tree.

 

‘I am sorry I forgot’, he said, 

as he picked her up and hugged her. 

 

She said nothing. 

Her jaw ached from smiling.

 

Fifteen years later, 

no one would remember 

he was late for a meeting, 

 

but a little girl would never ever forget 

that her father drove 

all the way back home 

just to kiss her goodbye!