“It looks blue,” The child of eight said in wonder and fascination. The father of the child held her up high, so she could examine the photos of the planet carefully. “What is it called?” The young girl asked as she reached her small hand to touch a photo of it.
“It’s called Ora.” The father replied in a warm tone. The child smiled happily, but her smile began to fade.
“What will she look like?” the girl asked in fright. Her father carefully took out a photo, his hands trembling from the growing child’s weight.
The child in the picture was normal, except for a few big things. First of all, the girl had ears, big, large, foxlike ears. She wore a tank top and plain jeans. Her soft, straight hair matched the color of her abnormally fluffy ears. She had a tail, much like a fox’s. She was smiling, but her teeth looked sharp and deadly.
“Her name is Cinder,” the father whispered lightly, stroking his daughter’s silky hair. The daughter held the picture of her new sister carefully. The daughter was perfectly normal with black hair and normal brown eyes. The little girl smiled.
“I think I’ll like her,” she giggled violently as her cheeks rose, revealing her little tan dimples.
The months following that moment were considerably brutal. Waiting was what they were likely to do as they sat by the phone in quiet anticipation. After three months and so many hours wasted by the phone, it came. The phone call came. The daughter’s eyes lit up as she grabbed the phone and thrust it to her ears.
“Hello?” she answered with a bright smile. Her voice was loud and confident, and the voice that replied was far from it.
“Is this… Elizabeth?” the voice asked lightly and quietly. It sounded as if the child behind it had a cold and was done with waiting.
“Why yes! Is this Cinder?” Elizabeth asked loudly and excitedly.
“Yes,” the voice rasped lightly.
“Are you okay? We’ve been waiting for your call!” Elizabeth yelled as if she sounded worried and offended.
“I’m fine. I’m on the ship, and I got a bit sick so we had to pit stop. But, we are en route now though.” Cinder said rasping.
“That sounds good. Do you want to talk to Dad?” Elizabeth asked glancing at their father.
“Yes!” The light in Cinder’s voice lifted and she sounded happier.
“Hello,” the father said cheerily his wrinkles coming up to form a warm smile into the phone.
“Hi Daddy!” Cinder said in an excited groan.
“How are you?” the father asked his voice still excited.
“Fighting off disease,” Cinder replied truthfully, coughing into the phone.
There was a pause. A cool sheet of silence lay itself down. Everyone was quiet, and the only noise was steady breathing and two hearts beating.
“Well at least you’re fighting,” the father said positively.
Soon the conversation ended. Cinder was another three months away from being at Earth and that meant waiting more and more. The next months passed like molasses, very slowly. The time was like a clock, ticking and ticking away. The family became more and more stressed as the time passed. Fights would occur more frequently due to the intense tension.
Then the day came. The day they would pick up their new family member from an airport and take her home. Elizabeth was shaking with anticipation and her father was no better. She sat on her father’s strong shoulders as they waited for her arrival.
“What will she be wearing?” Elizabeth asked her father.
“The flight attendant said a blue peasant top, whatever that means,” the father said as his dull blue eyes searched the crowd.
“Oh ok,” Elizabeth simply said.
“Are you nervous?” She asked after a few moments of waiting.
“Yes.” The father said shortly, his gaze following all of the travelers.
They both sighed; waiting was creating more and more anxiety for the pair.
“Where is she?” Elizabeth asked loudly. Her head turned from side to side.
“I have no idea.” The father sighed and sat down. Elizabeth climbed off of his shoulder.
The pair looked around the room looking very confused.
Out of the blue a small slim finger tapped the father’s shoulder. They turned around to meet the eyes of their new family member.
“Welcome Home, Cinder.”