A Strong Reset

"Daddy is finally home!" Lisa ran down the stairs like she was chased by a bear. She opened the door to see her dad in his military uniform, Lisa jumped on him and hugged him tightly not giving him any breathing space

"Lisa dear, let Daddy breathe". Lisa slowly retreated from tightening her father, she still didn't let him him, it's been so long since she saw him and phone calls wasn't enough to fill that void, seeing him now she is most definitely will stick to him like glue.

Wherever her father went Lisa followed, "Dad!!!" Emma hurried down the stairs, her usual clumsy self almost fell before her dad caught her.

"Take it easy honeybun, we don't want you leaping on one foot again" Emma hugged him but not as tight as Lisa did, she was simply being considerate. "Where is your mom?" He asked, he looked round the room in search of her, his search stopped when he spotted her in the dress he bought for her the last time he came visiting.

"Mom why did you wear that? Don't tell me you are trying to charm dad so he could fall in love with you again" Lisa joked, totally mesmerized by her mom's beauty.

"Lucille you look lovely" Nick complimented his wife, he took her hands and kissed it. "You look more and more beautiful each time I return" he kissed her right in front of their children.

"Ew!" Emma and Lisa cohesively said, their facial expression showed how disgusted they were. They both looked at each other for a while before Lisa turned away from Emma's apologetic gaze.

They all allowed their father to go shower while they prepared the table so they could eat together, although everyone of then we're equally happy to have Nick home Lucille was the most happiest woman right now to have her husband by her side.

The repetitive sound of spoon hitting the plate was frequently heard as they had their meal listening to their father share stories about his experience at the war which just ended.

Nick cleared his throat before he spoke, his demeanor changed since he was about to talk about something much more serious with his beloved family.

"Emma your mom got a school report saying you aren't coping well in school, you first quarter test was below what I had expected care to explain" he said authoritatively.

Remember when it was said that how well you do in your test determine your allowance, this was the particular time. Emma swallowed really hard, she hasn't seen her result because it was sent directly to her mom's mail, Lisa hand was already shaking, she was at the verge of loosing her allowance.

"I...I... Had...I was" Emma stammered, her voice was starting to shake.

Where they seriously hoping for a sweet family reunion, filled with hugs and kisses, well they were wrong! Their father never came back for that, sure he missed his children but he is a fierce father who wouldn't want his children lacking in school and in life, Emma on the other hand was slowly treading on that part.

"Speak to me properly!" He slammed his fist on the dinner table. "Don't you dare give me silly excuses that can easily be debunked"

"Nick dear please take it easy" Lucille tried to calm him down but Nick didn't seem willing to do so.

"Lisa well done, it may not have been what I expected from you but you did good" Lisa was both shocked and very shocked she hasn't expected to be praised by her dad, Nick shoots a Emma a glare that sents her hiding in her hole before he left the table.

Lisa watched Emma suck in her tears as she fights it from coming out, Lucille held her hands. "Your father saw the printed result on the bed, he must have really hated seeing you come down that low, right now we are thinking of transferring you back to Evergreen"

"Why? How bad did she score" Lisa requested to take a look at their result.

"Emma was at the bottom of her class,the mail came in yesterday after breakfast I didn't want to say anything until your father gets home, when he found out I tried to coarse him to take it easy on you, I didn't know he was going to to it this way"

Lisa now stood beside Emma consoling her, Emma wept bitterly, she caused this for herself. "Wipe your tears, this is why you can't juggle relationship with studies, dating Israel really took a lot of your mental time and I was so worried watching you stare at your phone from time to time"

Lisa carried on bad-mouthing and apportioning blame on people that might have caused Emma's failure, she forgot to blame one person which was Emma. She was right on one thing juggling relationship with studies can be very hard.

If you were to fall from Grace the way Emma did what will you do?, Will you dust yourself up and get ready to try again? Will you seat around waiting for death to take you? Or will you constantly knock on your father's door till he responds?

Nick opened the door to a dusted up Emma very much ready to make her dad proud. "Give me another chance dad" was the first thing she said when she made contact with her father.

Her father smiled, "Now that's my daughter" he hugged her. "You can keep dating but remember what you are in school for, I don't want a repeat of this"

"Thank you! Thank you! I won't disappoint" she ran to Lisa's room. "Thank you Lisa, thank you so much" she squeezed her tightly, "You are really the best" she gave her two thumbs up.

"I am still angry with you though, but for now I am happy, I really don't know what I'll do if we were splitted".

This week might have been a drag, next week was promising.