As the hot afternoon sun peeked through the windows, it was a bittersweet moment for Anna. With the scattered clothes and boxes on her bed, one could tell she was getting ready to start a new chapter of her life in the new city where she just got admission into her dream campus.

The walls that once were filled with posters of her favorite rock band were now gone. She was packing up the few clothes left in her wardrobe when a knock came in.

"Come on in, Mom" she yelled out and the door squeaked open. Her mom walked in with a sad face. Anna's mom, Hannah, is an older version of Anna. They look alike so much that people often mistake Anna's mother for being Anna's older sister. She stood stiffened with an expression of concern and sadness as she watched her daughter pack her belongings.

Anna gazed up to find her mom staring at her. "Mom" she called in almost a whisper and dropped the cloth she was holding on the bed and walked up to her mom. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"I'm going to miss you so much my baby" her mom cried hugging her right back.

"I'll miss you too Mom" she whispered back to her mom and patted her back. "I promise I'll always video call you every day and I'll come to visit once a month" she continued and released her from the embrace.

"Once in a month is quite a long time, Anna" she sniffled and Anna felt sad as she stared into her mom's eyes.

Anna has been holding back her tears, she didn't want to start crying right now so she won't change her mind about embarking on this journey.

"Mom, at times you just have to accept some decisions you can't change. I know you care for me, but sooner or later I'm bound to leave home. It'll be better if you start getting used to it now than later" she tried consoling her mom.

"I understand my child, but I don't think you understand how I feel" she sniffled and touched her daughter's cheek.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine" Anna replied holding her mom's hand. Her mom nods slightly and glanced at her baggage on the bed. "Would you like to help me finish up packing?" she asked her mom.

"Of course, it's the least I could do now" she smiled and walked over to her daughter's bed.

Anna smiled and followed right behind her. They both sat on her bed and began folding up her clothes.

"This one looks too sexy, is it for your new boyfriend over there?" she teased wiggling her brows.

"Mom, would you stop teasing me?!" Anna scolded her playfully and laughed.

"Whoo...This one looks like something you want to wear on your first night of having sex" she teased again holding a black lingerie with a matching bra.

"Mom, stop!" she whined reaching out to collect it from her hand but her mom raised it higher.

"Do you have a boyfriend and you didn't tell me?" Anna's mom raised a brow at her daughter.

"Of course not! I don't have a boyfriend. Can't I just buy some sexy stuff that I like?" she asked with a pout and her mom laughed.

"Sure you can, but there is something about this one-"

"Okay, enough mom, I don't want you to help me out anymore, please leave my room," she said playfully.

"I'm sure you didn't mean that" her mom replied while she reached out for another of her daughter's undies. The one she picked up this time around was a pink bikini that Anna had bought while she was doing her last shopping a few days ago.

"Leave my room mom, I don't need your services," Anna said and snatched it from her hands. Her mom frowns and folded her arms to her chest.

"I can't believe my daughter is sending me away from her room. Where did I go wrong to have a daughter named Anna?" she whines not making a move.

"You know I'm the best daughter in the world. You will never find someone like me so just stick to me" Anna giggles and winks at her.

"I hate you, Anna!" she half-yelled wiping out imaginary tears and Anna laughed so hard.

"I love you too momma" she replied blowing her a kiss.

"I'll miss these," Anna said quietly and locked her gaze with her mom. She's beginning to feel her mom's absence, starting a new life with new faces isn't going to be easy for her.

"We'll miss us" her mom replied and she nodded. "It's for good, we'll get through this" she added and kissed her forehead. "C'mon, let's finish packing your things up before your dad arrives."

Both ladies did the remaining packing in silence. "I'll be right back," her mom said a few minutes later and she left her daughter's room. Within a few minutes, she was back with a small white box.

"What's that, mom?" Anna asked as her mom took a sit beside her and handed the box to her.

"Open it" she instructed grinning widely at her daughter. Anna slowly opened the box and a broad smile spread across her face when she saw photos of herself and her mom when she was just 2 years old.

She took it out and then she noticed there were still many others inside the box. She brought out all of the pictures and glanced at each one of them. Some of the pictures were taken with her parents while some were just of herself. She chuckled when she saw a picture of herself at age 5 when she first ride a bike.

"Do you remember how I fell on my butt on my first attempt at riding a bike?" she asked her mom and her mom nodded laughing.

"Of course, I still have all memories here in my head" she replied pointing to her head.

"Thank you mom for keeping these pictures for me," she said and hugged her mom for a moment.

A car horn startles them apart, "That should be your dad" her mom said and she stood up. "Make sure you keep that safe" she reminds her pointing to the box in her daughter's hands.

"Definitely" Anna replied and put it in one of her brown boxes. She went to her wardrobe, carried her rock guitar, and hung it on her neck.

"I thought you were going to leave that behind" her mom joked.

"Never. This goes anywhere I go" she answered back and they both chortled.

"Someone wants to become a Rock star" her mom teased.

"It'll be so damn cool" she replied and played some strings while her mom laughs.

"I don't think I have a say in that," her mom said and Anna shook her head.

Anna picked up one of the baggage and her backpack while her mom carried two of the brown boxes and they both head out of her room. Her dad was already waiting outside his car in front of their bungalow to give his daughter a ride to the airport.

"Hey, Dad" Anna greeted as she and her mom got out of the house. She walked over to her dad and pecked him on the cheek.

"So you're leaving us?" he asked sadly staring at his daughter. Anna heaves a sigh and squints at her mom before returning her gaze to her dad. "C'mon, let's leave so you'll catch up with your flight," he said collecting her bags and putting them in the car trunk.

"Dad, we've already talked about this, why are you feeling upset right now?" she asked walking over to him.

"I'm not upset Anna" he replied and walked over to collect the boxes from his wife.

"You say something different and act contrary to what you just said" she retorted.

"What do you want me to say, Anna? That I'll miss you so much that you shouldn't leave? You of all people know I've said that a million times but you've made up your mind to leave so I can't hold you back!" he half-yelled and slammed the car trunk. He walked to the driver's seat feeling peeved.

"Dad you're being so dramatic right now. Do you think is easy for me to leave you and Mom and go to a place that I'm not even familiar with?" she yelled back.

"Then why not you abort your plan if it is not easy as you just said?" he asked.

"Because I can't dad. I can't just decide not to go anymore, is all I ever wanted. Dad I'm not going to live with you and mom forever, someday I'll get married and build my own family. So what's the difference with now?"

"The difference is you're just eighteen, you're still young" he answered.

"Can you stop treating me like the five years old little girl that I once was? I'm a grown-up now, I'm eighteen, and in three months I'll be nineteen. So, for once just let me be happy with the decision I've made. You can't always decide for me!" she yelled and rushed up to the car. Anna opened the front door and got inside and slammed the door.

Greg stood there awestruck with all his daughter just said. His wife walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Honey" she whispered and he slowly turned around and stared at his wife.

"Did you hear all she said?" he asked calmly and she nods.

"Anna is leaving us for good, what she's going for concerns her future. Let her chase after her dreams, please. She's all ours, she's never going to abandon us just because she's going to campus. She'll always visit us or we can always visit her and spend time with her" she replied.

Greg stared at his wife in awkward silence and then he glanced at his car and returned his gaze to his wife. "I'm just trying to be a protective father. I'll miss her so much, she's my baseball game mate. Who do I pick as a replacement now?"

"I'm right here, I'll be her replacement" she replied smiling and he snorted.

"You don't even know what baseball game is all about" he sighed and she chuckled.

"You'll teach me" she replied and he groaned.

"That's like telling me to teach a five-year-old how to play baseball. That can't work" he taunted and she swats his chest.

"That's so unfair for you to say" she frowns and he laughed. Anna peeked her head out of the car to see what was going on.

"Thanks for lightening up my mood," he said tilting her chin up.

"That's my duty" she responded and winked at him.

"Should I order an Uber to the airport?" Anna yelled out from the car and they glanced back in her direction.

"You can pay the money into my bank account instead" her father replied and his wife giggles.

"Screw you, dad" she retorted and relaxed back in her seat.

"Your daughter is losing her proper use of language," he told his wife and began walking up to the car.

"She's also your daughter, so teach her the right language to use" she grinned widely behind him.

"Young lady you should get behind the backseat you're not my wife," Anna's dad let out as he got inside the car.

"Who wants to marry an old man like you?" Anna retorted teasingly and got out of the car.

"Hannah, did you hear your daughter? She called me an old man" he whines and his wife laughs and got into the front seat.

"Of course, you're too old for her but you're ever young to me" she giggled and a boyish grin spread across Greg's face.

"Could you say that again?" he requested locking his gaze with his wife.

"You're my forever young love," she responded. Grinning cockily, he leans forward and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Can you two stop acting like some horny high school lovers?!" Anna half-yelled causing them to startle apart.

"You see what I told you, she's losing her use of proper language, especially to us her parents. We should send her to the school of nuns" Anna's dad said and turned on the car ignition.

"Hell no! You wouldn't do that!" Anna exclaimed and her mom roared up with laughter.

"Your dad is kidding sweetie, he once told me he hates it there," Anna's mom said.

"Maybe I changed my mind so many years ago" he replied driving out of the garage.

"You can't change your mind when it has to do with my daughter" she defended.

"Whatever" he replied and glanced at the rearview mirror. "So, Anna, tell us about your new city. What does it look like?"

"Finally, someone asked about my new abode" Anna replied with an eye roll.

"I think I know a nun school not far off from here..."

"Dad! Fine, I'm sorry" she apologized with a giggle and her parents smiled. "It's a beautiful place. Until I get to my rented apartment, I wouldn't tell much."

"Okay, make sure to call us immediately you get there, okay?" her mom requested and Anna nods.

"I will" she replied.

"And if you don't like it there, you are always welcome home" her dad added.

"Okay," she responded. "Please can I hear my favorite song from Dierks Bentley?"

"Must you always request that song whenever I'm driving?" her dad groaned aloud.

"At least for the last time" she pouted.

"You don't have to say it's for the last time. It sounds like you're not going to ever come back to us," her mom said frowning.

"Mom don't jinx it. I'm just saying it's no longer going to be often I'll get a ride in Dad's car."

"That sounds better" her mom sighed and reached out for the radio. She turn it up and 'hold on' by Dierks Bentley began playing. The three of them sang along to the song bobbing their heads to the beat. This was Anna's favorite song as a rock music lover since age fifteen. She made her parents fall in love with the song and now they can sing the whole lyrics of the song.

A couple of minutes later, they arrived at the airport. "It is time to shed some tears," her dad said tilting his head back to glance at his daughter.

"I'll love to see you cry" she replied smirking at him.

"Men don't cry," he answered and glanced away.

"That's a lie, you cried in the church on our wedding day" her mom replied and Anna burst into a fit of laughter while her dad rolled his eyes and bowed his head to the steering wheel.

"Mom, why didn't you tell me this little secret all this while?" she asked giggling.

"I never knew it's going to be a weapon tool to break his ego" her mom replied smiling. Both of them burst into laughter and Greg groaned frustratingly.

"I just wish you'll miss your flight" he declared, and that caused both ladies to stop laughing.

"Dad, why do you choose to be so mean to me today?" Anna frowns and unlocked the door.

"Don't mind him, sweetie, you won't miss your flight. He meant to say he'll miss you" her mom answered.

"Whatever," Greg said with a fake frown and unbuckled his seatbelt. His wife smiled at him and unbuckled her seatbelt and they both got out of the car and took out their daughter's baggage and boxes. "I guess this is where we get to say our goodbyes," he said in a modulated tone with his hands jabbed in his pocket.

"Yeah, I'm going to miss you both so much" Anna replied glancing from her mom to her dad.

"We'll miss you badly my baby," her mom responded at the brim of tears and pulled her daughter into a hug.

"You're not leaving until I get a hug," Greg said stepping forward to join his wife and his daughter.

Anna snickered and released herself from her mom's embrace. "When would you stop the tough guy thing huh?" she asked jokingly and hugged him.

"I love you so much, Anna. I'm going to miss you so fucking much" he whispered as he wrapped his big arms around her body.

"I love you too, Dad. I'm missing you already" she whispered.

"C'mon, you need to get in there before you miss your flight," he said releasing her from the embrace when he felt some liquid sliding down his cheeks.

"Okay. Please do take care of mom. And make sure you teach her baseball" Anna giggled and grabbed her baggage.

"That's going to take like forever" he replied and squint at his wife and she nudge him. Anna laughs and waved them goodbye.

They waved back at her and watched her leave. She blew kisses to them a couple of times before she got into the departure room.

***

Anna got to her new apartment in Waterford Lismore Ireland, it was a bungalow. It is well furnished from the parlor to her bedroom and the kitchen.

She felt relieved that she won't have to share anything with anyone, unlike the hostel. When you talk about privacy, Anna Greg gets freaked out by it which was one of the main reasons she needed her own space.

She singlehandedly put her belongings in her wardrobe quietly. When she was done, she flopped her body onto her bed and her legs spread wide on it.

"This is so perfect, I love it here!" she said excitedly rolling back and forth on her bed. While she was still giggling and rolling on her bed her ringtone came to life.

Instantly, she sat up and dig her hand into her pocket, and brought out her iPhone. She placed it on her ear, "Hey mom, missing me already?" she shrieked smiling.

"I was missing you even before you left me. Have you gotten to your apartment?" her mom replied on her end.

"Yes, just got here. Mom the place is really beautiful and spacious just like I wanted it."

"Can you give me a tour around the house?"

"Of course, let's switch the call to video call" she suggested standing up to her feet. The call was switched to a video call and both ladies were smiling at each other. "Okay Mom, let's start from my room. I'm in my room right now, can you see it?" Anna asked moving the phone around for her mom to have a glimpse of it.

"Your room is beautiful," her mom replied and Anna giggled.

"Not beautiful to my taste though. I'm still going to get some fancy wallpapers and have a change of my blanket and even the wall paintings to white and blue" she blabbed and her mom laughed.

"You're always too creative which is one of the things I admire in you. Now take me to your living room let's see if there are going to be any changes as well."

"Okay, we're going out of my room now to the living room" she replied taking a walk out of her room to the living room. "Here we are mom, welcome to Anna's small palace" she laughed and her mom grin widely. "How do you see it?"

"Wow, it's beautiful, I love the white painting, the couch, and the structure of the house. It's well furnished, I love it, I can't wait to come to visit you there."

"Soon Mom, soon. Would you like to see the kitchen?"

"Yes, I'll love to see everywhere including the surroundings."

"I got you covered, we are heading to the kitchen now. Where is Dad?"

"He stepped out a few minutes ago."

"Okay. Here we are in the kitchen, it's not looking bad right?" she moves her phone from left to right so her mom can have a proper view of the medium size kitchen that was well designed with dark grey wall tiles that match the kitchen cabinets.

"It looks beautiful, I'm sure you're going to enjoy your new place."

"Yes, I will. Let me show you the last view which is outside" she shut the kitchen door closed and came out from the main entrance of the house.

"Mom can you see it?" she asked walking around the front of her new home.

Her home was surrounded with well-trimmed flowere, trees, and thickbushes. From the surroundings, one could tell Anna's home was in a secluded area. It had a narrow road path that leads to the major road. A few meters from her home, there was two buildings which belongs to Anna's neighbors.

"It looks calm, but don't you think is a little bit too lonely and far away from the city?"

"C'mon Mom, it's not lonely as you think. The town is just fifteen-twenty minutes drive from here. And besides, I won't even be staying much at home, I'll get a job soon probably by Monday and I'll be working after school."

"Okay, sounds better to me" She smiled and Anna smiled and tug the strands of hair behind her ear.

Behind one of the trees, there stood someone who was wearing a black hoodie, dark-shaded glasses, and a black mask covering from his nose down to his chin. His eyes were fixed on Anna.

"Who is behind you?" Anna's mom asked and Anna glanced back.

****

Trust you enjoyed the first chapter of A Sad Murder? please feel free to hit the star shape icon at the bottom of your screen also your comments are appreciated.

Love,
Maryel