~*^~*^~*^~*^flash back in my dreams~^*~^*~^*~^*

"Ruby come down stairs, it's time to go!"

I groan as I got up from my bed and looked in the mirror. I had my hair up in curls and I was wearing my mothers favorite baby blue poka dot dress that she bought me.

Why did I have to be dragged along to my grandparents house just because my parents are going away for the week? i mean i'm 16 years old when are they going to start treating me like an adult. Just because danny had a party the last time they was out doesn't mean i will. why do i have to suffer along with him?

i apply eye make-up to make my eyes pop and a light shade of lip-stick.

~knock on the door~

"yea?"

My little sister walked into my room and smiled. she looked just like me but more like her twin brother.

she was five years old and filled with enegry, thank god mom doesn't allow her to eat candy anymore.

"yea, Jamie?"

she walked over to my bed an started jummping on it.

"Jamie! what did i say about juming on my bed?"

i gently caught her in the air and placed her on the floor.

"momma told me to come get you Ru"

Thats my little nickname she picked out for me. i'm her Ru.

"she told you to come get me not jump on my bed and mess up your pretty pink dress." i straighten her dress and got rid of all the wrinkles.

mom believes all girls should wear dress's, not all the time but sometimes. mom is a girly girl.

"well lucky for you i'm ready so we can go down together" i said as i looked down at her and grabbed her hand along with my little purse.

she skipped the way down the stairs and into the living room where my family wait's

my mom took one look at me and smiled. i knew she would be happy i put on this dress, it was her favoirte.

"oh sweetheart you look absolutely beautiful in that dress and i love what you did with your hair"

she walked over to me and touched my face gently

"are you wearing make-up?" a deep voice said.

i looked to my left to see my dad standing up eyeing me.

"daddy it's just a little make-up no big deat, right mom?" i said looking at her hoping she would take my side

"that's right, no big deal" she said smiling.

"i think she is too young. i thought we agreed when she is 17 years old she could start putting on a little make up"

"oh Daniel stop it, she is old enought to wear some, after all she's not wearing a lot. just a little here and there and if i do say myself she did a wonderful job putting it on."

I smiled warmly at her. At least she understands.

"that's not the point Linda, i said 17 years old she is 16 years old. she is too young to wear it after all the best make up for a young lady is her smile" he said smiling at me showing me his perfect white teeth.

"Daniel when i started wearing make up i was 15 teen years old, younger then her" my mom said putting her hands on her hips and looking at my father.

my father could be too much at times i swear. all i had on was eye make up and lipstick, whats the harm in that?

"Linda i'm not comforable with Ruby wearing make-up just yet. i would feel more comforable if she didn't wear any and saved it until she was 17 teen years old"

"But daddy!" i said looking at him.

"No but's Ruby. go up stairs and take off the make-up you don't need it anyway you have great skin"

"That's not the point daddy! mom is ok with it, why can't you be? whats the big deal, what's the harm?"

"Ruby.." he said in a warning tone that i heard plenty of times before to know to shut my mouth.

i looked at my mom for help but i could see in her eyes she couldn't say anything to help me in this matter anymore.

"he just doesn't want you to grow up too fast Ruby, to him your still his little girl. don't take it personaily ." she said in a soft tone giving me a smile.

I turned around and stumped up the stairs

i walked to my door and turned around to them, looking at them over the balcony.

"but i'm not a little girl! when is this family going to stop treating me like a little kid and start treating me like an adult! i'm 16 teen years old not 5 years old, god!"

i then walked into my room and slammed the door behind me.

I walked to the mirror and looked at myself. I looked great. Everything was perfect from my curled up hair to my flats I was wearing.

I don't why my father is being so weird and up tight about it I mean I'm almost grown might as well get a heads up in treating me like one.

I went in the bathroom and washed the make-up off. I didn't look how I looked before with make-up.

My eyes didn't pop out and my lips wasn't a peach color and for god shakes my cheeks had no color to it what so ever.

I grabbed the lotion and gently apply it to my face along with cherry lip gloss, since lip gloss is the only thing that I'm allowed to put on besides chap-stick

"Ruby? Dear are you ready?" my mom said from behind the door

Before I could answer she came in.

She took one look at me and knew right away I wasn't happy.

"Ruby try to understand" she began

I looked at her as I put perfume on my body.

"I understand perfectly, I understand that no one takes or treats me like an adult. I'm being treated like a kid and it's starting to bother me. I'm 16 years old not 5, when are you guys going to realize that?"

She sat on my bed and smiled. "No.......no you don't Ruby, because if you did you wouldn't be here saying what you just said. You are his first daughter Ruby"

"I'm not the only daughter" I said cutting her off

"let me finish dear"

I sat down next to her and nodded my head.

"you are not the only daughter but you are the first. From the moment you was born you was daddy's little girl. You have always been that. Your father is having a hard time processing that your growning up sweetie. Give him sometime.....all he needs is time"

She took my hands into hers and rubbed it gently letting me know to trust her and believe her.

The only thing I could do was nod my head, nod my head and smile. I was still mad about having to waste perfectly good make up though, do you know how much make up cost!?

We went down stairs and everyone was waiting for us at the door

"alright let's go kiddies" my father said.

I looked at my mom and she smiled.

"he's just teasing dear" my mom said while laughing.

"this is going to be a looooooooooong drive there" my brother Danny said

You have no idea I thought to myself, no idea.

~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*5 hours later~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^+

"that was the longest drive ever! You guys know I will never, never! Get that time back?" my brother said as he got out the car.

"yup, we do Son. You do know the time me and your mother had to get up in the middle of the night to feed you, change you, give you company and take you to school is time we will never get back either?" my father asked as he walked to my grandparents who was on the front porch wavering at us.

"well now we are even"

dad stopped, looked at him and smiled "thats funny son. The things me and your mother had to do for you when you was young and now doesn't even come close to that 5 hour drive" my dad said with a hint of humor in his voice.

Danny rolled his eyes and huffed

"Granny!" Jamie yelled.

I watched as her and Jimmie run to the front porch.

"Why hello sweeties. How are my little angel's today?" She asked as she brushed Jimmie's hair and strokes Jamie's cheek.

"There fine, just filled with to much enegry" I said as I climbed the steps.

Grandma looked at me and smiled.

"Just look at you! My, oh my. You look so grown and muture!"

She said as she pulled me into a warm hug.

I smiled and hugged her back.

"at least you understand grandma that i'm all grown up"

"if only you will act like you are" my annoying brother said behind me.

"wow, look at you Danny. You look like a strong, muture grown man. So handsome."

She pulled him into a hug and Danny just laughed.

She pulled away and looked at mom and dad.

After all the hugs and kisses was given and grandpa came down stairs we all sat down at the table and started to eat.

Everyone was talking, even the twins Jamie and Jimmie expect for me.

I silently snuck out of the dinning room and onto the front porch.

It was a beautiful day. I sat on the porch swing and begin to swing while leaning back.

I stared at the sky and clouds. Saying what the clouds look like in my head and just thinking.

"What you doing out here?"

I turned and looked at the door. There stood my father, standing straight like a solider.

"Just getting some air, just thinking" I said while looking back at the sky.

he stood at the door for a couple of mintues before sitting down.

The porch swing felt lower as he sat down.

we sat in comforable silence. I didn't have anything to say at the moment.

"Ruby.....i'm sorry about earlier and the make-up thing it's just that......your my little girl"

"i'm 16 years old, i'm not little anymore I wish you would understand that."

He looked down and chuckled. His chuckle was deep and filled with emotion.

"i understand Ruby, trust me I do. The thing is that....well, you will always be my little girl, always no matter how old you turn or where you go. In my eyes I still see little old Ruby in her princess costume refusung to take it off and with cake all over her face. The same little old Ruby who use to always have me read her a bedtime story every single night no matter what, never missing a night. That will never change"

~silence~

"it's still hard for me, hard for me to accept that little old Ruby isn't little anymore."

I looked at him and saw a tear fall out of his eyes.

I reached out and took his arm gently. "Daddy...i understand. I really do and I will always be your little Ruby.....your little girl, always and forever. "

he took one look at me and the tears started to fall.

My father isn't the type to cry. He's more of the type to hold it in and fight it, I guess that's where I get it from.

Seeing him cry is rare.

We pulled each other into a hug at the same time.

I placed my head in his chest and he placed his cheek on my head. We stayed like this for a long period of time. Enjoying the embrace.

"I love you Ruby" he said.

"I love you too daddy" I said as a tear fell from my face.

He must have known or saw because his thump stroked my cheek, wiping away my fallen tear.

He kissed my head, leaving his lips there for a few momemts before removing them.

"I love you too daddy" I whispeared, repeating myself.

~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*^*~^*~^*End of dream~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*~^*

I opened my eyes and looked around, hoping i was in my room, in my bed and that the pass month was just a dream

As I look around reality smacks me in the face.

The pass month was not a dream. It was all real.....this was all real.

I blinked a couple of times and touched my cheek.....it was wet.

I must of been crying in my sleep.

I sat up and wiped my eyes and cheeks dry.

God I missed my family.

I missed my mom talking to me,helping me work things out, saying the right thing at the right moment.

I miss my fathers great big bear hugs, feeling his warm embrace and hearing his deep voice.

I missed the Twins. Jamie and Jimmie running around with there hyper selves causing a mess and giving us a run for our money.

Last but not least I missed my brother, Danny. I missed him annoying me, messing around with me, bugging me, joking around with me, playing pranks on me and walking me to school.

I missed my family.... A lot. I wish I could be with them. To hug them, kiss them and tell them how important the are to me and how much I wish I was there!

I pulled my knees to my face and hugged them.

I guess my dream took me on a trip back into the past.