Shinai paraded herself in the living room. She searched for someone. Her eyes switched exchanging her looks to scan the spot. She did not see him. 
“Where is he?” She stood while whispering it to herself. Her eyes glued on the empty living room that surround her. Her eyes did made some sharp look. Did something happen that made him leave the house? 
She began to feel the rising anger. Her father did not bother to text her of his whereabouts! She took an exhale. Why does she always need to take inhales or exhales when it comes to matters like this? Matters where she feels an irritating madness sticking to her? 
A thud. A sound caught her ears, like something heavy fell to the ground. With the loud beats that she felt inside her chest, it made her rush to look at it. She felt the need to sprint, so she hurried her pace. 
She stood there rooted from where she is at. She’s seeing her father speaking at the cat. She wondered. Does her father do this all the time when he was alone in this house? He bought himself a cat to be with him. It clearly meant something. Perhaps he was lonely? 
She began recalling the days. Shinai remembered the days she paid her brother’s foster family for a visit, for the very first time. 
Foster family. She said to herself and then looked at her father. Those people. They are his father’s family too. 
Analepsis: 
It took her to look at the car window, staring at it as if it was something that she wanted to punch to accept that she is in a new environment. She was making glares. Although she felt that she it was needed to soften her gaze now that her and her father are in a new territory she doesn’t know of, she kept glaring while her eyes are still focused on the car window. She leaned her back. Let her head fell. She doesn’t want to get out of the car. She’d rather stay inside. 
Her eyes went to her father’s whose head is now turned at her. She was glaring but her father met her eyes with his gentle look and a smile on his face. She frowned at him. She straightened her back. She then rested it properly. 
“Do we really have to this?” She asked. She was just making sure that is really that needed. 
Her father slowly nodded at her. He then turned the engine off. “We really need to this. Nai. You have to meet your grandparents.”
His head went to turn towards her way to stare at her again. “I know that it’s a bit too late, but I want you to meet your grandparents.” 
She budged, moving her body for a bit before she crossed her arms. Her father was fast to counter her so called upcoming protest. She wanted to complain but seeing his father’s happy face made her rethink her resistance into meeting them. 
They were people she does not grow up with. She did not know them. They never met her. So basically, they were strangers to each other. Will the meeting will work out? 
“C’mon, Nai.” His father urged. His face turned towards the car door. “Open it.” 
Even his tone sounded joyfully excited. She stared before she heard the clink. She took a silent breath. She got out of the car. Her eyes did some scanning. Tilting her head, she started hoaxing her own two feet. She walked lamely. Trying to shake the energy off her body even she clearly needed some uplifting one. 
She saw his father smile. Handing him his hands he said; “Let’s go, Nai.” 
She took it. She wrapped her hand to cling it to her father’s arms. “To be honest, I…” She stopped. Should she tell his father? She looked up to him. Seeing his warm expression, she guessed she can say it to him. 
“I am quite nervous, Pa? She stated, glad that she can still say it like she felt the opposite. 
Her father started to chuckle. He was laughing heartily at what she said. He untangled her arms on him to lower his body to leveled with Nai’s height. He looked at his daughter who he sees as his girl’s version. Feeling guilty that he wasn’t there to be with her when she was growing, he softly pulled her towards him. 
Uhm. Nai felt the hug. The hug got her feeling that she was safe, and that her father can protect her if anything happens. She rested her chin above his shoulders. 
“Papa.” She muttered softly. She felt that her father tightened his hug on her. 
“You will be fine.” His father assured her.
“You don’t need to pretend like you are someone other than you. Do you, child.” He said before pushing her shoulders away. The push was gentle. He then mess his daughter’s hair. 
“Papa!” She started to raised her voice, she was whining. “My hair.” She made another frowning face at him. “You ruined my hairstyle.” 
Her father only smiled at her in return. 
Her eyes landed a soft gaze towards her father. She went towards his father. Lowering herself, she bend her knees while she followed her father. Squatting she stared at the cat. 
“You really are getting old, Papa.” She leaned her head to stare at him again. 
So many years had gone. She remembered how he looked young when she first met him and now. The look her father has. She then started laughing. “So many signs of aging shown on your face, you’re now getting old Papa.” 
His father threw her a look. He stopped petting the cat, pulled it and gave it to Nai. Nai pulled herself out on her own laughing state to cradle the cat on her arms. She flashed a smile to show at him. 
“You know that you can pay us a visit, right? Don’t lock yourself in here, Papa. You are not even a hermit to begin.” She let out a chuckle. She found it funny. Shaking her head, it’s that ridiculous that she is laughing at her own joke. 
“I am not 60 yet. I am not old.” His father commented that took her attention from laughing at the joke she made. 
She leaned towards her father and slightly rested her head on his shoulders before removing it. “I know. I’m just joking, Papa.” Her anger… She is no longer mad at her father. 
“I got worried. You were not answering the texts that I sent you. I was worried so I gave you a call but you didn’t answer. That’s why I decided to go here.” She looked at her father while her fingers are gently stroking the cat’s head, who happens to stay like a good boy he is in her arms. 
“I was charging my phone, child.” His father answered. They both got up from squatting. “You drive all the way here because you were worried about your father?” He asked. Glint of happiness are present in his eyes are he stared at her daughter. “What you did is a warm gesture from you that your father is thankful for.” 
“Awe, Papa.” It made her heart swell with warmth too. She gently put the cat back on the ground and went to give his father a hug.