Her tired eyes followed a small boat that had been sailing on the rippling lake for some time. She had just arrived and was now leaning against the old window in her recently deceased mother's house. She had spent the whole day on the train with her bulky suitcase. Surrounded by annoyed mothers, screaming children, old and young people. The soft rustling of the sea, which the pleasantly cool wind drove up to her window, did her soul good and relaxed her limbs. She had missed it so much.
Her parents separated three years ago and she had moved away with her father. She didn't think it fair then to have to go with her father, but now she understood why. Her mother knew even then that she was terminally ill. Unfortunately she hadn't told anyone and so one day she just wasn't there anymore. All the talk about your mother will always be with you, even if you don't see her, didn't help her in the least.Now it was vacation and she had traveled back to her old home for two weeks. Her father was against her vacationing here. "You should leave your past behind," he had said. "You should have left her behind you long ago."
But she had to go here, because after all she had inherited this house, and when she came of age it would be her house and she already knew exactly that she would move here. But there was another reason that had brought her here. She wanted to see her old friends again, and especially one, Christopher.
The tiredness had almost made her fall asleep here by the window, but at the last moment the warm voice of her aunt rang out: "Emellie. Are you coming? You should get some sleep first. The journey was long."
Emellie turned and looked at her aunt with those brown eyes that reflected a certain sadness. "Yes," she said exhausted and followed her aunt out of the house.The way to her aunt's house was long because it was at the other end of town and her aunt didn't have a car. Half of the way was not yet reached and Emellie 's eyes burned and her legs ached. When they finally got to her aunt's house, Emellie was kind of half asleep. This evaporated suddenly when she noticed that she was being greeted and hugged by someone loudly. She startled and looked into bright blue eyes. In the eyes of her cousin Natalie. "Emellie! Nice to see you again. How are you?", Natalie stormed off and Emellie only had the blonde hair of her cousin on her face. Natalie had also been one of her old friends.
"Let go of your cousin, Natalie. She should rest first. You can celebrate your seeing again later. Come with Emellie. I'll show you your room."

Emellie didn't immediately fall asleep when her aunt put her up to bed. She was lying in a cozy soft bed that was in her cousin's room.A feeling of joy rose in her because soon she would meet her old friends again, who had to leave behind. At that time they had sworn to stay in contact, but the letters grew fewer and fewer until finally no more letters arrived. Everyone just went on living their own life. But Emellie thought of her best friend, Christopher, almost every day
She would love to jump up and shout out into town that she was finally back. Of course she couldn't do that because her uncle wouldn't find it particularly funny. At the thought of her mother the joy subsided again. She had done a lot with her mother at the time. Together they were on the beach, went shopping or just stood by the window and looked at the lake. She missed her mother very much. Her father had to work a lot and so she was often alone.

The next morning she was awakened by a faint rumble. She hadn't slept deeply. Emellie straightened up and watched her cousin try to change as quietly as possible.But unfortunately Natalie was a whirlwind that wasn't good for being quiet and so she failed miserably and only made more noise. Emellie giggled softly, whereupon Natalie looked up at her and lifted her head a little too quickly, causing her to fall over again.
"I'm sorry, Emellie. I really didn't want to wake you, but I have to go to school now. Mother said I should let you sleep. That will cause trouble," Natalie apologized to Emellie and straightened up with a groan.
"Not that bad," Emellie replied cheerfully. "But would you mind if I came with you?"
Emellie wanted to come along because she knew a lot there at school and had been very popular with the teachers. Maybe she would meet old friends again. Or maybe a certain old friend. She jumped out of bed and changed quickly when Natalie said: "But of course you can come with me if mother allows it. They will be happy when they see you again."When the two cousins ​​went down the stairs into the hallway, their aunt stood there, who first looked at Emellie in amazement and then, wearing Natalie, said: "I told you to let her sleep."
"Aunt, I wanted to ask if I could accompany Natalie to school today.", Emellie stood in for Natalie. Her aunt looked at her a little confused and then put on a smile. "Of course you can come with Natalie, but then you have to hurry. It's getting late." Emellie had known that her aunt would have let her go and so the two cousins ​​beamed and went out of the house after they had eaten and Natalie found her bag.

On the way to school Emellie saw many old acquaintances, but unfortunately none of her old friends. After a while she asked her cousin: “Are you actually still in contact with our old friends?” At that time Emellie and Natalie belonged to a small kind of clique and so it was a matter of course for Emellie that Natalie was in with the old friends Had stayed in contact.Her cousin thought about it for a while and then said: "Yes, almost. So the girls are all still with us and the boys too, except Christopher. After you moved away, he kind of roped away from us. We only see him in the School and sometimes in town. ”Emellie tried to hide the look of disappointment on her face.
A group of girls came across them as they came out of a small alley. It looked like they were all talking at once, but were still listening to each other. Emellie didn't recognize her at first, but on closer inspection she recognized her old friends. When she saw Emellie, they all shrieked together and hugged her. The hugger herself was very surprised, but was very happy and laughed.
On the further way she was literally squeezed and had to tell everything. How she had fared over the years, how it was with her and what new friends she had ...
She was also told a lot and so the way to school went faster than she had imagined.At school, the threads of shouts, handshakes, and hugs didn't break. Some just looked at her in amazement. Unfortunately, Emellie had not yet seen the one she had so desperately wanted to see again.
But then one of her old friends asked: "Have you ever seen Christopher again? I bet you that he will be very happy." Without being able to react beforehand, Emellie was dragged through half the school until her friends suddenly stopped . They put their heads together and Emellie listened confused: "You are going there. I'm not talking to him.", Said one. "No, you go. It was your idea."
"I can go too. After all, it's about me.", Emellie said after she couldn't stand it any longer.
"OK. So Christopher is that boy in green. Do you see him?" Natalie said, pointing at a boy with her finger.
Emellie's heart seemed to jump in the air when she recognized her old friend.Your old best friend. Slowly and a little anxiously she steps towards him. He was standing by the wall with some boys, talking to them. 'What if he doesn't want to see me again at all? 'Emellie wondered suddenly, but now it was too late. Christopher had already seen her and approached her with wide eyes.
"Emellie?" He asked confused and looked at her. Emellie just nodded and said: "Nice to see me again."
"But ... what are you doing here?" Stuttered Christopher
"I'm on vacation and thought I'd come to visit you."
Christopher sighed in disappointment. "What a shame. I thought you had withdrawn. How long are you staying?"
"I'm staying for two weeks. But I inherited my mother's house.", Emellie said and a big smile spread across her face
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"When I'm of legal age," said Emellie, "I'll move here."
The following feeling could not be put into words.Christopher let out a cry of joy and hugged Emellie stormily. They both looked in the face and it was almost as if the last three years hadn't existed at all.