𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 & 𝗔𝗟𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗦, 𝐦. 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐨

¹

hope dalton stepped out of her dad's vehicle with the breeze in her hair and the sun sinking down, lightly painted over her silhouette. she inhaled the air and let out a small nervous breath. never in her life would she have expected to be back in boston, let alone to move back there. it was absurd and the almost eight months seemed like an eternity but a job opportunity had appeared for her father and the family couldn't decline, it was too good to pass up.

she knew what this meant for her but she couldn't find it in her to be selfish. her parents asked her a dozen time if she was fine with it and every time she lied. it wasn't a lie because she knew she was over matt; it had been over half a year since their break up and she was finally moving on with her life yet it was also a lie. she couldn't help the utter dread that captured her when she considered the idea of running into him. more than anything, she was afraid it would resurface unnecessary emotions she couldn't even think of feeling. she was scared but she powered through, desperately wishing it would be okay and she wouldn't run into her ex boyfriend, matt. she had matured, her feelings were somewhere buried below the surface and she wasn't planning on digging them out, she just had to allow her mind to remain at ease.

when recollecting her thoughts, she noted that the locations of the houses didn't clash too much. it was a 20 minute walk but she believed it was possible to avoid him at all costs. besides, she moved on. she could do this was a phrase she often found herself repeating, almost attempting to drill it into her own mind.

the environment felt different. of course, she was no stranger to boston, having spent a lot of her childhood there and revisiting her boyfriend and friends at the time but it all felt so odd. when she trailed behind her mum and dad, it felt strange and a sense of unfamiliarity she couldn't flick away washed over her, pulling her into the heavy tide that was the almost alien city, boston.

the house they were moving too was simplistic yet beautiful, the way the houses her family lived in always had been. being an only child wasn't the exact replica of fun but it was perfect when parents cared about their children dearly. hope's parents had always shown her love in the best way. they were constantly looking out for her and ensuring she was okay or that she was aware she wasn't alone in whatever known or unknown struggles she was facing. they were qualities reflected onto her persona and she was truly a great outcome of excellent upbringing and care.

she glanced around the house as she stepped inside, it was all so new and everything about it screamed the start of something. her eyes felt glued to her surroundings and she felt fuzzy around the edges as she took them all in. it was as though she was walking into a completely different place knowing things weren't going to be the same; knowing change was to come.

change was often a factor paired with the fear of things going wrong. change undoubtedly brought about terror in the heart because it was unexpected and did the craziest of things. however, change had the potential to be good. change could change lives for the better and in some instances bring people to a complete state of bliss they couldn't even possibly begin to picture. the thing with change was that it could be good and change could even be bad but it was what people chose to do with it that determined which it was. like many things, the way people went about it, shaped it into what it truly was. it was like a canvas painted onto with various colours and shapes, not particularly clear but so different to each individual. it could touch souls in many ways and it could tell stories without so much as a double glance because it was unique. so incredibly unique.

one of the many final suitcases was firmly clutched into hope's hand as she walked further into the house. it still hadn't settled properly that this was the place she would have to call home from now and something inside of her twisted and churned at the thought. she let out a little confused sigh as she pondered over the recent events. she was well aware of the risks of boston and how much she despised the idea of running into any old friends or anyone familiar at all but she couldn't help but feel excited. she had a positive feeling about their move, even if it was something that made her heart pound every time it remotely crossed her mind. her heart sped up but she wasn't sure whether it was excitement or fear.