Affliction

Migration

Welcome to Richland. The sign reads. From warm and sunny Florida to cold and wet Washington. yay..

"you'll love it here" dad begins as we drive. "they have a great high school and its a comfy town"

I nod, giving him my warmest smile.

I'm glad for a change. Everything In Destin seemed too fimiliar ever since Ellie died. I couldn't stand to look at palm trees and empty streets anymore. They drove me insane. I anticipated the new start this city could bring. I need to forget. Guilt rises in my throat. Forget? What was I thinking? How could I ever forget Ellie? She was the closest person I had aside from dad and she was gone. It's been almost exactly a year since she died and It still feels like it happened yesterday. Same regret everyday. Same dissapointment. Same hatred towards myself for her death.

Tears start collecting in my eyes. I push them away. I need to be strong, like dad. He hasn't talked about Ellie since her death. It's like it never happened. But at night, sometimes I would hear him cry. Sounds pathetic, but its actually tragic and sad to hear .somebody you thought was the strongest person you know, a hero, cry. It makes me realize that some people aren't really as strong as we make them out to be. People break. People break people. People's sudden non-existance breaks people.

Dad pulls into a driveway of a small, comfy-looking white house. The house is surrounded by maple trees and has beautiful long windows extending to the floor.

"here we are!" dad exclaims, smiling wide. I smile too.

we get our bags and go in. Inside, the house is completely ready to live in.

Before moving in dad made sure that we wouldn't have to worry about getting furniture, so last year, he went back and forth to get it ready.

The glass table is surrounded by comfortable-looking white chairs and sunlight shines into the room. The living room couch is a cherry red, by it stands a cozy chair that I can't wait to sit in and the walls are decorated with pictures of our family. The living room wall has a picture of me and dad at Disney, smiling. And the wall next to it has Ellie and me when we were five, looking happy, alive. A picture of mom and dad together stands on the coffee table, her hair, identical to mine shines in the sunlight. I hold the picture in my hands and trace the outline of her cheek with my finger.

My eyes wander to the stairs. I begin going up to see two doors and open the one on the right, coming into what seems to be dad's room. The room is simple. A comfy bed stands in the middle with a night stand by it and on the night stand I see a framed picture of me and Ellie, the same one that we have in the living room.

My room, I'm impressed with. The bed is huge and I notice a cozy window seat that I dreamed of having in Florida. On top of the dresser sits an iPod dock and a remote control for it. The walls have posters of Coldplay, and the simple white desk is organized with new school supplies and drawing utensils.

I'm really thankful to dad for doing this.

"You like?" Dad stands in the doorway smiling at my facial expression.

"I love!" I smile widely and run up to him, planting a kiss on his cheek. "This is perfect"

We unpack and go out for dinner at Fralo's.

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