Sunshine Girl (Ryan Upchurch)

Leaving home

Aaliyahs POV

We spent every single day packing this week. Its finally Friday and I have the attic left along with small things. It was bittersweet to see that my home was emptying out slowly. Soon it would be bare, and it made me feel like I was abandoning it. I spent so many years in this house. The kitchen doorway where theres old markings of heights for me and my sister, the hallways that were once covered by toys that mom would step on and end up screaming at us, the bedrooms each having their own memories were now completely empty other than my current room, the porch and yard where I spent countless years running barefoot either as a child or an adult chasing a loose horse. All the hard work and dedication into making it my own, all wasted for it to be sold behind my back. The barn, stables, arenas, pastures, fencing, everything. Over a hundred thousand dollars worth of materials that increased the price of this land by over $150,000, meanwhile I will only be getting half of that. Its a shame the place I have wanted for so long now will never be mine. The place I wanted to raise my babies, settle down, and grow old will never be mine.

"Baby?" Ryan called out as I sat by my office window looking at what was about to be my past life.

"Yeah?" I replied as I broke my gaze from the house.

"The attic is almost done. All we will have left is your bed, the couches, and the air mattresses." He said.

"Okay." I said, barely above a whisper. I put my eyes back on the house feeling haunted by many memories.

"You okay?" Ryan asked.

"Its a shame ain't it? The house looks hauntingly empty." I replied.

"Yeah. It is a shame. I'm sure you would have made it into the perfect home." He said as he put his hand on my shoulder trying to gently pull me away from my gaze.

"Yeah. Now to start over somewhere new. How do I start over?" I asked.

"It takes time but you'll get there. Trust me." Ryan said as I followed him into the pasture areas. I watched as my horses grazed among the little grass sprouts. Grass was barely an inch above the ground as it wasn't warm enough to grow much.

"What if I can't? What if I forget what it was like here? How can I start over and forget this place?" I asked.

"You'll never forget this place. It'll always be in your heart. One day you'll look back and remember it with a smile on your face. And you'll see how far you've come from there. One day when you're married, and taking care of your own kids. You'll remember traditions you had here and you'll carry them into your new home." He replied.

"Its just not fair. It got ripped away from me so fast. And what about my horses?" I questioned as my mind raced to all the possible what ifs.

"They're gonna adjust, just like you. It won't happen overnight but eventually you will love your new life just as they will." He replied.

"What if-"

"Stop. Everything will work out for you in the end. One day you'll remember this place in all its glory and all its hell and smile back at it. Maybe you will swing by and knock on its old doors and take a walk through those memories. As of right now lets just focus on getting it packed up and you home with me. Then we will take each day one at a time. I will help you through this. I can't promise easy. But I can promise you'll have a home." He said as he pushed me to look at him. As my eyes glanced over at him my heart seemed to flutter.