When Sparks Ignite

Chapter One: The Move

"Amnesty, sweetheart, we need to pack up your toys the truck will be here soon," I called for my niece who was somewhere in the old house. I sighed as I looked around. This place has a lot of memories of when me and Isabelle were children.

Isabelle was Amnesty's mom. Isabelle and her husband, John, were killed in a car accident ten months ago. They were t-boned by a drunk driver. They were on their way to my apartment to pick up Amnesty. It was Wednesday, their date night, one tradition they never missed. I smiled at the thought, they even had a date night in the hospital. Let's just say Amnesty came a little earlier than expected.  

I frowned. They also spent their last date night there. John in the morgue and Izzy fighting for her life. A fight she sadly lost. My little niece sat with me in the waiting room so confused. The doctor came in and told me Izzy-

No, I wiped the tears silently cascading from my eyes, there no point reveling in such sad memories. That's why I was moving us. There was just too many painful memories.

I noticed Amnesty had yet to answer me. "Amnesty?" I called. I waited a moment. No answer. Where has she gone now? I walked up the stairs. "Baby girl where are you?" I turned around when I heard a sob come from mine and Izzy's old room. Gently, I pushed the door open. I saw her curled up on the window seat, a picture of me and Izzy clutched tightly to her chest.

I sat down pulling her onto my lap. I stroked her hair while she continued to cry. Her tear stopped, but it took her breathing ten minutes to even out. "Do you think Mommy and Daddy will watch us at the new house?" She asked after a few moments of silence had passed.

"Of course they will Sweety. I told you no matter where we go they are always going to watch over you. They're never going to stop so don't you worry." She looked up at me, her teary grey eyes looking up at me with a sadness no little girl should know.

What she said shocked me so deeply, "Do you think they miss me?"

I pushed back her blonde curls, "I know they miss you. I also know they really want to be with you, but they can't right now. You know they always be with you. Where did I say they would always be?" I watched as she covered her heart with her hand as I did the same. "That's right. You just remember that they will always, always love you. They'll always be in your heart."

"I love you Aunt Sam," she smiled at me.

I stood up, and placed her on her feet, "I love you too. Now come on, let's go pack up the rest of your toys so the truck can take them to the new house."

"Aunt Sam?" I looked down at her.

"Yup?"

"Is the new house big? Like, like a castle?"

I smiled at her. "Well, maybe not as big as a castle, but it is bigger than this one. Which means you're getting a playroom."

"That sounds awesome." Her face lit up in excitement as she raced to her room.

It only took twenty minutes to pack up all of the toys, and the moving truck arrived about an hour later. We were driving to the new house so not counting stops it should take ten and a half hours. We left at nine and were planning to arrive by nine that night.

We were about three hours into the drive when Amnesty broke the comfortable silence we had had brewing. "Aunt Sam where are we moving?"

"We're moving to a place called Scranton. It's in Pennsylvania. That's where Grandma and Grandpa grew up."

She was looking out the window. "When are we getting there?"

"We won't get there until really late sweet pea. Maybe you should try and get some sleep."

"Will you wake me when we get there?" She asked me already closing her eyes.

"Of course I will. You do have to pick out your bedroom and playroom." My words fell on deaf ears, I looked at her through the rearview mirror, her mouth was hanging open, and she was lightly snoring. Well, so far, so good.