Picture Perfect

o n e

The car was packed and running. It was cold. The blustery winter air lifted Rachel's wavy hair off of her shoulders as she slammed the hatch to the new car she bought. Her mom and dad stood on the back porch watching her. Karen bounced up and down as she tired to warm herself. The morning sky was grey, like it was going to snow. Rachel turned back to face her parents. She knew that she couldn't stall any longer this was it. It was time to head out.

The three of them stood together on the porch. No one said anything for what seemed like a long time but it was probably only a few seconds. Karen pulled her daughter close and rubbed her gloved hands up and down Rachel's arms. Karen forced a teary smile. Rachel looked over at her father. He shrugged his shoulders and gave a smirk. Rachel knew that this couldn't go on any longer; she had to go before she changed her mind.

"Well guys, this is it," Rachel said at last.

"Yeah," Her dad sighed.

Karen pulled her daughter into an embrace and held on tight. She let out a sob and squeezed. "Mom, I'll be okay."

"I know, but its just so far away."

"I'll come home for visits, and you guys can always come down to escape the cold. It will be okay. We can FaceTime whenever you want. It's like I'm not even gone."

"Yeah right," Her mom cried out.

They hugged again. When Rachel pulled away her mom asks, "Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes mom," She sighed, "And I stopped yesterday to see Corey."

"Oh," Said her dad, "Where is Troy?" He looked around for his youngest son.

"He's inside. He didn't want to come out. He gave me a hug when I brought the last box out."

"Okay," said Robert. He stepped up to give his daughter one last hug. Then they walked with his arm around her shoulder to the car. She got in and pulled her seatbelt over her chest. Her parents stood in the open door. Rachel looked at them and reached for the door.

"This is it, I have to go,"

"We know," Karen said. She began to close the door.

"I love you guys," Rachel said before she closed the door the rest of the way. She couldn't look at her parents standing on the other side of the door. She looked over at the navigation system built into her car and pressed start. The voice of the GPS started directing her out of the driveway and onto the nearest route. It predicted her arrival time. In almost twelve hours she would be in her new home. Tears filled her eyes as she put the car in drive and rolled down the driveway, towards her new life.

_____________________

It was the day after Christmas when Rachel started to pack up her clothes and personal belongings in her room into boxes. She started to collect all of the household items she had collected over the years through college and buying to pack away for the future. Now the future was here.

Rachel had graduated from Penn State University with her degree in Marketing and a minor in business advertising two years before. Right out of school she had gotten a job working with a company that was contracted to design advertisements and other merchandise for local businesses. She loved her job and enjoyed getting to work with new people everyday however something seemed to be missing.

Living at home allowed her to enjoy her generous salary as well as start to save her money for the future. She did splurge and purchase her first car. With the help of her father they went and picked out the most perfect brand new SUV. With a shiny white coat of paint, sharp edges and black wheels, it was perfect for Rachel. She didn't mind moving home from college and back into the house she grew up in with her two brothers parents, and a German Shepard who shed like crazy. Getting her job right out of college was a miracle and while she loved it, she felt like there was something missing. She loved her little backwoods town. She knew everybody when she stopped at the post office or grocery store. Most of the people she graduated with who said they were going to leave haven't yet and her college friends lived anywhere but near her.