August

My car was finally packed, ready to make the three day drive to my university. I couldn't believe this was going to be the last time I would make this drive. This was my last year at school, and it was hard to wrap my head around the idea.

This would be the last time I would live at this house for more than a few days. After this drive, there would be no more living in the city that had been my home for over eighteen years. Part of me was sad that I was leaving, but a bigger part of me was so excited to finally leave, to not have to return beyond Christmas.

Reno was a beautiful city to have grown up, and I appreciated the mountains, snow, and culture, but this town held so many bad memories, I couldn't wait to go back the Lone Star state. Texas had held my heart for a long time, in a way Reno never did.

"Is everything ready to go, Alexa?" Mom asked, looking at the packing job I'd done. Most of my stuff was in Denton, in a storage unit.

"Yeah, it's ready to go. How early are we getting up?" We had to be at school early because I was a resident assistant. Every semester, we had to come back early to go through training. Normally this didn't bother me, but we had a long drive and had to leave earlier than if we were flying.

"Six in the morning. I'll drive first." Mom smiled at me, flipping her red hair behind her. I loved this woman so much. She had been my rock this summer, given everything that happened. It had been one tragedy after another.

Early this summer, I'd had to have major surgery for carpal tunnel. It had been an eight week recovery plus another three weeks of physical therapy. And carpal tunnel surgery meant I couldn't do anything by myself. I had also been a nervous wreck because my major was journalism, something that truly required the use of your hands every day.

Right before surgery, my mom found out Dad was gambling and stealing her money and lying about it. Then she also found out he was cheating on her. Before she could even bring up divorce, his mother died. It was a truly crazy summer, made worse by a sick child. My mom was the strongest lady I knew.

"Sounds good. I'll probably be drooling. Are you okay driving the Expedition?" I asked, following her back inside the house.

Mom nodded. She wasn't the best driver, but she didn't back down from a challenge. She'd driven to Texas basically every summer for years. We would rather road trip as a family then fly. We all had our issues with planes.

I took in the house that had been my home. There were so many good and bad memories here. Lately, it was filled with more bad memories than good, but I would never forget that some of my best memories had been here.

A smile ghosted across my face as I walked around the house, checking for my belongings one final time. Every room I entered brought up a good and bad memory. The sitting room where we all gathered for dinner and movies was one of my favorite places. It's where we watched our Christmas movies every year, but it was also where Dad's stroke had happened.

The kitchen was filled with every good food memory I had ever had, but it was also the place where Mom had yelled and screamed at Dad for his alcoholism. The dining room was where my sister got drunk and made the funniest comment, but it was also where I learned I couldn't play soccer anymore.

The living room was where Dad, without fail, almost set fire to the mantle every year, but it also was the place where he had had his heart attack. Mom's room was where we watched our favorite movies, crowded onto one bed. It was also where I had stayed for each of my surgeries, like it was my prison.

Upstairs was Dad's office where he taught me about music, but it was also where he had called me names and ruined my confidence. My sister's room was where we goofed off and created fly swatter hockey, but it was also where we punched and broke each other's bones.

Our bathroom was where I created my books, but it was also the place where I started to hate what I looked like. Finally there was my room which was the place I went to hide, to get away from the pressures of family. It was weird to be leaving this place, but I couldn't wait to be in my room at the University of North Texas.

Notes

New story... I hope it's a good start.