A Love So Strong

Finally, after years of built up anxiety stress and trouble, it was done. The first of lifes great challenges was at last something I could look back on and not towards. Graduation is something that for most is a fairly large achievement but for myself it is merely a stepping stone to where I want to be. The party my family threw for me after the graduation ceremony was possibly the best I had ever had.  the food was great, the smiles bright, and the present, 4 wheel drive. It may not of been the newest truck ever, or even in the last few years but it would get me where I needed to get, one place in particular kept running through my mind. Once everything had calmed down and every one went home with a "Congrats Mark" or a bone crunching hug filled with love I began doing the dishes with my mom. 

"I'm so proud of you, Mark." she said with a toothy smile. I smiled back with not with as much assurance and she clearly picked up on it. "Is something the matter?" she looked into my eyes but her hands never stopped scrubbing at the stuck on bits of cake and ice cream on the plates. 

"I've been meaning to tell you something..." I replied, making her expression even more grave. 

"What is it? Tell me." the distress in her voice filled the room and made it harder to get air to my lungs. 

"I want to leave." was all I managed to to spit out and my mom, the kind and gentle woman she is, exploded right in front of me.

"Leave?! What do you mean leave???" she was obviously as mad as she was hurt. Realizing how it came across I was quick to respond. 

"Not for good or anything, just on a road trip for a while." Those where clearly the right words to use because the tension flowed out of the room like a pool with a hole in it. 

"Oh. Alright" she said, losing her angry expression. "Where are you going, and for how long?"

"I dont really know, I think I'll just wonder the country, and probably a few weeks." she was far more understanding than I had thought she'd be, she even gave me ideas on places to go, even though there was only one place I wanted to be. Once the dishes where done I went to bed and sent a text, "Hey sweet heart" no more then a couple minutes later there was a reply.

 "Hey, did you tell her?" I smiled, the screen of my phone illuminating my face, I always loved how straight forward she was. 

"Yeah I did, she was okay with it, so I'll be setting off in the next few days." the next few hours of the conversation were full of her telling me how she can't wait to see me and how she cant believe she's going to be seeing me. The next three days were filled with packing, planning and goodbyes. then once all of those things where complete I set off south, for the Canada/USA border, hell bent for Texas.