"Here we are, Tessa!" I exclaim with an illuminating eagerness.
Prior to arriving, I feared I'd have to swallow my distaste and pretend I was excited, but now that we're here, I'm actually starting to fall in love! The gorgeous ocean, the soothing sea breeze, the sprouting geographical landscape. It's all so dazzling, but I wish I was enjoying this moment with Maya and Tommy in the backseat. I wanna hear Maya's childlike wonder as she points at all the places she can't wait to visit. I wanna see Tommy's hazel eyes gaze longingly into the ocean, wishing to surf those waves as soon as we unpack. Being without my besties is going to be one of the most difficult obstacles of my entire life.
Tessa stretches her long old legs and perches up on the passenger door, still having quite a spring in her step, as my dad would say. She's loving the feel of the seaside breeze as it wafts into the car, making her spotted fur flap in the wind. Her big pink tongue is hanging out as she dawdles at the window, looking at all the sights and sounds of her new home. She may be an old dog, but she's tough as nails and has the heart of an angel.
I may not be the religious type, but I always came to believe my parents when they said Tessa was an angel in disguise, a protector who had been sent down to watch over us, particularly me. That's why she can't stand not being around me, and why I screamed my head off when my parents talked about putting her down before the move. They were worried the move would be too much for her, but looking over at her, I see nothing but infectious joy.
I pull at Tessa's tail, making her stare back at me with her icy blue eyes, not barking one bit. She's so well behaved, tame like an old lady swaying back and forth in a rocking chair. I think of her spirit as that old lady, swaying back and forth without a care in the world, perpetually watching me with the intention of protecting me, keeping me out of harm's way at all costs.
As we near the exit, I see my dad turn on his blinker, indicating that we are closer to seeing our new home! After pulling off the freeway, we make our way onto some side roads, driving toward the mountain range and farther away from the ocean. I wave goodbye to the waves, ironically, and watch as the hillsides roll past us. Many of the cars simply zoom past, not even paying attention to the magnificent beauty around them. That's how most people are. They become immune to nature's magnificence. They forget how much of a blessing it is to live in such a spectacular world. None of us deserve to be in its fantastic presence, yet almost everyone takes it for granted.
I must be the outlier.
I turn my attention away from the landscape and keep looking forward, ready to see our new home. My dad turns on his blinker again, making a quick left into a development named "Mountainside Acres."
I can't help but gasp at the sight of all the brilliant houses. They all look so cozy, the leaves of their trees beginning to turn to the pale tones of autumn - pastel red, yellow, and orange. Autumn is such a lovely time to be alive, a wonderful moment to run through the leaves and feel the rain splash across your face.
As we pull up to our little home, I about faint from excitement. For once, we have an actual home. No more waiting for an elevator. No more having walls thinner than paper. First off I wanna run upstairs and see my new room and maybe even meet a neighbor or two. Maya and Tommy are going to be so jealous when I FaceTime them and give them a digital tour of the home. A part of me hopes they get a little jealous. Maybe it'll give them an incentive to fly out and visit me.
My dad backs into the driveway as I stare in awe at the beautiful clean white walls that make up our small two-story home. I love seeing the cute little maple trees planted right in front of the front door, bringing a sweet pop of color to contrast the stark white. When my dad finally manages to straighten out his parking job, because everything he does have to be perfect, I park the truck right beside the U-Haul, still taking in all the sights and sounds around me. Tessa perks up as she feels the truck shift into park, probably eager to take a potty break. I look out at the houses around me and see a beige one right across from ours, with big glass windows and a porch with sad blushing carnations, sagging down in their pots.
It makes me want to buy all the pink carnations in the world and plant them where the old ones are, drooping like a lost child crying for their mom.
I try and fix my unruly blond hair, which has grown out since summer began. It reaches down to my neck now, falling in gentle waves when I bother to comb it. I haven't washed it in days because we've arrived at hotels during ungodly hours of the night, and by then I just want to jump in bed and sleep. To cover up the unruliest parts, I'm wearing a black beanie. My golden-green eyes hide under my thick black glasses, which I almost never wear, but we've been driving near nonstop and I didn't want to worry about forgetting to take out my contacts after arriving at the hotels.
I step out of the car, straightening out my black jeans and white tee before reaching to grab my jacket from the back. Alas, Tessa pulls me along in a haste, and I almost lose my hold on her leash but manage to catch up to her as she pisses all over the grass.
Nothing like marking your territory.
Whatever. When Tessa's done with her business, I take her to the front door where Dad is fumbling with the key. My mom hugs me tightly as we await the sight of our new home, and I can't help but feel as if someone is watching me. I push that strange thought aside and eagerly gasp as Dad finally gets the door open. One look inside, and I absolutely adore it.
Our new home has polished ebony floors and a fresh coat of white paint on the walls. A new brown couch sits in the front room, which I'm guessing is the living room. The first flight of stairs is right behind the couch, and they make a left into a straightaway which leads into another left up another flight of stairs. To the left of the front door is the dining room, which has a long mahogany table with matching upholstered chairs. Leading from the dining room is the kitchen, with polished wood cabinets and slabs of black granite. Brand new silver appliances fill the kitchen, and I look out on the backyard to see an expanse of trees – shocked to see a budding forest.
Despite my desire to go out and explore the trees, my parents eagerly lead me upstairs, showing me to my new bedroom, with a big window that looks out onto the beige house I noticed earlier. Best of all, the windowsill has a seat. A white wooden queen bed sits in the center, and I crash down on the squishy mattress, bouncing up and down on the bed. Soon, my bedroom will look just the way I like it, but already I'm beyond satisfied with the spacious layout.
Tessa jumps onto the bed, lying beside me on the mattress. I'm sure she's already searching for her place on the bed. She and I sleep together every night. Ever since we brought her home as a little puppy, she's remained by my side. When I wake up, she's there. When I go to sleep, she's there. She's always there. I have no idea what I would do without her.
"Honey, Dad and I are going to start getting the boxes out of the U-Haul. You can come down whenever you're ready," my mom says with a kind smile, waving goodbye to me as I nod and wave back.
I know I should go help with the boxes, but I need a minute to take it all in. I finally have a home, a real home. As much as I love New York City, I've always dreamed of having a real home, one with big walls and a roof and stairs and a fireplace. Our apartment was nice, but it never compared to what this feels like.
Getting up from my bed, I make my way over to the windowsill, sitting down on the window seat, my new favorite spot in our home. Tessa whines, trying desperately to sit up there with me, even though the seat is only big enough for one. After a moment of begging, she finally admits defeat, and I laugh at her before gently taking hold of the thin white curtains, pulling them back to let the pale sunlight in.
Then, as I look out upon the neighborhood, I notice a head full of raven black curly hair, and the darkest brown eyes I've ever seen, staring up at me, a look of terror in his eyes as he hastily pulls back his own curtains, vanishing as quickly as I noticed him.
And, despite only seeing him for that one moment, the only thing I can think of is how much I want to take his picture, to see his photograph on my computer screen, to brighten up those puffy white cheeks filled with freckles, to focus in on those big brown eyes.
One look, and I'm mesmerized.