Reagan Sullivan sat on her bed as she stared down at the photograph in her hand. Tomorrow was her first day of high school. After everything she's been through, she finally made it. When she was little, she always imagined going to high school with her two best friends, Benny Weir and Ethan Morgan, but she now didn't have them in her life. She blamed herself, to be honest.
Her bedroom door knocked, causing her to slightly jump and look up from the photograph. Peeking her head in was Reagan's beautiful aunt, Margaret Sullivan, smiling.
"Hey, what are you still doing up?" Her aunt questions. "You have school tomorrow. You don't want to be tired on the first day."
Reagan nods. "I know. I'm sorry."
Margaret notices the photograph in her niece's hands and sighs. "I know you miss them, mi amor. Maybe it'll be a fresh start for the three of you."
But that's not what Reagan was upset about. She looks back down and a tear rolls down her cheek as she looks at her mother who passed away in early September, back when Reagan was in middle school, the same year she stopped talking to Ethan and Benny. Her mother had her arms wrapped around a little Ethan, Benny, and Reagan, who all had bright smiles on their faces.
A lightbulb went off in Margaret's head and she quickly enters the room and engulfs her niece into a hug. Reagan immediately begins to cry into her aunt's shoulder.
"I miss her so much, tia." Reagan cries. "My dad was never in my life, so it was always my mom and me. But then she had to be taken away. Then out of selfishness, I pushed away the two best friends I had since kindergarten." She pulls away from her aunt, who wipes her tears. "How am I supposed to move on?"
Margaret lightly smiles. "You don't. You possibly won't ever move on from the fact that your mother isn't here, but what you can do is make her proud. I know that she wouldn't want you to be upset about the past, but focus on the future."
A smile forms on the girl's lips. "Thanks, tia. I'm glad you stuck around."
"I will always be here." Her aunt leans forward to press a kiss on Reagan's forehead. "Now get some sleep. And remember... a fresh start."
Reagan nods as she watches her aunt shut the door behind her as she exits her bedroom. One last glance, she looks at the photograph and smiles before placing it on the nightstand next to her bed.
"A fresh start."
And that's all she needed.