Summer 2022
She took one last look around before closing the door on not only their home but a chapter in their lives.
The past couple years had been hard on them all and, despite the happy memories from her childhood and the past ten years or so, she didn't find herself upset about leaving.
Ten years ago when her and Cam loaded all their belongings and headed east it was in pursuit of a better life for them. And it had been, at least most of it. Now they were headed back west, again in pursuit of a better life.
Covid had taken its toll, both on the family's nearly 150 year old inn and the family itself. When her father got sick all attention turned to his health at the expense of the inn she had been helping run since the move and had all but taken over. After he passed her attempts to prop things up had failed.
Just when she was out of ideas a shining ray of hope came from the most unexpected of places. Cam's grandmother on his father's side reached out. At first it seemed too good to be true, a bustling inn located in one of the biggest destinations in the country, Austin.
Despite having only met her once and having never met Cam she reached out. She was getting too old. Cam was her only family. It only felt right for her, and eventually Cam, to take things over.
Once she got over the feeling that it couldn't be that simple it was an easy decision. Stay here in poverty, struggling to make ends meet or go to Austin and, hopefully, flourish. Both of them.
As she got in the trusty Suburban she looked back at the run down house in the rear view mirror. She couldn't help but notice that this time there wasn't a little boy in a booster seat behind her. This time there was a young man, who had been taller than her for a few years now, sitting in the passenger's seat scrolling through social media on a smartphone while listening to music. She paused for a moment to take it all in before turning the key, hoping the Suburban that too had seen better days would make the trek without trouble.
---
Culture shock couldn't begin to describe how Cam felt when they pulled into the driveway of their new home. Everything looked new, the grounds were meticulously landscaped, everything had a place.
Cam was disappointed when he found out they were leaving what had been his home for most of his life. He knew things weren't great for them there but he had friends. He had his place there. He had a life there. He did his best to hide the disappointment when he saw how his mom's face lit up when she talked about Austin. She had been talking to his grandmother extensively for what seemed like months leading up to the move. She had been given virtual tours, met a lot of the staff and even some of the regular clients before they even packed a box. She was full of excitement he hadn't seen from her in a couple years. She was full of hope again.
---
"Well Cam, Ms. Fitzpatrick," he said as he closed up the folder and tapped it on the desk. "It looks like everything here is in order so I think we can move forward with enrollment."
Cam and his mother, mostly her, had been working on getting transcripts and such from back home in order to get him enrolled in time to start his Junior year at his new school. This was their final meeting with the superintendent and the principal and with everything in order it was now official.
"Do you have any questions for us?" He asked them, looking over the glasses that had slipped down his nose for what seemed like the millionth time.
"I don't think so.." his mother replied. "Cam?"
"When can I start football practice?" Cam asked, trying not to sound too over eager but failing.
Thomas Jones
