The next morning we got in the car and drove west. The weather was still below freezing even though we had crossed into Arizona. Much to my surprise, the northern parts of Arizona looked almost indistinguishable from the rest of the rockies. But after we drove further down, the snow slowly receded and cacti populated our vision.
I have been silently monitoring Emma. The doctors weren't sure when her health would really start to deteriorate, but it seemed like it was already coming. Even though the apartment in Denver was on the second floor, she was breathing hard as she walked upstairs.
She insisted on helping load and unload the car after every place we arrived at, but her pounds-per-trip progressively got lighter.
I focused my attention on the road and on Emma as she sat next to me. The signs on the interstate were leading us further towards the south-west.
Eventually, the signs became clear: we were going to Phoenix.
We started winding our way down city streets as we moved through the suburbs and closer to the downtown area. Unique neighborhoods turned into skyscrapers as the traffic got heavier. Eventually, we ended up at an apartment building in Tempe where we got our keys and crashed in our new living room.
We only ventured outside for a quick meal before we retreated under the comfort of a blanket and a movie while we ate. After that, Emma assured me that I would want a full night's sleep before the next day and so once the end credits rolled, we got into our shared bed and drifted off to sleep.
YOU ARE READING
For Every Missing Shade
Teen FictionIsrael Taylor knows the world is a mess. In fact, it's all he can think about. As an avid artist, he imagines life as a black-and-white landscape, waiting to be painted. He uses a metaphor of color to describe everything he wishes the world was, but...
