Dear Estella,

10. the dream and the drive

I smile as my dad holds my mom in his arms, swaying to the soft melody of a song playing on the stereo of his emerald green '68 Mustang parked in the large backyard of our house.

The sun is out, luminating the scene in front of me perfectly. My mom's smile crystal clearly displayed on her face. My dad looks down at her in adoration, probably wondering how in the world he got so lucky.

I pick up my burger, curtesy of my dad's grill, and take a bite, savoring the juicy patty and the perfectly melted cheese.

"Come here, Estella." My dad waves me over, still with a smile on his face that never seems to leave.

I walk over, standing from the patio chair I was sitting down on. My dad takes my hand, twirling me to the rhythm of the song. I let out a loud laugh as I spin around, my feet making contact with the green grass.

"I'll be back," my mom says. "I'm gonna check on the cookies really quick."

"Okay," my dad replies with a nod.

I halt my movements, trotting back over to the patio table to finish up the last few bites of my cheeseburger. As I bring my cup of fruit punch up to my lips, movement in my peripheral vision catches my eye.

"What's up, Dad," my brother, Nate, says as he comes from the back door. He holds a leash in his hand, his Golden Retriever on the other end of it.

Soon after he steps out, a beautiful woman follows suit. She has long blonde hair that reaches down to her waist. She wears a pretty yellow sundress and a pair of brown sandals.

"Hey Nate, Sarah!" My dad exclaims with a bright smile. "Thought you two wouldn't be able to make it."

I stand up, walking over to where the couple stands. Nate wraps an arm around me before removing his dog from the restraint of the leash. I smile to Sarah, walking over to give her a quick hug.

"How have you been?" She asks me as the two of us walk back to the patio, their dog following closely behind us.

"I've been good," I reply. "Senior year has been a blast so far."

"That's great to hear." She smiles.

The back door slides open again, revealing my mom with a platter of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies on top of it. She makes her way over to me and Sarah, offering the both of us a cookie. I grab one, thanking her quickly before taking a bite.

Nate and my dad walk over to us, taking their seats around the table. They're still conversing about something. Nate's new job as a real estate agent, the couple's new house they recently bought, located in Bakersfield.

"When can we visit?" I ask my brother.

He turns to me. "Soon, Stel. I just want to make sure everything's in order and all that before I show it to you guys."

I nod in understanding. Something warm touches my leg. I look down to find the large golden retriever lying right by my feet. Reaching down, I stroke his fur softly with my fingers.

"- some exciting news," Sarah says, grasping Nate's hand in hers and looking at him with a loving expression.

I look up, curious as to what the exciting news is. My gaze falls to her left hand. Only then do I notice the diamond ring wrapped around her finger. My eyebrows raise in shock, but a smile takes over my face at the unspoken announcement.

"We're getting married!" My brother says with a bright smile.

I faintly hear my moms Congratulations! and my dad patting Nate on the back, telling him something along the lines of I'm proud of you, son.