I find myself seeing it everywhere. In the sky, the birds, the water, and even in the own emotions of the people around me.

Blue is everywhere, even in my own name.

“Blue!” My brother calls me to his room for the third time in the past hour. My real name is Raquella, but nobody wants to say that, so I go my middle name instead—Blue. The same shade as the sky on the day I was born. You’ll never believe what my brother’s name is.

“Grayson, are you almost ready to go? We were supposed to leave half an hour ago, and you’re still not packed.” Momma pokes her head into his room, looking at the bare walls and empty drawers.

We’re leaving for Nashville, Tennessee to take him to Belmont University where he’ll be starting as a freshman.

“Ok, I’m almost packed up. Just one thing.” He looks at me, holding out his blue stuffed teddy bear. The one I used to steal all the time when I was younger because Momma said we didn’t have enough money to spare to buy another. “You want him?”

I read my hands out, taking the teddy as if he were made of glass. “Are you serious?” I hold him close to my chest. “Thank you.”

Momma sniffles, throwing her arms around Gray. “Oh, you’re growing up so fast!” She hugs him tight, almost suffocating him.

He pulls away, and grabs his navy luggage, rolling it out to the cornflower car waiting in the driveway. “Are you ready to start a whole new chapter of your life?” Poppa asks, helping load the luggage into the trunk.

Gray takes a deep breath, but a grin spreads across his face. “Yeah, I think I am.”