The air was cold

I felt a breeze on my neck as I stood outside

Watching

Waiting

Trucks drove in and out of my driveway

People talked as they picked up boxes

Then placed them down

And then drove off

I felt a tear run down my cheek

But it froze before it hit the ground

I wanted to puke

Or sob

Or throw a tantrum as if I was a toddler

Because in this moment, I felt like one.

The toddler that had grown up in this very house

All sorts of memories flooded my mind

My first time riding a bike

Building a treehouse with my dad

When I got a puppy for my 10th birthday

They all happened here.

I didn’t want to leave

But I had to move on

I was 16 now

And my dad had gotten a job a few states away

I had no choice.

This place was going to be someone’s else’s childhood home now

I simply couldn’t believe it

Nothing felt real

As the last of our belongings got packed up into the trucks

I got into my car, ready to head to California.

It was all becoming real.