New Beginnings

I trudged along beside my brother, Shane, as he led me through the front door of our new home. The moving truck was still parked outside, but most of our stuff had been unloaded already. I had to admit, I was pretty upset about leaving our old house. It was the only home I had ever known, and I had so many memories there. But Mom had said it was necessary, and Shane had offered to take us in. As we walked through the house, I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed. It was bigger than our old place, but it felt kind of empty without my mom. She had stayed behind in our old house, trying to sell it and start fresh in a new city. Shane had told me that she would be joining us soon, but I wasn't so sure. Shane dropped his bag on the floor and turned to me with a smile. "Hey, kiddo, how's it going?" I shrugged, trying to play it cool. "It's going, I guess." Shane chuckled and ruffled my hair. "I know it's tough, but we'll make this place feel like home in no time. And I'll make sure you have everything you need." I looked up at him, feeling a little better. Shane was my big brother, and he had always taken care of me. I was 14, and he was 25, so I knew he would always be there for me. As we started to unpack, I couldn't help but notice that Shane seemed a little distracted. He kept glancing out the window, and I wondered if he was thinking about Mom. I felt a pang of sadness, missing her already. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Shane excused himself to answer it. I heard him talking to someone, and a few minutes later, he came back into the room with a girl. "Hey, kiddo, this is Kenzie," Shane said, smiling at the girl. "She's our new neighbor, and she brought over a welcome basket." Kenzie smiled at me, and I felt a little shy. She was pretty, with long red hair and bright green eyes. I looked down at my feet, trying to play it cool. Shane introduced us, and we chatted for a bit. Kenzie seemed nice, and I was glad she had come over. Maybe this new place wouldn't be so bad after all. As Kenzie was leaving, Shane turned to me and said, "Hey, kiddo, why don't we order some pizza and get settled in for the night?" I nodded, feeling a little hungry. As we waited for the pizza to arrive, I couldn't help but feel a little excited about this new chapter in our lives. Maybe it would be okay, as long as Shane was here with me.