I have always been a morning person. Waking up before the alarm might be irritating for some people, but to me, it is a race that I have won. Although today is not that day, I woke up to the alarm blaring in my ears. Just the start I needed for my last day of high school. After hitting snooze two more times, I dragged myself out of bed. I stayed up late last night organising and discarding piles of books and clothing. I have applied to a few of the colleges, but I am still not sure which major I would be doing. Unlike my best friend Van, who had her life figured out. In the summer she will be doing an internship with a famous fashion house, after starting a course in fashion design. Me on the other hand is still stuck to figuring out what i would like to do with my whole life. There is no time to think about that; I am already late as it is. I trudged over to the family bathroom and started getting ready for the day.

I headed downstairs to the kitchen to see what Mom had made for breakfast. Things were finally coming back to normal. Behind the door, usually full of activity and an amazing smells, is nothing. Not had been anything for sometime. But things were improving. Fearing the worst. I opened the French door. The kitchen is the heart of our home, so when Mom and Dad renovated it, it was easily the biggest room in our house. On the large kitchen island, there is a note beside, the small frame of a picture of the entire family. It was the last time we were all together. I tried not to look at it. I looked around the kitchen. Coffee is made, and our breakfast nook has no plates, indicating that no one had breakfast yet. I called my brother to come for the bus. While grabbing the note, I go straight for the coffee. In the neat, cursive handwriting of my mother, it read that she had an emergency on the site. She is an architect and so was called in to resolve a major issue with a building project. She asked to be home right after school as she had something to tell us. I quickly poured myself  coffee in a disposable cup and grabbed a granola bar and cupcake for me and Keith from the pantry before rushing out the door to catch the bus. 

"Keith I am leaving; catch me at the end. And lock behind you". I shouted and rushed out.

The end of the block was only 5 minutes away. I started eating my chocolate cupcake and reminiscing about the old times. I met my best friend on my first day of school. I wished we could walk to the bus like in the old days, but her father was dropping her off at school today. Being a high-level lawyer, Mr. Salaza usually goes to work early. So Van and I decided to meet in  class. 

As I reached the end of the road where the bus would arrive, a voice shouted behind me, "Hey!" I turned to see our elderly neighbor, Mrs. Lana, glaring at Keith, who was running towards me with unruly, wet brown hair and a mischievous grin. At 5'5", Keith was still shorter than me by three inches, but he was growing fast. I couldn't help but tease him about his height, especially since I towered over most of my classmates.  While Keith had our mother's blue eyes, mine are a unique blend of both my parents', green with a hint of blue with in the center. however according to mum I got it from her side as her mom's were just like mine.

I rolled my eyes and explained the situation to him, at work that had caused Mom to leave early. Keith's brow furrowed with concern.

"You know she shouldn't be working so early." K replied.

He didn't have to tell me who he was talking about. "She is better now, Okay?" I faced him to see in to his eyes. This is how we tell each other if we are being dead serious and other had to believe it. "It is good for her to work to get her body moving." I said with as much as conviction to him.

Last year, our parents were in a car accident. We were waiting for them for dinner. They were getting a bit late as dad had to pick mum up from her site. I remember the call I received from the hospital.

The call, changed our lives forever. The voice on the other end informed me that my parents had been involved in a serious car accident. We rushed to the hospital. Mom was unconscious. Dad was in the emergency room for a while when the doctors came out and saw us. I knew in that moment that nothing would be the same. We were all a mess, especially Mom. She blamed herself relentlessly for the accident, convinced that if she hadn't asked Dad to pick her up, none of this would have happened. Although it was a hit and run. She got depressed and wouldn't be able to do much. As Mom struggled to find her way back to the world outside her thoughts, Keith and I had to get independent early on. It's been three months now, that she stopped seeing her therapist each day. 

That's why I had considered taking a gap year—to help out more at home.  When my mother found out about my plans. I got a scolding, and some colleges application already applied with my name. Not to get matter out of hands. I took over from there.

"Still," he replied. I am still glad that he hadn't lost himself. On the other hand i am just taking one step at a time. I saw the bus coming up, meaning K wouldn't be listening to me any longer. I can already see his over-the-top mix of nerdy and rowdy friends wreacking havoc in the bus.

Before the bus stops, I assured him, "Don't worry. She said to be home early. She has something to tell us".

It was hard to say goodbye to another thing. Van understood it. She stayed with me all day. We did all our last rituals. 

Outside, the sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow over the campus. The air was alive with the chatter of excited students, all eager to start their summer break. Some were heading off to college, others to jobs or internships, but they all shared a sense of excitement and anticipation for what lay ahead.

I hugged my friends tightly, trying to hold onto this moment forever. Mr. Salaza picked us up. He was close to my dad. I tried not to think that if he was here, he would be the one picking us up. 

After saying goodbye and making plans to come tomorrow to their house, I make my way inside. I was hit with the smell of cooking, and not just anything, my favourite

"Is that cake?" I called out. 

"You are late," I heard my brother say from the kitchen. Dropping my bag, I head in through the yellow door. 

Sunlight streamed in from the setting sun through the window above the sink, casting a golden glow over the wooden countertops and the old-fashioned apron hanging from the hook by the stove. Mom was opening the oven and checking something. She stood tall and confident, her flour-dusted hands moving deftly as she brought out the cake. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun, with brown strands escaping to frame her face. Mine were ash blond with curls that sometimes becomes stuborn to manage. Despite the heat radiating from the oven, the kitchen was surprising cool. Mom cheeks were rosy, and her eyes were sparkling with joy as she worked her magic. 

"What's going on?" I asked after seeing Keith mixing in the frosting. And not just any frosting. Chocolate frosting, my favourite. Upon seeing me, Mom grinned and come around the counter to give me a kiss.

Pulling away, she said, putting her hands on her hips. "What's happening is that my baby has graduated. Surprise". 

"But we already know that; that's not a surprise." 

"I have an announcement and cake. That's a surprise."

I laughed, to see her so happy after such a long time. Keith and she are so alike. Going around the kitchen, I started arranging the chaos. It was what dad and I used to do together and make fun of the mess mom and Keith created. That sucked me up real quick. It is still hard.

"We are going on a vacation," Mom said, thankfully interrupting my thoughts.

Keith shouted, "What? Really? When? Where?"

I was going to ask why and thankfully kept my mouth shut, which is not a good response to someone telling you that you are going on a vacation.

Mom was looking at me instead of answering Keith. I put on a smile to cover my expression.  She was looking at me with so much hope and desperation that I knew she needed it more than anyone else. "You are graduating, and after everything we had been through last year, I think it is going to be good for us." I tried to be excited. 

"Ms. Selena, I think the boy has asked you all the right questions," I said, impersonating her favourite actor. I am pretty good at that. "And no, now you have said it, so you can't take it back." I spoke with extra gruffness. 

"I think Mr.Salatza is right," Keith said, catching my que.

Her eyes started tearing up. I go to her and hug her. My arms coming around her. She lost major weight.  Soon Keith joins in too. "It will be a new beginning" She wisphered. We stayed like that for some time. Each of us coming to terms of it again. i pulled away before i start crying. 

"Ms.Selena Where are we going?" I raised my eyebrow. Keith joined in, "And when?"

We are going to Austria. Annd...we are going tomorrow." After that, the screech of excitement coming out of my younger brother was like a cat screaming.

A vacation it is. Maybe I would finally know what major i would be doing.