“How much further?” 15 year old Melissa asked as she closed the book she had been reading. She was looking out at the scenery as the faded blue Volvo slowly passed a beautiful Colorado fall landscape.

“Only about 20 more minutes till we get to our new life,” her mother chirped happily from the driver’s seat next to her. “I can’t believe Brandy and Marshall could miss all this,” her mother Debbie exclaimed as she waved her hand toward the window and smiled brightly at her daughter. Melissa smiled but understood how her siblings could get tired of the 19 hour drive they had just made from Nashville, Tennessee. They had stopped briefly for sleep at a hotel in the western part of Kansas and had only been driving 5 hours that day but the monotony was about to almost too much to bear. Debbie put her hand on Melissa’s shoulder. “Wake them up for me would you. They don’t wanna miss the first view of our new home.”

Melissa turned around in her seat and looked at her siblings, peacefully asleep on the seat behind her. Her twin sister Brandy had her head against the window using her favorite jacket as a pillow and their 8 year old brother Marshall was stretched out across the seat with his head in Brandy’s lap. Melissa rolled up the book she had been reading and lightly smacked Marshall on the head with it. “Ow! What’d you do that for?” he asked as he started rubbing his head. Brandy opened her eyes just in time to see Melissa turning around, book in hand.

“Marshall, you’ve been attacked by Tuck Ever-freakin-lasting,” Brandy said frantically. Melissa turned around giggling and looked at her sister, “Indeed. Marshall’s snoring was disturbing Jesse.”

“I don’t snore!” Marshall said defensively, “Do I?” he asked Brandy. Everyone else in the car got a good chuckle but Marshall continued to rub his head. Brandy put her arm around him and kissed the top of his head, “Of course not. I will have to hurt Jesse later for attacking you.” She thumped her sister’s ear in the seat in front of her. “Where are we? Are we in Colorado yet?”

“Well sleepy head,” her mom replied, “we are actually only 20 minutes away from Everwood.” Brandy smiled, more with the thought of getting out of the car than with anticipation of reaching their destination. She looked out the back window and saw the orange U-haul van that had followed them all the way from their home in Nashville. “What about Ray?” She asked her mother. Ray was her mother’s latest boyfriend, one of many that had been in and out of their lives in the past 15 years.

Her mothers sing-song voice changed to a more solitaire monotone, “What about him?” Her mothers wishy-washy attitude toward men had always puzzled Brandy. One minute their mom would be crazy for a guy and the next minute she would yell when anyone mentioned his name. “Is he staying with us in Everwood?”

Her mother giggled lightly as she returned to her happy demeanor, “Of course not. How are we suppose to start out new lives if we have old baggage.” Brandy sighed, she figured as much. Her mom could have this incredible charm that made people willing to move mountains for her (or drive 19 hours to unload furniture). “He and I decided,” her mother continued, “that it was best if we don’t see each other anymore. Seeing as how we will be living in Colorado now and he will still be in Tennessee. But he insisted upon helping us get moved in.”

“I liked Ray,” Marshall said quietly, “more than any of mom’s other boyfriends.” Debbie heard this comment but chose not to say any reply. Brandy brushed her little brother’s cheek, “Yeah me too. Ray is a nice guy.” Debbie suddenly veered onto the shoulder of the road and stopped the car. The U-haul, though taken by surprise was able to do the same.

Melissa clung to the door handle, anxious about what was coming. She tried to never anger her mother because she had seen what a quick temper and violent nature her mother could have when she was provoked. Debbie took a deep breath, she had told herself that she was going to be calm and considerate to her children from now on and she meant to stick to that.

“Guys,” she said to her children as she turned sideways in her seat to face them, “the past has not been all milk and honey. I know that. But starting today we have a new life. So let’s leave the past in Tennessee. That was 1200 miles and 5 states ago. So cheer up and smile. You’ll see things are going to be different. You all have to trust me. Do you trust me?” Melissa was the first to speak up, “I trust you momma.” Marshall, who had been clinging to Brandy’s hand, said, “Me too.” Debbie looked intensely at Brandy and asked her question again, “Do you trust your momma?” Brandy hesitated only a moment before she replied a quiet, “Yes.”

Debbie got a big smile on her face and told her children, “I love you all and we are going to love Colorado!” She put the car back in gear and got back onto the road as she turned up the radio. Marshall put back on his shoes while Melissa and Brandy began to pick up their things that were scattered about the car. Suddenly Debbie turned to radio up loud, “I love this song. Sing with me girls!” Faith Hill’s Cry blared from the speakers. Melissa laughed, “I don’t like country music,” she said as her mom started to sing. “If I had just one tear runnin’ down your cheek. Maybe I could cope, maybe I’d get some sleep,” Debbie sang off key, “Girl you have spent the last 9 years of your life in Nashville and you still don’t like country.” Melissa shook her head ‘no’.

“Oh well,” Debbie gave up on Melissa, “Brandy you know this song. I know you do. Sing it with me girlfriend.” Brandy rolled her eyes and laughed, “I don’t wanna sing Faith Hill. Can’t we listen to Eminem?” Debbie made a disgusted face, “That man is a freak, plus that music has way too much swearing for your little brother. Here comes the chorus. Please,” Debbie tried one last time before she started singing again with her daughter reluctantly doing backup, “Could you cry a little, lie just a little. Pretend that you’re feeling a little more pain. I’ve gave now I’m wanting something in return. Cry just a little for me.”

While they sang both Brandy and Melissa were lost in thought about how they had ended up in a car with their mother driving 19 miles to the mountains of Colorado. Brandy and Melissa’s father, Steven, had left shortly after they were born. They had lived for 3 years with their grandparents until they caught Debbie stealing from their saving account and kicked her and the girls out of the house. They spent the next 3 years in and out of different places. Occasionally staying with friends of Debbie or the boyfriend of the moment. When they girls were six Debbie met Bruce Madison and Debbie thought for sure he was the one. She became pregnant with Marshall and moved in with Bruce.

Debbie should have learned that just when things seem to be going right is when the shit usually hits the fan. The same was true in this instance. Debbie had noticed that Bruce had taken a fond liking to Brandy and Melissa but she told herself that he was just trying to be a father-figure to them. Melissa has her theories but all she knows for sure is that about 7 months after they moved in with Bruce, just weeks before Marshall was born, her mother took her and Brandy and they left in the middle of the night and went to stay with Debbie’s friend Stacey. Debbie hadn’t been able to believe what Brandy told her and the fact that she doubted her 6 year old daughters word on such a serious subject is what had caused she and Brandy’s relationship to go downhill.

Debbie doubted she would ever have a fully trusting relationship with her daughter again. After some consideration and investigation on Debbie’s part she found that her daughter’s allegations of sexual abuse against Bruce were true. She packed the children up and left that night. They hadn’t seen Bruce since. Debbie managed to get a minimum wage job after Marshall was born and she and the children stayed with Stacey in Nashville until just yesterday.

Three months before they left Nashville Debbie had gotten some money in inheritance from her uncle Jack Bauer who died of influenza. Growing up Debbie had always been Uncle Jack’s favorite but she still couldn’t believe that after what had happened with her parents that he would leave money to her. She decided to take that money as an opportunity and leave Nashville, where she had been working the same minimum wage job in a clothing factory for 9 years, while she still could.

Debbie remembered a trip Uncle Jack had taken her on when she was a child. A trip to a beautiful place called Everwood, Colorado. She had fallen in love with the place when she was 12 years old and was determined to get back there to start her new life. Through a friend of Stacey’s father she had managed to secure a job there as a receptionist for the town doctor, Dr. Abbott.