Did you ever notice how even in the darkest of winter nights, when the snow falls there is this almost magical glow of light in the sky, on the ground, in everything that the snow touches; It gives you the perfect illusion that even in the darkness, you have light.

-Charlie (entry from her journal)

There was something about living in the city that makes your blood different. I know that sounds crazy, and I'm not one of those city people who look down on those who don't, thinking I'm superior to them. But, as I walked down the street, hand in hand with my boyfriend. The cold nipping at my nose, the sound of people yelling, and the sound of cars moving along every street trying to get to some unknown destination, I just felt at home, at peace with the crazy world around me.

City noise; that was the soundtrack to my life, not some pop song on the radio that everyone claimed to be their song.

"You're doing it again." I glanced up at my smiling boyfriend an I laughed and apology, "Sorry."

He stopped walking long enough to pull me closer to him, leaning his head down to kiss my forehead before telling me, "I wish I could follow you sometime." His hand was warm as he put it on the back of my neck and brought my face closer to his. "You're amazing, you know that right?" He didn't give me time to reply before his lips met with mine. The kiss was short, but it was sweet and left my lips tingling and craving for more.

He smiled against my mouth, "Where did you go this time?" he mumbled, pecking my lips again. Like he too, couldn't get enough.

"Nowhere, I was just thinking about how much I love the city." I answered honestly. Most people tell me I get to lost inside my head, but Troy? He tells me that's what made him fall for me in the first place.

"How much you love the city or love me?" He wiggled his eyebrows, making me laugh.

"The city." I said smirking at him playfully, "Of-course."

"Ouch." He shook his head grinning, "Guess I'll just have to buy you the city then. Hold it ransom for your love."

I kissed him gently, shutting my eyes, getting lost in the moment, lost in him. "I love you," I whispered against his lips before kissing him again. He rested his forehead against mine, which wasn't easy considering he's 6'1 while I'm only 5'4 (well, okay, about 5'4) "I love you, Charlie."

"Forever?" I asked, knowing his answer immediately. "Forever and always."

Troy wasn't one of those people you could forget, he had this amazing smile that brought out these two dimple that could melt the coldest hearts. He had these blue eyes that where like magnets, you couldn't help but notice them- then like gravity you kepts coming back to them. And his dark shaggy hair curled right at the neck that you had to run your hands threw. He was perfect, not just look wise. He gave his time to charities and was always one to lend a helping hand to a friend in need.

He just made people feel good about themselves. He made them feel like they belonged. Which isn't always easy. His Dad, was one of the richest in the united states. Which made most people deathly afraid of Troy, and his family. I mean, when you had bill gates over for dinner and you attended functions at the white house, people tend to think your ether a snob or really are better then them.

But Troy wasn't like that. I didn't even know who he was until he told me. He never let me feel bad about myself, or about where I came from. Even though, I knew his parents didn't approve of me or my family. Who wants there Ivy league future CEO of ones of the largest businesses to date a girl who's mom is a 'physic' (though she hates that term, she likes to consider herself a sensitive to the other worlds) and who herself, was not on the track to becoming anything other then, well, then herself.

I kissed him again, "I have to get home." he shook his head his arms tighting his hold on me, "Nope, not letting you."

"What, are you going to hold me for ransom now?" I asked smiling with my eyebrow raised.

He laughed and pulled me closer to him, so my head was resting on his chest, hearing his heartbeat. "You're to precious. No one could offer me anything that would be more important to me then you."

"That sounded really cheesy you know."

He laughed, it echoed in my ear, I felt butterflies in my stomach. "I over did it huh?"

"Just a bit." Grinning I pulled back, and he tucked a strand of my dark hair behind my ear. "I really have to get home. Mom wants a family meeting."

He nodded his head looking disappointed, "Call me later?"

"Don't I always." I teased.

He gave me another quick kiss, "Lets get you home." he took my hand and stepped closer to the street, hailing me a cab.

o.O.o

I felt frozen, completely and utterly frozen.

Even with my mom standing there in front of me, a giant smile on her face, her talking a millions miles a minute like she always does when she's excited. Even with the fact that the words 'we're moving' were repeating in my mind, I sat frozen and unbelieving.

We're moving? No- We aren't moving. I thought, wondering if maybe Webster changed the definitions of those words in the past twenty four hours and maybe I, in all my barista glory was to elbow deep in patronizing customers that I didn't get the memo.

Because, my mother, my blood would not really be standing in front of me telling me that we're moving cross country because of some guy she wants to find, because her spirit guide told her too.

My mother would not do that to me, while standing there with this pure look of glee on her face.

I felt my little sister take my hand, and I suddenly became unfrozen. I looked down and saw her brown eyes wide and white, her hand sweaty in mine.

"What about school?" I asked, my voice higher then normal.

"Oh babies;" she sighed, "I wish you would just let me home school you, the education system today isn't-"

"Mom-" I cut her off, "You aren't home schooling us." It was an age old fight between us.

She sighed dramatically, "Well, there is a school down there "

"But."

"It's a fresh start girls." She smiled lovingly, as if she just told us we won the lottery.

The thing you have to know about my mom is. She means well, she really does; in her own way she's a saint. She's just- not a normal mom.

Most girls moms tell them to wait for sex, mine told me it was natural and amazing, that I shouldn't be ashamed by human nature. Or the time she told me I could be doing more to my life then school, that I should broaden my horizons and think outside of the box.

My mom was a free spirit, she lived for adventure and being in the moment.

My dad was the voice of reason, he was the one that kept me and my little sister 'grounded in reality' while my mom was off saving trees or dancing under the moon naked.

He loved her, we all loved her. We just didn't understand her.

Then last year everything changed, somewhere along the line him not understanding her became more then him loving her.

So he left, one day he was there fixing the sink- the next day he wasn't.

o.O.o

"I looked it up online-" My voice crackled, I bit my lip to stop from crying. "It's horrible Amanda, really horrible." I told my best friend over the phone, as I sat in front of my laptop cringing at every I had looked up.

"Come on babe, it can't be that bad?"

"Oh, it is that bad. It's extremely that bad." I sighed, "do you know how flat Texas is?"

I heard her snicker over the phone, "Your upset because of geographical problems?"

"No I'm upset because-" I paused, "I'm upset because my mother thinks Dillon Texas is a fresh start. A very fresh start to what? Flat land and lots of brown. I bet they have nothing that is even green there."

"I think you're being a bit dramatic Babe,"

"Dramatic?"

"Yes, dramatic. Chances are this will blow over. Remember the time you're mom swore you were going to Ireland to find the Lochness monster?"

"Scotland." I corrected.

"Huh?"

"Nessie is Scottish, Not Irish. She wanted to go to Ireland to find the Sidhe."

"My point exactly babe. Your mom has always been one with far out ideas about going to places to find things."

"Okay, but why can't she try to find a guy at the store like normal women do."

"You're missing my point here."

"I am?"

"Yes, you are. When have you ever been to Scotland or Ireland? When has your mom ever truly acted on going to one of these places to find this mystical creature she's looking for."

I sighed, "Never." Did Amanda have a point? I wondered.

Was this just another one of my moms crazy ideas what she would never in a million years follow through with?

"Girl, listen to me. You are not moving to Dillion Texas. Wherever the bumfuck that is. Your ass is staying right here where it belongs."

I smiled, finally feeling better.

"Your right, I have nothing to worry about."

"Good. Now what did Troy say about this?" she asked, I could hear her TV on in the background and I knew with out a doubt that she was probably watching the cooking channel.

"Nothing," I spun around on my computer chair, sighing. "I haven't told him about it."

"Really?" she was definitely surprised. "Not that I'm upset I was your first call, but call me crazy you always tell Troy things first."

"I just-" I paused and took a deep breath, she waited silently for me to continue. "I didn't know how to tell him."

"Well, did you figure it out yet?"

"Figure what out?"

"How you're going to tell him?"

"Yeah," I said sheepishly, "I'm not."

"excuse me, that sounded a lot like 'I'm not'" I heard her TV mute.

"Cause it was."

"Explain, please."

"Like you said, I'm not going. This is just some crazy idea my mom has that will pass in the next few days, there is no reason to get him upset."

She sighed, "I hope you know what you're doing."

"I do." I think.

o.O.o

"Sam?" I called walking into our apartment a few months later, after getting a hectic phone call from my little sister. (Yes, her name is Sam. Not Samantha, but Sam. It was my mom's idea to give us 'boy' names so we didn't blend into the normal stereotypes of girls or something like that.) I left work early.

"Sam, where-"

Boxes. Boxes where everywhere. In every corner on everything. My life, my home was in complete box chaos.

"Oh, there you are baby, I was just making tea. Want some?" My mom asked, coming out of the kitchen with a dishtowel in her hands.

I saw my sister walk in the room, a look of shell shock on her face. My mom kept talking but I didn't hear a word she was saying, I put out my hand and Sam walked over taking it into hers.

"What?" I asked, not sure of what she was saying.

"Weren't you paying any attention Charlie?" my mom shook her head, "I said, that I put a down payment on a place."

"Tell me you're kidding mom?" My voice raised. "You have got to be kidding."

"Charlie. I don't know why you're acting like this is some surprise. I told you we we're moving."

"You said that two months ago mom! You haven't said anything since! I - I- I thought" I gave defeated.

She walked over towards me and Sam, patted my cheek. "It'll be okay baby," she smiled gently, "I'm sure you'll love it there." She smiled brightly, "This is going to be a very good thing for us. I'm sure of it. The moving company will be here in the morning"

she left me and my sister standing there in the middle of the living room, stunned and betrayed as she walked into the kitchen to make tea.

"You said we wouldn't have to go..." I heard Sam say softly, I squeezed her hand, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I didn't think we'd have too."

I sat on our stoop our of brownstone apartment building waiting for Troy to get here. My eyes where sore from crying, my head felt stuffy and I could almost swear I was going to throw up any minute.

My body seemed to be betraying me also.

"Charlie?" I looked up surprised, Troy was standing in front of me.

"Hi." I said hoarsely, looking away blinking back tears.

I don't know how, and I don't really care how. One moment I was sitting there trying my hardest not to cry, then next I was standing in Troy arm crying the harder then I have all day.

It didn't help, none of it did. Him being there holding me, whispering In my ear telling me that's it's okay, that whatever is wrong he'll be there to help me with. None of that made me feel better, it hurt worse. It hurt a lot worse actually.

Because he wasn't going to be there to help me through it. He'd be here- far away from where I was going and I'd be alone.

"I'm sorry," I kept saying over and over moving out of his arms.

"What happened?" he eyes wrinkled in worry. I shook my head, pulling myself together. Taking deep breaths, "I'm-" I stopped, more tears fell. He took my head, "You're what?" he kissed my hand, "Whatever it is baby, we'll be in it together."

I took a deep breath, while looking into his blue eyes that had always felt like my home. I shook my head, crying softly "We can't" I whisphered "I'm moving."

I'm pretty sure troy was thinking she about to drop the, 'I'm pregnant' speech on him.

Anyways let me know what you think? :)