I pulled myself up the stairs into the apartment. I unlocked the door and stepped inside. It seemed so quiet now. I couldn't believe that I would never step inside here to hear her whistling, in the kitchen or watching TV...........But there's nothing I can do anymore now. All I can do now is try to move on. I packed the stuff in my room in a bag I found, and sat on my bed, staring at my wall. There were pictures hung everywhere, pictures of some nice memories I had. Me and Tara..........Me when I went on a ferris wheel for the first time......and me when I was younger. There was one picture in the middle: Me and my parents. Both of them, alive and well. They looked so happy, and so did I. Then dad was murdered. Twelve years later, I lose my mother. I can't............I stood up and took the pictures off of their hooks, placing them carefully in my bag. I considered seeing if there was anything worth keeping in my mother's room. I decided that it would be best. I walked inside to see that the closet wasn't properly closed. I opened it to see what was holding it open, and I gasped. There was a box, wrapped in red gift wrap. I slowly picked it up, and checked the card on it:

This present.......this is.....for me. A present from my mom. I slowly untied the bow, and carefully took the wrapping off. It was a beautifully decorated picture frame for the picture in it. I laughed and cried as I saw the picture that used to be in our living room. It was a picture of me, her, and dad. When I was younger, I loved to watch the picture, imagining that Dad was still alive. My dad had taken us on a trip for the first time, to New York. New York in Christmastime. I then remembered what day it was. Christmas! My mom had died on Christmas Eve, and now it's a year after. I put the picture in my bag, and then I heard a knock on the front door.

I answered the door to a smiling man. "Hello, ma'am! I'm here to tell you that you're not going to the orphanage, after all! A very friendly couple already adopted you!" I couldn't believe it. Already. I wasn't sure of how good these news were, but I smiled back. "It really is great that you're adopted, you know? I've been to the orphanage. Ghastly place. I hated it. Now, please get ready in a few minutes. I'll wait here."

I realized I was still wearing my mother's dress. I decided I'd keep it, just to have something nice. "Oh, and miss? You don't have to worry about the apartment. It will remain yours, and once you turn eighteen, you may live here, unless you decide otherwise." Oh. Great. At least I'll have somewhere to live in a few months. I went to my room and changed into jeans and a black NYC tee. I picked the bag up, took my coat and boots, and followed the man after locking the door.

The man told me about my 'new family' as he drove.

"Now, the couple aren't very old. They're both forty. The father's a doctor, you know?" Wow. How great. My mother was a nurse. Is that so far apart? I ignored him, hoping for a better life. I did miss my mother, and I always would, but I don't want to cause anyone else more suffering by my own. I did it with my mother, and I didn't enjoy enough time with her now, did I? I fell asleep, not caring about anything else.