When Silas graduated, he left his home. He said goodbye to his parents and to his friends and to the city that he had always known. He was going to begin a new life for himself, now that school and unkind people and the prospect of stuffing his head with seemingly pointless knowledge no longer kept him tied down. It hurt to leave his loved ones. But he knew that leaving isn't right unless you leave behind something that really means something to you.
He moved to a different city, bought an apartment, and took a job in the paper asking for laboratory experience. He had always enjoyed science. Maybe he could make something out of it.
Two days before her new job, Eve went out and got a haircut as her mother's words rang in her ears. Her heavy copper locks fell to the floor, exposing her long neck and elegant shoulders. Her hair was cut into a sleek bob that curled naturally and framed her face. When it was done, she looked in the mirror and gasped in delight. She was shedding the past image of herself. She was becoming a newer, better Eve.
One day before her new job, Eve permanently stopped wearing the long fingerless gloves that covered her wrists. She bought herself new clothes, clothes that she liked and that didn't hide her anymore. All her life, she had tried to cover herself in every way possible, had tried her hardest to never be seen. She was done with the shame. She was ready to be herself.
On the day of her new job, she put on her newest floral blouse, the airy sleeveless one, and quickly scanned herself in the mirror. She was different, and her different self fit her, she thought.
In the kitchen, she hugged her mom tightly and moved her mouth close to her ear. "Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."
Her mother pulled away slightly and smiled at Eve, twirling a finger through her daughter's shorter hair. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. She was older than she had been, but her eyes remained kind and wise and full of light. "I'm so proud of you, darling," she said, squeezing her shoulders. "Now go out there and make a life for yourself."
So Eve did. She left her childhood home with an air of finality. Even though she knew she was coming back, there was something about her departure that felt brighter.
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