The sun outstretched across the Canadian sky, giving off radiating beams of warmth. Each beam reflected off the smooth black surface of the cruising Dodge Quad Cab. Each window of the truck stood open, blasting the family with cool and fresh air. The driver, Henry Morris looked in his mid-forties, relaxed back in his seat as he looked at the lush greenery that the Canadian coast has to offer. To his side sat a Kate Morris, her curly dirty blonde hair flailed in the wind as each gust of air pasted. She looked about the same age as the man that sat directly across from her. Her eyes look empty and saddened as she stared out at the water; shimmering from the dancing beams from the sun. Abigail Morris, their daughter, lay outstretched across the back seats, resting each of her sneaker-bound feet outside the left back window. Her straightened brown hair rested down mid-arm length; lighting fluttering in the wind. Her oversized sunglasses cut out most of the sunlight, giving her vision a grayish haze. Her white headphones blasted music into her ears, muffling out all other noises while she sketched onto her writing pad as she rested her back on a large purple pillow.
“Kate, look at that!” The driver directed over to the woman in the front seat in a raspy voice. He pointed out to a couple dozen geese soaring across the baby blue sky.
Kate looked up, brushing a small tear out the corner of her eye and smiled.
“Hun, that’s beautiful,” Kate responded as she leaned towards her window to get a better look, “Look how they just glide, it’s just fascinating.”
After the birds past Kate leaned back into the seat and stretched her left hand under her seat and pulled out a large paper-back book entitled “Loosing a loved ones and how to face it” and sat it on her lap. She let out a long drawn out sign as she focused on the cover of the self-help novel.
“How are you feeling?” Henry asked, still focusing on the road but brushing his left hand through her curls.
“Fine I suppose,” Kate replied, not breaking her gaze off of the book.
“I’ll get better,” Henry started, “We’ve both set plenty of time off work to just relax at the cottage. You just need to get you mind off of things for a little bit.”
Kate didn’t respond. She grazed her fingers across the many torn pieces of paper sticking out the top of the book. Each one marked a step, a milestone to recovery. She didn’t really believe in it, but it was something to hope upon.
The truck passed a green sign displaying “Welcome to Kingsville, Canada!” in wide white letters. Henry shifted his hand from Kate to the back seat, giving Abigail a gentle pat on her knee. She looked upwards and slid off her head phones and pushed down her sunglasses.
“Yeah?” Abigail blurted out, setting down her writing pad.
“We’re almost here, probably ten more minutes.” Henry responded, catching eye contact with Abigail through the rear view mirror.
“Really?” Abigail questioned as she stretched out her arms, “Seems like we just passed the bridge.”
Henry ran his hand through his brown hair and shifted both hands onto the steering wheel. Kate opened the book to a marked page and reclined back into her seat, tossing the red piece of paper, which marked the page, to the side.
Abigail moved both of her feet onto the seat and lifted up her purse from behind her pillow. She unzipped the designer bag, grabbing a small tube of lip gloss. The truck hit a small bump, tossing the lip gloss onto the floor.
“Shit!” Abigail whispered, trying to regain balance.
“Abigail! Language please!” Henry gasped, giving her a stern look through the rearview mirror.
“Sorry!” Abigail replied sarcastically, widening her eyes.
Abigail bent down, feeling around for the tube. Her fingers grasped the tiny plastic object and yanked it up to eye level and applied it firmly on her lips. Abigail placed the tube back into her purse, exchanging it for her cell phone and flipped it open. After a few clicks she closed it back up, slipping it into her jean pocket.
Abigail shifted over behind Kate and placed both arms over her shoulders. Kate smiled, placing down her book.