I remember that day so vividly. Everything about it even the most minute details. I remember the nice breeze on that sunny day. I remember the smell of freshly cut grass in the air coming from our neighbor's yard. I remember the birds chirping as they flew to their nest in the tree across the street. I remember the flash of the red and blue lights as the car pulled up to our house. I remember the stern knock on the door that followed.

The officer who came to my door stood tall and his hair was cut short. I read his name tag as he introduced himself. Wilson his name tag said, but his voice said "Officer Joey Wilson." His voice was a bit raspy and as he spoke I watched his mustache. I looked into his eyes and knew why he was here. His eyes were a light shade of green with a hint of hazel, but they held a familiar sadness to them.

"Are you Noah Hall's kid?" He had asked me. I couldn't bring myself to muster up any words so I just nodded my head. "Is your mother home?" He asked me.

"No she died last year," I said lowering my head. I knew why he was here. I've heard this news before, and I didn't want to believe it, it couldn't be happening again.

The officer sighed and asked to come in. I hesitated but moved aside. I walked in towards the living room sitting down on the couch before he told me the news. He stood there for a moment rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don't know how to tell you this son, but your dad," he paused trying to find the words, "well, son, he's gone," he said.

"How," I managed to ask him through suppressed tears.

"Car crash," he told me.

"How," I asked again. I had already guessed it was a car accident, I mean that was the only thing it could be. He was going to the grocery store how else could he have died?

"A kid stepped in the middle of the street and he swerved into a tree trying to avoid hitting her," he explained.

"Did he suffer," I asked. I could feel my body shaking as the tears inside me built up, but I couldn't cry. No, I had to remain strong.

"He died on impact," the officer said hesitantly.

"Okay," I whispered taking a breath.

"Do you have any relatives that you can stay with?" He had asked to which I shook my head.

"Do you mind if I make a call?" He had asked.

"Go ahead," I told him standing up, "I have to go talk to my sister," I whispered before heading to our room where both of us were before I heard the knock on the door. I walked in and she was still playing with her toys.

"Lexi," I whispered as I pulled a bag out of my closet.

"Yeah," she asked looking up at me.

"I need you to put as many clothes as you can in this okay?" I told her handing her a spare backpack.

"Can I put a toy in it?" she had asked me.

"Only your two most favorites," I told her and she nodded.

I headed back down the hall and heard the officer talking on the phone. "Two kids," he said, "one is 14, and one is 5," he said reading a report. "I know that those are two very different ages what's your point?" He asked. "What do you mean they might be split up in the system," he asked more quietly.

I turned around and went to my parents' bedroom and grabbed the emergency kit from their closet along with the big army duffle bag that used to belong to my mom. I paused looking at the picture of all of all of us and grabbed that putting the picture in the giant bag before quietly making my way back to our room. I walked in and closed the door and saw as Lexi stuffed her bag with clothes. "Almost done?" I asked.

"Yup," she said looking at how much space was left in the bag.

I nodded and grabbed another backpack and started shoving clothes in my backpack. When I was finished I grabbed the duffle bag and shoved few blankets in it and two small pillows before setting it by my bed.

"Are we leaving?" Lexi asked.

"Yes, and we won't be coming back here" I nodded. "Stay here and wait for me to come back," I told her before leaving the room.

I made my way back out to the front room where the officer had finished his phone call. When he saw me come back in he gave me a smile. "Hey son, my friends going to come by and pick up you and your sister," he said and I nodded.

After a few minutes of waiting, there was a knock at the door and the officer asked if he could get it to which I nodded. He let in a woman who was in a suit and heels. She walked up to shake my hand and as she shook it I saw a calm tone of pink that coated her nails. "My name is Dorothy Strong," she introduced herself, "Ezra I'm here to pick up you and your sister," her tone of voice making me roll my eyes. I remember thinking, lady I'm not a toddler

"I'm going to go get my sister," I told her. She nodded and watched as I walked down the hall and disappeared into the bedroom.

I closed the door behind me. I looked at Lexi who was sitting on the bed in the backpack that was too big for her. "Time to go," I said.

I put on my backpack and grabbed the duffle bag and motioned for her to follow me. I walked over to the window and opened it quietly. I dropped the duffle bag out the window and climbed out of it. I whispered from the window and escorted Lexi out of it. I grabbed her hand and took her through the trees that lined the back of our yard so that no one could see us on the street. Sometimes thinking back I wish I was there to see their faces when they checked the room only to see it empty. Like hell was I letting them split up the last bit of family I had left. My dad had told us if something ever happened to him that he left a to-go bag in his closet with a couple thousand dollars for food.

We had walked for a few hours before I looked at Lexi seeing how exhausted she was and suggested we took a break to which she agreed. We sat down on the edge of the trees and I explained everything to her. I explained how we wouldn't be going back home. I explained that dad was with mom now and he wasn't coming back. I explained that we would be living outside from now on.

"Like camping," she asked.

"Yeah like camping," I said and she gave me a big smile.

"I love camping," she said trying to make the situation positive.

She wasn't an ordinary 5 year old. She fully understood the concept of death already. She insisted on looking at the positives of everything, despite there being so many negative things going on. After a little while of resting, we stood up and started walking again. We walked until we had reached another town which was a couple miles away from ours. That night we slept in the forested area that lined the town.

For two years we were able to live off of the money dad had left us. We only spent money on food when we had too. We slept in the forest I taught myself how to sew when Lexi's clothes stop fitting since she was growing. I had sewn some of her old clothes together using the needle in the kit and from buying some string from this one store which was really cheap. When that stopped working I had to buy her some clothes from a goodwill.

When I turned 16 I was finally old enough to start working and I got three jobs rather quickly. Depending on what job I was at was where Lexi stayed. At one job she had to stay in the forest and wait for me to return at the other two, they knew my situation and let her sit in the building in the corner and would often give her some coloring books to use which she loved. While working all these jobs I still managed to find any time I had free to teach my sister everything I knew so she could get some education.

After I started making enough money I was able to pay for a motel room. Even though you have to be 18 the owner looked the other way knowing I was good for the money. While we were staying there I ended up helping out the maintenance guy and he taught me when he knew. When he retired a few months later the owners hired me, thanks to his recommendation, to work for them. We came to an agreement while I was there. I would work and instead of paying me they wouldn't charge me for the motel room me and my sister were currently in. I agreed without a second thought.

I had met Cammy while working one day. After we had started talking we eventually started to date. I was a little nervous introducing Cammy to Lexi, but they got along nicely. Cammy was very supportive after learning about our situation, and would often offer to babysit Lexi, even teach her some things.

Eventually, I got some better jobs that paid more. Instead of having five jobs I only had three, including the job at the motel. I had a lot of money saved up and I just kept saving hoping to give Lexi a better life than how she was currently living.

Cammy and I had been dating for two years when we started talking about moving in. We had both saved up enough money for us to live in a two bedroom two bathroom house comfortably. I was 18 and Cammy was 19 Lexi had just turned 9. After finding the house and moving in I had found a great job with amazing pay and I was able to stick to just the one job. Cammy's job paid nicely too, and our hours weren't that bad. There was always one of us home with Lexi. We both had kept her homeschooled since she seemed to work better that way.

I was happy, we were happy. Times were much better. Despite going through such hard times Lexi's smile never faded, she never complained, and she never whined. Things had gotten better, and our lives had finally turned around. 

I looked down at Lexi who was still sleeping soundly in my arms. I sighed, "all of that seems like a lifetime ago," I mumbled to myself before closing my eyes. "I don't want to think about this anymore," I told myself, and with that I let myself drift off to sleep.