Outside the motel, I stood looking up at the sky as Madeline came alongside me. I smiled as she came down the stairs. Her hair draped over her slender back. She seemed a little different. The red dress she once wore was replaced with fitted jeans and a slim top. Her face was just as clean and flawless, if not more youthful. The sun was out and brightly shining above our heads. At a distance, a young boy carrying a box of gum raced across and stopped in front of us. He smiled up, lifting the box. “Chicle?”
I tossed him a few American dollars, then took the cowboy hat and put it on his head. The boy grinned and raced away, holding the hat to his head as he did.
The sky above was clear and blue. It had turned into a beautiful day.
“It’s time you make a new start,” a voice from behind said.
