Goodbye Little Girl

I stare at my footprints embedded deep within the snow, and I replay monumental moments in my life. I remember waking up to the smell of fresh baked bread, and I would know grandma was there to visit,but she stopped when grandpa got sick. The house never smelled the same again. I can remember chasing my baby brother on mama's freshly waxed floors, slipping and sliding with the grace of Elvis. But then he grew up, started his own family, and moved away. Little Sue from around the corner would come and play on the swings in my front yard with me. We would laugh at all the yucky boys, but eventually she stopped finding them so yucky, and visited their house instead. My daddy decided he liked the family a few towns over more than us, so he left, before I got my high school degree. Mama would tirelessly clean every nook and cranny to keep her mind preoccupied, until osteoporosis made her bones too weak. Now, she just sits in her cottage alone. As for me, when I got that acceptance letter, I too left. But....... the house never left me. As I stare into the house, I see the little girl I once was, sadly waving goodbye to me. I scribble my name in the snow, hoping to leave behind another piece of me. This house may be sold, but it will always be home for me. I wonder who will replace my footprints in the snow.