With the whole world at my fingertips, I looked all over the country, trying to find the perfect place for us to move. After talking it over, Dom and I both agreed that wherever we ended up needed to be close enough to the city, that traveling back to visit wouldn't be a hassle. The three-hour radius left us with plenty of options, and I found a small New England town that seems to be a perfect fit. Not only do they have a decent school district, but it is also considered a tourist destination. I should have no problem finding a waitressing or bartending job this early in the summer.

Dom and I took the last few days to spend some quality time together. We just checked out of our hotel and settled in the car for a short ride to the ferry that will be bringing us closer to our new hometown.

Large farms and wineries line the uncongested roads as I continue to drive, and although we are only two hours East of the city, the scenery is opposite to what we are used to seeing.

With the sun's blazing rays beating down on us, I open the windows and immediately regret my decision. Long brown hair begins to fly all over my face, making it difficult to see out the windshield. I quickly reach for the hat on Dom's head and place it on my own.

"Hey!" He shouts in protest.

"It's a safety precaution," I explain. "I can't see with my hair swarming around. I'll give it back when I put it up at the next traffic light."

Dom turns his gaze towards his window as we pass another large field of greenery. I nudge him in the shoulder to get his attention. "So, did you enjoy yourself?"

His cheeks rise just enough to make his dimples pop. "I did. The water park was really fun."

"I liked the outlet mall and all the shopping we did."

Dom's nose scrunches, and he tilts his head from side to side. "Nah, I liked watching you get taken down in the tidal wave pool."

"At least I didn't need a pep talk to find the guts to go down Monster Mountain," I clap back with a smirk plastered on my face.

His eyes go wide as he cocks back his head and releases a loud gasp, "That was harsh."

Rolling my eyes at his dramatics, he smiles and continues to try and one-up me. "At least I didn't almost fall into the water while getting onto the tube in the lazy river."

The two of us burst into a fit of laughter and don't stop until trails of tears stream down our cheeks.

I did almost fall into the pool as I was placing my bottom down on the rubber tube. It was the water's fault for being unsteady, not mine.

When our amusement dies down, we settle in comfortable silence.

Not wanting to put on the radio and burst my brother's eardrums with my dreadful singing, I strike up another conversation. "I know the shopping wasn't exciting for you, but do you at least like the clothes and shoes you picked out?"

"Well, I didn't have a choice but to get new things. You told me to leave most of my clothes behind and only bring what was needed."

"True, but let's be honest, Dom, most of those shirts and pants were getting small." I reach over the center console and ruffle his soft brown locks, something I know he hates. "My baby brother is growing up."

He frantically attempts to swat away my hands, but I pull back quickly, considering the last thing I want to do is get into an accident.

Trying to fix his crazy hair, he glances over to me with a scowl. "Was that necessary?"

"Absolutely."

He crisscrosses his arms in front of his chest with a loud huff and stares angrily out the windshield. His childish antics cause me to giggle, which only makes him look over to me with his brows lowered.

Leaving one hand on the steering wheel, I wave my free one in his direction. "Oh, stop it."

With his arms still crossed, Dom doesn't say a word but turns his head once again and stares absentmindedly out the window.

Just as I am about to reach for the volume button on the stereo, he looks back at our belongings stowed away in the rear of the car. "You never told me why we left with so little."

A sigh leaves my lips, and I quickly glance at Dom, who is staring at me with one brow raised. "I made sure to pack everything important like our pictures and memories, as well as Dad's old stuff. Everything else was meaningless."

"What about the bed and furniture?"

"I donated all of it to the women's shelter," I say as I take Dom's hand in mine. "I also told Mrs. Newman to give the clothes to children and families who have extended stays at the hospital. With your growth spurt and the weight I lost due to the stress of losing my job, there was no point in bringing them with us. Some people need that stuff more than we do right now. It's better to pay our good fortune forward and help those in need."

"Well, thank you for my new clothes," Dom says as he points his thumb to the back of the car. "I think I have enough to last me a while."

I can't help but smile at his innocence. He has no idea that in the next few years, he will be going through a ton of clothes due to all the growth spurts he's about to experience.

"Don't thank me, thank Connor."

My chest still clenches anytime I say his name, but I am quickly pulled from my thoughts when I see my brother stick his head out the window.

As if he was trying to have his voice carried to the heavens, he yells at the top of his lungs, "THANK YOU, CONNOR!"

The youthful glow radiating off Dom sends my heart soring, and I can't help the broad smile spreading across my face.

With his hair disheveled from the wind blowing through it, Dom tries to fix it as he settles back into his seat. "I think that from now on, we should thank Connor whenever anything good happens. All of this is happening because of him, after all."

A wave of pride rushes over me.

I nod my head and whisper, "I like that idea."

As our journey continues, Dom and I continue to talk about the new town we will call our home, as well as all the things we will get to do once we get settled in.

Time flies, and I see a green sign letting me know the next left is where we need to turn to board the boat. After flicking on my blinker, we pull into the parking lot filled with cars, waiting for their turn to load onto the massive ferry waiting at the shore.

A gentleman in a yellow reflective coat tells me to pull into lane five before handing me back ripped the ticket stubs. Following his direction, I find the number five and park behind a large black SUV.

With the windows down, you can hear the waves crashing against the rocks in the distance. The mixture of the soothing sound and the intoxicating salty scent of the sea, cause all my worries to vanish because at the end of that vast sea is my new beginning.

Slowly, the lines of cars make their way onto the giant ship while being directed by one of the ferry workers. Shifting my car into park, Dom and I take our carry-on bags and begin to make our way up to the seating area. With each step, we get closer to the first deck, and the breeze coming off the water circulates the stuffy air of the car cabin below.

Dom reaches the top first and walks to the side and lets other passengers pass while he waits for me to reach up.

As he holds onto the metal rail of the balcony, Dom's eyes scan the open waters and the boats parked in the marina.

Once next to him, he says, "Let's get a boat."

With a light chuckle, I slap his arm playfully. "Easy there. We should probably find a place to live first."

Jokingly he stomps his foot in objection. "But a boat would be so cool, Connor would want us to have a boat."

I watch Dom as he takes in the thought of having something as lavish as a yacht. With his eyes sparkling brightly with wonder, I place my hand on top of his. "Yeah, I don't think so."

His face falls as a sigh falls from his lips, but he continues to stare out at the spacious sea.

Feeling as if I just burst his favorite balloon, I add, "Now is not the time, but who says we won't be able to afford something like that in the future."

A toothless grin spreads from ear to ear on his boyish face, and he gives me a brief nod. "Yeah, someday we will own a boat."

Placing my arm around his shoulder, I guide him towards the lounge area. "Let's go find a seat."

There is not a cloud in the bright blue sky, and the gleaming sun's golden rays warm my exposed skin. Thinking it would be awesome to go to the top level and sit outside, we walk side by side until Dom stops dead in his tracks and turns towards me. "Do they have food? I'm famished."

Not knowing he even knew the word, I laugh loudly. "Famished? Are you dehydrated too?"

Giving me his best puppy dog eyes, he playfully bats his long dark lashes and says, "Desperately."

They have a concession stand inside, so I tilt my head towards the entrance to the main cabin "Right this way, you poor starving soul who hasn't had anything to eat since leaving his bag of chips in the car approximately five minutes ago."

Shrugging his shoulders, he pats his stomach. "What can I say? I am a growing boy."

Opening the door, an unexpected gust of cool air causes goosebumps to prickle across my body, and I instantly regret not grabbing a sweatshirt from the back of the car before leaving it.

Walking down the aisles of open seats, we find two booths with a table next to a window that gives us a perfect view of the calm water beneath us.

Before Dom sits down, I stop him and pull a twenty-dollar bill from my purse. "Here, get whatever you want." Dom's face illuminates up and swiftly grabs the money from my hand.

As he runs off, I yell out, "Get me something to snack on and a bottle of water, please!"

Not even bothering to turn around, he waves his hand in the air, signaling he heard my request.

As I slide across the turquoise vinyl seat, my bottom rubs against the fabric and produces a loud, embarrassing, fart-like sound to erupt from under me. The heat instantly rushes to my face, and I try my best to cover my humiliation by opening my purse for my phone.

After sending a quick message to The Newman's, I lay my phone gently on the table and take in my surroundings. Dom is looking over his food options at the refreshment stand, and families are scattered all over the place. Parents are desperately trying to get their children situated and calmed down for the hour and a half long trip ahead of us.

One thing I wasn't expecting to see was a bar on the opposite side of the room. One man seems to be nursing his beer with his eyes fixated on the TV, watching whatever game is being broadcasted. Next to him, a group of guys who couldn't be much older than me, toasting to something with roars and cheers.

Dom places the food down and settles in the seat across from me. He instantly opens his backpack and pulls out the Nintendo Switch The Newman's got him for his birthday. Without saying a word, he sets his headphones over his ears and begins to play.

Frustrated, I open my water rather aggressively and take a swig.

An idea pops in my mind, and I tap Dom's hand to get his attention.

Lowering the headphones off one ear, he looks over to me, and I ask, "Wanna play a game?"