Yellow

No one is there, except for her. For the first time in her life, she is truly alone in the small apartment with pale yellow walls. Her hand brushes her hair out of her face as she looks at her new home. She lets it soak in that she has finally found her way into adulthood. It is like a dream that she has made it this far. Her eyes sweep around the closed in space that she would inhabit, with its small kitchenette, cozy living room, tiny bathroom, and one bedroom. She smiles at the new freedom. She rolls up her sleeves and sets to work unpacking. She wishes that she didn’t have so much to get done. While she is setting up her new place, she wonders if she should get a cat to keep her company. Then she thinks about the time, energy, and money that cat care consumes that she does not yet have. She also realizes that she must first learn to live by herself before she can learn to take care of something else, even if cats can mostly handle themselves. She sniffs at the red cherry-scented candle that she is currently trying to find a place for. The apartment is as small as her old dorm room. The only difference is that this space is all hers. The last item that she unpacks is an old photo collage of her family and friends that she hangs on one of the pale yellow walls.