Rosie looked out the window at the red sky. It was 6:07 am, and the sun was just rising. She didn’t have to be up for another hour, but she sat there, a blank expression plastered on her face. It had only been a day since she found out the news and she couldn't help, but replay everything that went on.

Sitting on the ski lift, the cold wind burned the sides of her face. She examined her mother’s face through her fogged up goggles. Something wasn’t right. She was used to her family going on trips, getting along, and spending quality time together. But, as she got older, she began to realize the picture that her parents have painted for her- of the perfect family life was just that- a picture.

A selfish part of her wanted one of them to apologize just so things could go back to the way they were. She wanted to ask her mom what the matter was, but her words were stuck in her throat. Maybe she was just imagining things.

It wasn’t until dinner that night that she knew for sure there was a problem. She was using her mom’s phone to listen to music and found pictures of divorce papers in her camera roll. It seemed like her world had stopped. Rosie’s entire childhood flashed in front of her eyes, the ideal of her perfect family: sunday morning breakfasts together, the apple picking trips, and watching movies together. Why did this have to happen to me? She kept thinking to herself. She didn’t want her life to change. Pools of tears started forming in her eyes, each tear then making its way down her cheek, leaving a black residue on her cheeks from her mascara.

Her mom instantly knew what was wrong, grabbing the phone from her. “So you saw?”, she started. “Grandpa called me in the morning and told me.” Once again, Rosie could not force a single word out of her mouth, so much so, that her throat had started to itch. “Your great-grandma passed away yesterday. I did not want to say anything because I did not want to make everyone sad on vacation.”,  her mother cried. At that point, Rosie felt as if she was going to pass out. She had never dealt with a death of someone close to her, she just instantly burst out crying. She felt the concrete foundation of her life toppling down, the security of a wholesome family.

No one finished eating, her parents paid they check and they drove back to the hotel in complete silence, everyone thinking on their own. They were leaving the Poconos the next day, and Rosie was glad she would at least be in the comfort of her own home soon.

When they got backup the hotel, she stayed behind to talk to her mother. The fluorescent lights of the arcade room burned Rosie’s eyes. Rosie’s mom comforted her about her great-grandma, and finally the lump in Rosie’s throat loosened.

“I saw your phone.”, said Rose. That’s all she needed to say, as her mother understood right away. She started crying, telling Rosie she just isn’t happy. As much as she wanted the family to stay together, she also wanted happiness in her life.

And there she was, staring at the 6 AM sun while the rest of her family was sound asleep. She was so focused on how her parents potential divorce could affect her that she never stopped for a second to think how they felt. She didn’t know how to feel.