• As she walked down the street she couldn’t help but feel left out. For eight years Lea had been with the same guy and for those eight years it seemed like a lie. It was just an hour or so when she had gotten home. When she hurried into the bedroom to set up a surprise for Chris she couldn’t help but fall into pieces. There sleeping in her part of the bed was some blonde. Some pretty blonde, much prettier then Lea could ever be. Without getting angry or making a fit she had left a letter on the counter. She had had suspicions but never wanted to ask.
    Now Lea had nowhere to go. She had been walking down the cold streets of New York for hours unsure what to do. Parts of her wanted to go back and rip Chris apart but in others she just wanted to forget that image. Lifting her head from the dreary view of the sidewalk she saw something in the distance. It was the 911-memorial site.
    “Hope,” she muttered shrugging her shoulders, “that things suppose to represent hope. But when all you were hoping for is gone what’s left?”
    Passing by a small laundry shop she looked into the window. There an old man was counting change while a woman tried to find a working drier. Turning to look on the other side there was a park. It was black now that it was so late. The trees waved in the wind as she saw people walking hand in hand.
    “Huh,” Lea muttered again seeing as the young woman kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, “love, who needs it? You only get hurt in the end.”
    She knew that wasn’t true. Her parents had been together for 26 years and they were still happy together. Smiling at the thought Lea couldn’t help but wonder how her parents were. It had been months since she had last seen them. Looking up again the two lights still shone in the distance. They were becoming closer each step she was taking. It was her intention to go to the site. She had been there since the actually day. Some of her friends worked in that building. Well, most of her friends did. A few had gone out for an early break but some had stayed behind. It had been hope she would hear from them. After a few days only three got out. It was hard. They had been friends since high school. They had all promised to grow old together.
    The streets were well lit where she was. Not many people were out late either. It was strange being that New York was such a big place that hardly anyone was out. Making her way through the trees Lea came to the first building site. Four of her friends had been in that building. They hadn’t had the chance to get out sadly. She even doubted that they had even seen the plane coming. Looking around she knew she shouldn’t be there. The memorial site was still under construction but for some reason she had to see it. Images of people crying on TV returned. Others of people asking about loved ones. Lea remembered hearing Josh Groban the first time at the memorial concert that was held for everyone lost. She couldn’t believe that it had already been seven years. Seven long years.
    Walking along the soon to be path that connected the two buildings Lea made her way over to the second site. More people were able to get out of this one. Still many had died but so many more were saved. It was hard to believe that the now flat foundation used to be large 110 floors building. Looking at it now it was hard to believe what had happened. How fast it had happened? Taking a deep breath Lea turned back to look at the city. Now it looked empty without them. They had been the buildings you noticed in movies or pictures. Now a-days it was the empire state building or the statue of liberty. As Lea started to walk back down the path she couldn’t help but feel how foolish she had been. Sure she had caught her boyfriend cheating on her and sure it had been eight years. But, at least she had a life, a good bunch of friends and family.
    “Now I understand,” Lea muttered again making her way down the street, “hope is all you can have in these moments in life.”
    Turning back one more time she smiled at the memorial site. Hope is everywhere you just need to find it.