"You look a lot happier here," Carrie's sister had told her yesterday when they were sitting in a small café together, drinking tea and just taking time with each other. And it was true, she did feel happier here. As Carrie drove along the dusty road towards the carnival she had promised to bring her young nieces to, Carrie couldn't help but take stock in the fact that she was not only a lot happier here in Austin, Texas than she had ever been in New York City, but that she also felt grounded, more at peace, and she began harboring a sense of hope about her future. In contrast, every day in the city had been a blur to her, and certainly not in a good way.

 

Carrie glanced in the rearview mirror at her nieces in the backseat, watching their bodies wiggle with excitement as they couldn't wait to get in to the carnival. The line of cars was surprisingly long, but it was the weekend, so she should have expected it to be busy. She had agreed to bring her two nieces out today while her sister went to visit a coworker in the hospital, but she was more than happy to do so for it gave her a reason to let her hair down and have some fun. It had been so long since she could just be herself, she admittedly felt like a kid herself today. Carrie reflected on her recent split from her ex and how her partner always managed to stifle her joy, constantly reminding her to act prim and proper no matter where they went. Every day they were together, Carrie felt the life and spirit being slowly drained from her, until she reached that turning point when she couldn't bring herself to walk through the door of their posh New York apartment even one more time. The day she left her partner and rented a small studio apartment in a much less exclusive neighborhood, was the emancipation of Carrie, and she vowed to rekindle the zest for life that she once enjoyed.

"Aunt Carrie, I want a corn dog!" That was the younger of them, at eight years old. Carrie's sister Teresa had given her money to make up for the fact that she wasn't going with them even though Carrie had said she didn't need it. She was more than willing to pay for her nieces to eat whatever they wanted, and of course play a few games. Teresa had insisted, though, and Carrie hadn't been willing to fight about it, finding it silly to argue about who had more disposable income. The sound of carnival patrons and music from the rides was already clearly audible as the three of them sat there in the car, waiting to be directed into a parking spot. Her nieces were literally bouncing in their seats by now, and Carrie quietly locked the doors, just to make sure they didn't just bound out and make a run for it before she could park the car.

 

Once they finally parked and made their way into the front entrance to purchase their tickets and ride bracelets, it seemed to be no-holds barred. Her two nieces were running far ahead of her, and Carrie had to quicken her pace just to make sure they remained in her sight. The older one was only eleven, after all, and she'd feel pretty bad if she let them disappear and they ended up getting hurt. Carrie sighed happily as the trio snaked their way through the carnival, taking in all the sights while at the same time ensuring that she always had her nieces in her sight. Taking notice to all the laughing, happy couples all around her, Carrie again mused about her future. Austin really was the kind of place she wished she could stay in. Everyone here was friendly and happy, and they even smiled at her as she passed them, despite not knowing her. There was nothing wrong with being friendly, right? If she walked down the streets of New York City like this, she likely wouldn't get a single bit of acknowledgement, and she might even get a glare if she tried to smile or talk to someone she didn't know. Yes, she really was going to put some serious thought into the possibility of moving to Austin. Plus, she already had family here.