Miles and miles of grey. It was the only color Avery could see, the only one she had ever known. Day by day she lived her life in an absence of color. She woke to a bright, burning grey sun and slept to a light, foggy grey moon. She felt drained. Drained of sadness, drained of joy, drained of love, drained of life. Most people lived their life happily with smiles and tears, but Avery never could understand. She did not see what others saw in the world. Where others saw life, she only saw death. She saw only the bad in the world. There was murder and torture and hate-crimes. Splatters of grey and black staining the white world. 

Avery could not say the last time she saw good. She thought that she lost the capability when her parents left her in an orphanage at age five. She learned to be tough, and that the world was not a happy place and that she had to dull her senses to survive. Now she saw only beaten down colors of what a world could have been. She spent years upon years of nothing but grey tones until she meets someone that opens up her eyes.
At age fifteen Avery was adopted by a single mother. Her mother Lynn could not provide riches, but she tried to give Avery love. Lynn gave out love in small portions after she learned what Avery had been though. Their relationship was rocky but Lynn was dedicated to prove that Avery could change.

“How was your day today sweaty?,” Lynn asked as she placed her bag on a nearby armchair. Night had fallen, but it was always dark when Avery’s mother returned home rome work.

Avery glanced up from her school assignment, “it was the same as usual: four classes and then home to work.” She said it in a gloomy tone, one that made her mother think something was astray.

“Honey,” her mother started taking a tentative seat next to her daughter of three months, “is everything alright?”

Avery avoided her mother’s gaze, “Everything is fine. Just a normal school day.”

Lynn sensed her hesitation and decided after months of trying to get to know and help her daughter it was not time to give up. “Honey you aren’t fine,” Lynn said taking a seat closer to Avery. “Avery,” Lynn started noticing the mark present on her face, “did someone hurt you?”

“It’s nothing, Lynn,” Avery said pulling her hair down into her face to cover up the bruise from the day, “I just ran into a door.”

“Avery you didn’t run into a door. You don’t bruise just your eye from a door,” her mother said trying to move her hair back behind her ear, “Let me see. I can help it. Who did this too you?”

“It was no one, and why do you even care. No one ever really cares. It’s all a facade put on by those looking to get something out of someone else,” Avery said not use to affection. She was use to taking care of her own wounds and standing up for herself even if it meant receiving a few punches.

Lynn froze, “I will always care. I didn’t adopt you because I want you to re-pay me somehow; I adopted you to show you how to feel. To get you to have hope in at least one person. I care for your well-being; I love you,” she said soft but confident. “Let me have a look at your eye, now,” she explained as Avery sat in silence.

Avery had spent over three months with Lynn, her new mother, and she spent so long trying to understand Lynn’s motives. She refused to believe that there was anyone who could actually care for her, but it changed that day. Avery sat stunned as she took in her mother’s words. She never treated Lynn as a mother, but she decided that it was time to give in to hope.

Time passed and Avery’s grey life grew in color. With the new emotions she learned and believed in, she could see more in-depth. After many years she started having faith in the world, and she could see its brilliant colors. It only took one person to change her life forever.