13 The Lump Disappears

CHAPTER THIRTEEN THE LUMP DISAPPEARS "WAIT A MINUTE, Molly," Dad said. His eyebrows were scrunched up a little. "What did you hear exactly?" "That we're moving," I said and sat down at the kitchen table. My legs were wobbly. "Molly," Mom said and sat down next to me on the right. "We're not moving." "But I heard you say that you have to move all my stuff," I explained. That lump got a little smaller. "And move your stuff."

"We're not moving," Dad repeated. "Not to a different place?" I asked and wiped my sleeve across my eyes. "Like to a new city or state or something?" "We are going to move things around, just like you heard," Mom said. "But here in this house, not in a different house somewhere else." I felt better, but I still didn't understand. "Why?" "Well, we're going to change the rooms around upstairs," Dad explained. He was crouched down next to me on the left. "Right now, we have our room, your room, and the office that Mom and I use on the weekends for work sometimes. But we're going to change that."

"How?" "We're going to move the office stuff downstairs. That room will become your room," Mom said. "It's a

little bigger and has two windows instead of one. You can decorate it however you want." "But I heard Dad say, 'We have to move,'" I said. "That's a direct quote." "I did?" "Yes. I heard it. For sure." They were quiet for a few seconds, trying to remember their conversation. "I know what you're talking about, Molly," Mom said and giggled. "While I was blow-drying my hair, Dad started to brush his teeth. And he reached in front of me and I walked behind him and the hair dryer cord got all tangled up between us. He said 'We have to move' because of that."

"It was all just a misunderstanding, Molly," Dad said. "Really?!" That lump in my throat was totally gone. I was getting really happy now, but I still wasn't

totally understanding. "But then why are we moving the rooms around and stuff? And what's happening to my room?" Mom looked at Dad. And Dad looked at Mom. Then they both looked at me.