“I’m home,” I yell as I close the front door and throw my keys onto the side table.. or at least where the side table used to be.  They landed with a jingle on the bare hard wood floor, next to a box filled to the brim with pots and pans.  While I had spent the last five days doing next to nothing at Ashley’s house, everyone in my family seemed to have gotten a head start on the packing. 

            Leaving my keys in a heap on the floor, I wander into the living room bellowing, “Anyone home?”

            “I’m up here Spencer,” mom says from over the banister.  I make my way upstairs, stepping over the bin of shoes, followed by the storage container of Glenn’s clothes. 

            “Where are you mom?” I say and here a mumbled return from the depths of my bedroom.  I was surprised when I hadn’t heard from anyone in the last few days at Ashley’s, but obviously the time hadn’t been wasted.  I peek in Glenn’s room as I walk by and see that most of his things are removed, his bed taken apart and piled next to the window. 

            Walking into my room, my mom looks up from the cardboard box with ‘Brawny’ sprawled bold black type across the side. 

            “Did you have a good time at Ashley’s?” She asks as she folds a blue tank top and places it in the container. 

            “Yeea, it was nice,” I say, wrinkling my forehead in confusion. “Why are you packing my things?”

            “Oh I just thought I would help you get a head start honey,” she says in reply.  “The next week will be gone before you know it.  Plus we already sent the first load by U-haul to your grandparents house and your dad and Glenn want to leave in a few days with the furniture.”  She smiled convincingly as she closed the last empty drawer in my dresser.  “There we are then.”

            It’s hard to be mad at my parents because I know they’re trying to be understanding.  Yea they put me in a terrible situation, and no I am definitely not thrilled about this move, but I can’t help but feel like my parents really are trying to look out for my best interests.  They just don’t understand my relationship with Ashley.  They know I love her, but the fact that the idea of living, even if it is only for a few months, without her leaves me feeling utterly at a loss and completely alone, well that’s the part that they don’t quite comprehend.  They can take me physically back to Ohio, but the real Spencer will stay right here in L.A. and there is nothing I can do about that.