“You’re what?” Clay asked putting his fork down for the first time in several minutes.

“I’m selling the house,” Arthur replied plainly.

“Wait…why?” Spencer asked.

“Well, because you kids have grown up. I’m here all by myself now and this house is way too big for one person. And besides, it’s time for a change.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, wow,” Ashley agreed.

“So, what kind of place are you looking for, Mr. Carlin?” Chelsea asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe an apartment closer to work…with at least an extra bedroom or two for when you guys want to visit.”

            Everyone was silent for awhile, the only audible sound coming from metal forks meeting ceramic plates and the tick of the large clock on the wall. Spencer wasn’t happy. Years ago when her mother and father told her they were leaving Ohio, they promised their new house would be their last house. Now her father was selling the supposed last house, her brother was dead, and her best friend was somewhere canoodling with her former fiancée. It hadn’t exactly been Spencer’s week.

            Later that night as she lay beside Ashley in her old room, she could feel her chest tightening. Her life felt as though it was it total mayhem and she had no idea how she could ever return to the life she knew before. How did she get here…with Ashley Davies…in her old bed…the night before her older brother’s funeral? She held her hands up to the light streaming through her window from a streetlight outside. There was a pale line on her ring finger where her engagement band used to be. How had everything changed so fast?

            Her breathing grew more and more labored and she shook Ashley to wake her up.

“Ashley…Ash, wake up. I don’t know what’s happening.”

Ashley jolted to a sitting position and looked around the room, “What is it? What’s going on?”

“Calm down,” Spencer said, holding the brunette’s hand and pulling her back down, “It’s just me.”

“Oh, sorry…what’s up? What’s going on? Are you ok? You’re shaking,” Ashley said, noticing the grip Spencer had on her hand.

“I don’t know what’s happening. I’m having trouble breathing…I don’t know what to do.”

“Relax, ok? Do you want me to call 911 or your mom or something?”