She must have read my mind. "Don't worry," she said. "I bought them."

As she turned to look at me, she tried to smile. But I could see tears in her eyes.

Me? I started blubbering again. We fell into each other's arms. "If s — if s only for nine days," I said between sobs. "Then Dawn and I will both be home."

"I know," Sharon whispered.

Poor Sharon. She sure had had her share of painful good-byes. First her divorce, then Jeff moving back to California with his dad, then Dawn's long visit there.

Somehow I hadn't thought my trip would mean that much to her. But it did.

And it made me realize just how close we'd grown.

I could hear Dad's footsteps booming down the stairs. "What did you pack in here, cement?" he grunted. When he reached the bottom step, he let the suitcase thump to the floor. Then he began flexing his arm. "Do I look like Ah-nold?" he asked, in a terrible Arnold Schwarzenegger imitation.

Leave it to my dad. Sharon and I cracked up. I wiped my eyes, then quickly called Kristy and Claudia.

Dad, Sharon, and I went out to the car, put my suitcase in the trunk, and took off.

First we arrived at Claudia's house. "Hi!" she squealed from the front door as we pulled up.

She and her dad were each holding luggage as they came out of the house. Her sister and mom followed behind them, lugging an over-stuffed, belted-together suitcase. They looked as if they were trying to drag out a hippo.

"Is the whole family going?" Dad asked me quietly.

"Uh, I don't think so," I replied.

As Claudia ran to me, Dad got out to open the trunk. I could hear him grumble something about renting a moving van.

Claudia and I hugged excitedly. "Oh, I have to ask you," she said. "Did you bring a lined raincoat? I mean, I know it sometimes gets cold at night, so I brought a few sweaters. And I know it doesn't rain much, but I did bring a slicker just in case. And some boots for the mud. But if it rains at night ..."