"Ladies and Gentlemen, Marty Kline!"

From that moment, I knew my life was about to change.

Dad had always said that he would rather stay home with us kids than go touring. I guess the 'Honky-Tonk Heart-Throb' missed singing more than any of us ever realised. I think the first week of performances he did just made him hungry for more. And seeing how happy he was made the 'Roxy Time' seem like a trivial thing. But nonetheless, he turned down the opportunity to do the 6 week tour. We were happy about that, and we got along fine for quite a while- Dad would continue to make us pancakes every morning, and we carried on writing songs and doing the Hannah Montana tours. I never realised how much Dad missed performing until Marty cam to see him that day. He looked so excited… somehow I knew this time I couldn't make him stay.

I was 16 years old, I didn't need a babysitter. That's what I told Dad, but he refused to let me stay home alone. Jackson had been accepted into some sort of soccer camp (to all our surprise…who knew Jackson was actually good at something?). I guess I thought that if I didn't arrange to stay at Lily's or somewhere else then dad wouldn't go. Then I realised how selfish it was. I felt terrible. Daddy was so excited… so I had to let him go and make his music.

Unfortunately, I left it a little too late.

"Sorry Mile… my mom's cousins are flying in from Chicago this weekend. They're staying for a couple of weeks, and I don't even think we've got room for them"

Ugh. Great.

So I couldn't stay with Lily. Dad was a little annoyed that I hadn't told him sooner, but he said it was fine for me to stay at a hotel. After all, I'd stayed in one plenty of times as Hanna Montana…

He wasn't happy about me staying there, and I could tell something was bugging him. He would sit around the house a lot, playing songs on his guitar. At first I thought he was nervous… then I started listening to the lyrics.

He was singing to mom… asking her to forgive him. For what? Letting me go stay in a hotel, maybe. I don't know. Maybe he was asking forgiveness in advance for all those women who were bound to throw themselves at him. That was Lily's theory…

Two days before he was supposed to leave, he knocked on my bedroom door.

"Can we talk a second Bud?" I let him in, and sat down cross-legged on my bed.

"Sure."

I realised I was gonna miss our little talks. I was really gonna miss him calling me 'Bud'.

He sighed as he picked up my guitar. "I can't believe I'm gonna miss you recording your 4th album. We haven't even finished writing the songs yet!"

Wow. I hadn't even thought about that.

I tried to smile at him to reassure him. "Daddy, maybe that's a good thing. Then I'll be more independent- it's a chance to prove that I can write for myself. You never know, I could even write something amazing."

He looked at me lovingly… "And you plan on writing these amazing songs of yours in some stuffy hotel?"

The smile was soon off of my face. I wrinkled my nose. "Well, where else is there for me to stay?"

Dad raised his eyebrows at me, and a tallish woman stepped into the room.

"You're welcome to stay with us, sweetie"

I swallowed hard and tried to ignore the funny feeling in my stomach.

Oh God, no. I couldn't…. not after what had happened!

I put on a fake smile

"Aww, don't worry dad, the hotel sounds fine!"

Dad and the woman laughed.

"Bud, I'm sure it would be fine, but this'll be better! Oliver's mom will take good care of you!"

All I could think of was how Daddy didn't know. How could he not know why I didn't want to stay at Oliver's?