They woke bright and early Saturday morning. Ephram almost forgot the whole conversation he had with his father last night. That was until he came downstairs. His father was filling canten's of water, and was grabbing a cup of coffee for the road when he gave Ephram a weak smile. Ephram didnt want to say anything, for fear he'd start to yell for some reason. All in two weeks thinks start to get gradually worse for him, and now their family. But Delia still had no clue about it, and he wondered when his father would even tell Delia.

"I suppose we better go pick up Amy then huh?" His father asked putting his coffee in his hands and grabbed the cantens.

"Dont you think it would be better if it was just a family camping trip instead?"

"Why would you want it to be just the family. I dont want you to be bored Ephram. I know you usually are.." Before he could finish Ephram interupted saying to drop the whole thing and go. His father nodded without saying another word and yelled upstairs for Delia to come down. She came downstairs dragging a smaller suitcase and Ephram had to laugh as she stroddled along the floor to the car. He set it in the back for her.

Ephram got out and put his hands in his jean pockets as he walked up the Abbott's walkway. Waiting a brief second then rang the doorbell. Mr.Abbott must have been reading the paper in his chair when he came to answer the door, he was still holding the paper.

"Is ah, Amy ready? Me and my dad are..."

"Yes she's ready." Mr. Abbott interupted.

Without waving Ephram to come in he shouted up the stairs for Amy telling Ephram was here. She yelled back "Just a minute!" He gave Ephram a weak smile though he didnt mean it and sat back down on his chair drinking coffee. He knew he wasnt fond of it. But he quickly erased him from memory and looked at Amy as she came downstairs just carrying a bag and a suitcase.

"You ready?"

"Yeah Just about.." She went over to the table and grabbed her camera. He smiled when he saw it.

"Whats that for?"

"To take pictures dummy." She joshed and walked to the Brown's car. Sitting next to Delia as she greeted her politly.

The car was silent on the way to the mountains. Except for Delia and Amy, they were having off and on conversations about stuff that didnt really interest Ephram as he looked out the window at trees ... trees ... and more trees. He sighed to himself and Amy turned to face him.

"Oh come on Ephram this will be fun." She assured him and he nodded slightly. "Im afraid if you dont lighten up I'll have to take you picture. Now dont make me do it." She joked and grabbed her camera turning it on.

"Your bluffing." He said looking at her, his head against the window.

"Im afraid not." She smiled as she took a snap and a flash went off that blinded Ephram for a second. "I told you I wasnt bluffing."

"You are just too cruel." He said and sat up. Again there wasnt much conversation on the way up. But when they finally reached half point they decided to take a little breather and get outside and walk around. Everyone was to meat back in a half hour.

"I dont mean to be a burrden, but you seem a little 'off' today." She said as they sat on two stumps out in the woods. He didnt know how to answer her question without blurrting out the answer. 'Oh my dad has cancer no big worries.'

"Im just a little tired. Not much of a morning person." He stated and started to throw wood chips on the ground.

Amy sighed, "Ephrams, please? You can tell me anything."

He didnt want to say, 'No I can't' But that would've been just plain rude, and he's never lied to Amy. "I know, its just a little family buisness it shouldn't consern you too much." He hoped it sounded rude but it wasn't a lie and it wasn't really true.

"I see." She nodded held his hand so he'd stop throwing chips which was starting to get on her nerves. But smiled when he looked up at her. "Just please know that I'm here no matter what. And that i've probibly been through worse right now. Or not but either way im here." He nodded an thanked her.

"Dad?" Delia asked while they walked. "Why was everyone so quite in the car? Was it because you and Ephram had a fight?"

Andy looked at her sympathecially. "No, honey, Well. Its sort've hard to explain that right now. But I'll explain it to you when we get home."

"Well why not now?" She asked not curious but more afraid of why he wont tell her. She was expecting him to say 'Your too Young.' or 'You wouldn't understand.'

"Because ... I dont want to bore you. Now lets go were running late." Andy said to his daughter as they walked back to the car.

After a long silence between the two, Ephram and Amy decided it was time to go back seeing they were past the 30 minutes. There was at least more conversations going on than the halfway drive. And everyone was glad they didnt have to listen to the silence any more or else it would have probibly driven them all insane.