9. Change makes the world go round

If you really want the truth I hate change. It splits people apart. Someone moves to a whole different continent or they break up their relationship with one another. I was sitting on the couch with Delaney. She was watching Dora the Explorer.

"Aunt Cambrey where is the mountain?" She asked and stared at me.

"In the corner."

"In the corner." she repeated back to the TV as if Dora could hear her.

I went to my room after Delaney went home. My phone started to ring. I picked it up.

"Hey there sunshine." It wasn't Jace. It was someone else.

"Hi dad. How are you?" I hadn't heard from my dad in two whole months.

"I have a surprise for you. I am coming up to Washington to live. Marsha and I are getting divorced. Isn't that great." It wasn't that I didn't like my dad but my life was fine how it is now. We don't need new people.

"Momma?" Evelyn looked at me and sat on the bed.

"Hold on one second." I told my dad. I forgot to put my hand over the receiver.

"Momma who is that?"

"Its grandpa Evi." Her face turned questioning. And just now I realized she had never seen her grandpa before.

"Cambrey can I call you back?" It wasn't a question but I said yes anyway.

"Momma who is grandpa?" She didn't know her grandfather; neither one of them. Both our parents were divorced. I had to do something. I didn't explain to Evelyn her question. So she was still sitting there, her question still forever hanging in the air.

"Mr. Benet?" I asked into the phone. I had met Jace's dad a few times. For thanksgiving and Christmas. Some weekends he came up here.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Benet this is Cambrey."

"Well hello Cambrey it is nice to hear from you. Jace said he would call back; that was two days ago." I heard a chuckle from the other end. That was Mr. Benet's laugh.

"Sorry I will get on him. I was wondering if you could come down this weekend. I, well we, really wanted you to meet Evelyn."

"That's right I haven't seen Evelyn yet. Well of course, I need to meet my granddaughter. I'll start booking. Thank you for calling Cambrey. It was nice to hear from you."

"You to Mr. Benet. Thank you we will see you in a couple of days." I hung up the phone.

"Who will we see in a couple of days?" I looked up to see Jace. He was standing in the doorway of our bedroom leaning against the door frame. I had saw him like that so many times in my life that I can't even count. Yet I was still scared every time he did that.

"Your dad is coming down for the weekend."

"How did you manage that?" He asked as he took his jacket off and put it in his closet.

"I asked him." It wasn't that hard.

"Is your dad coming also?" I pretended as if I didn't hear him.

"Did you know that Evelyn has not met either one of our fathers?" He stood there for a second looking at me.

"Cambrey I asked if your dad was coming." Oh he is coming all right.

"I don't know. Marsha and him are getting a divorce Jace. He is moving up here." I stared at him intently waiting for his reaction.

"Call him." he finally said to me.

"I did he said he would call me back."

"Ok I'll call him." And before I could stop the boy he picked up the house phone and dialed my dad. Oh god help me.

"Hello?" Jace had it on speaker. Lord help me, wait I just said that.

"Mr. Nicholson this is Jace. I was wondering if there was anyway you could come up here this weekend." Jace had talked to my dad before. He had only seen him once though and that was at our wedding.

"Well Jace I would love to but I really can't. Marsha and I are going to court this weekend, it is our first of many."

"Is there anyway you could make it next weekend? We would really love you to come up." Jace was a persistent person.

"I really cant. The law will not allow it." I heard my father chuckle. The law would allow it though. I knew it, Jace knew it, and my dad knew it.

"Well ok thank you. You are welcome here anytime. Maybe another weekend."

"Sure sure."

"Goodbye Mr. Nicholson."

"Goodbye Jace." They hung up. I knew he was never coming to see Evelyn, he probably didn't even want to see me. And after his divorce with Marsha he will probably stay in Iowa. I would never call my dad a liar, but he was lying to me all this time. I looked at Jace and took the phone from him. I looked down at the buttons and tried as hard as I could to remember the numbers I was told six years ago.

I dialed them one by one and Jace stared at me the whole time. Evelyn got tired and left the room. I put the phone to my ear and I heard the dial tone. My heart started beating faster and faster. I was afraid Jace might hear it in this quiet room.

"Hello?" I heard on the other end.

"Is this Marsha Nicholson?"

"Peterson. Yes this is her."

"Marsha this is Cambrey, Daniel Nicholson's youngest daughter. I had a question to ask you." In my vision Jace had a wide-eyed stare fixed upon me. He was in a state of shock.

"Hello Cambrey. I am busy right now is there anyway I could call you back."

"It will be quick." I heard silence on the other end and I took it. "I was wondering if you and my father have a court date this weekend."

She answered quickly. No hesitation, I knew she was not lying. "No that does not start until next week."

"Thank you for your time Marsha."

"Yes. Goodbye Cambrey." She hung up before I said goodbye and I looked at Jace. He was waiting for me to say something.

"She said they did not have a court date this weekend." I said simply and hung the phone on the stand by the bed.

"He told me they did."

"He lied. He lies a lot." I turned back around.

"Well he must be mistaken then. He probably got the dates mixed up." I stared at him intently. He did not get the words that were coming from my mouth.

"Jace," I put my hand on his shoulder, "my dad was lying when he said they have a court date. He did not want to come to see Evelyn."

"He was not lying Cambrey he got the court dates mixed up."

"Jace he is lying."

Jace tried to get a hold of my dad. He wouldn't answer his phone. Gee I wonder why. I heard my phone go off and it was a text.

Dad: Cammi I might be able to make it this weekend. I called my lawyer and he said we could cancel the court date. I'll give you more info later. Byee, love you

- Dad.

I was not going to tell Jace. So I went to the living room and fell asleep on the couch.