“Dad!” I shout from downstairs. He walks down slowly, heading to the kitchen without sparing me a second glance. I hold my frustrations in and blow out a breath. I run my fingers through my long brown hair and try to calm myself. It was a warm day in Alabama, which also happened to be the day I was moving. After living here for 24 years, I had decided to move elsewhere—elsewhere meaning New York. Unfortunately, my dad didn’t share my enthusiasm, and now my heart was pulling me in two ways. Should I stay here and keep my dad happy, or should I go to New York to keep me and my friends happy?
“Kelly?” My mom’s voice snapped out of my thoughts.
“Yes?” I mutter.
“I heard you call for your dad. I’m sorry that he’s being like this.  Did you want something?” she asks.
I can’t bear seeing that expression on her face. I shake my head and my negative thoughts away. She gives me a pained smile and heads upstairs. At that moment, my dad comes out with a beer can in his hands. He shakes his head in disappointment and heads to his office upstairs. It takes everything in me not to let the tears fall out.
My phone vibrates and I take a good long look at the picture on my lock screen picture. My brother Austin. The sole reason my dad was the way he is today.
I swipe to answer the call. “Hello?”
“Kelly! How’s everything going?” my best friend from preschool asks me.
“He’s still against it, Tori,” I say, my voice the polar opposite of hers. She sounded so excited, but here I was, ruining everything with my gloomy mood.
“Don’t worry, Kel,” she says, using my nickname.
“Yeah, Kel!” says another voice. I immediately smile hearing his voice. My other best friend, Alex, and I met in high school. We clicked right away, and since then it’s been the 3 of us.
“Like that’ll happen,” I mutter to myself. “The movers will be here any minute. See you guys soon?” I say, hoping I sounded more thrilled than before.
“You can never get rid of us, Kelly,” Alex replies. I chuckle and end the call.
I decide to eat something while I wait for the movers to arrive. I head upstairs to ask my parents if they want something. My mom says that she’s already eaten so I head to my dad’s office. The door is ajar so I tiptoe and as I’m about to open the door I hear his voice.
“Are you sure, sir?” a voice says.
“Yes, I’m sure. There’s been a mistake. We don’t need you guys to come after all.”
A mistake. My anger boils over and I storm into the room and grab the phone from him. “Excuse me. Please ignore everything my father just said. Can you guys be here within the hour?” I ask.  
“Yes, ma’am,” is his reply.
“Thank you. I’ll be waiting for you.” I end the call and turn to my father.
“How could you, dad?!” I let out a sob. My dad’s expression immediately changes.
“Kelly, I-” I put my hand up, signaling that I didn’t want to hear it. He persists. “Kelly, I’m so sorry. I just didn’t want you to leave like Austin did." His voice cracks at the end. “I’m sorry. I didn’t support your decision because I thought it would end up like that again. But, I should have trusted you. I should have known you wouldn’t do something like that. I hope you can forgive me,” He looks like he’s about to cry.
“Do you mean it, dad? Does this mean I can leave with you and me on good terms?” I ask sternly.  He nods. I let out a sigh of relief. I go over and hug him, wrapping my arms around him as tight as I can. “I promise to visit you and mom. I won’t abandon you like Austin did,” I say, hoping he can hear the sincerity in my voice.
“I know you won’t,” he says. We both jump, pulling away from each other when we hear a honk. I look over to him and he smiles, allowing me to go down first.
As I walk downstairs, I can see movers already taking boxes into the truck. Tori and Alex are also here.
“Kelly!” Alex says in a high pitched girly voice and tackles me to the ground with a hug. Tori comes chuckling behind him. She looks at my dad who has a huge grin on his face. “I’m assuming all is right with you and him,” she says. I get up and nod, my smile the widest it's been in a few months. She gives me a soft smile and heads over to talk to my mom. Alex comes over to me with his lips set in a thin line. I raise an eyebrow.
“Austin called me,” he says. I gasp softly. “Really? Is he okay?” Although he had left years ago, not bothering to keep in touch, he was still my brother and I still cared about him.
“He’s doing fine. He asked about you though,” Alex says.
“What did you tell him?” I was curious.
“I said that you were okay and that your parents were disappointed in him. To which he replied that it was none of my business and hung up,” he says.
“That was rude of him. But as long as he’s okay….” I leave my sentence hanging. Was it weird that I still cared about him? I have no time to ponder the thought because my mom calls me.
“Kelly?” she says.
“Sorry. Zoned out there for a minute," I say sheepishly.
"You’re going to be late to the airport. Do you have everything?” she asks me.
“Yes, mom. I’ll call you from the airport and when we land in New York.” I hug my parents and wave to them from the car until their out of sight. I relax into my seat, feeling happy that my dad finally supported my decision to move.