Francis and the children were staying at a little motel while they got the house ready to live in and decided to explore the town some more, as Francis was feeling much better. Mark saw a sign for a rodeo so they went to check it out. It turned out to be a lot of fun and they ate hot dogs with chili and had some nachos! Julie was checking out the teenage cowboys and the nice horses. When the bull-riding event came around and the clown popped out of a barrel and ran from the bull to distract him so the cowboy could get out of the ring, Mark howled with laughter!

  "Look, he is trying to run faster than the bull! He jumped back into the barrel and the bull launched him into the air! Oh, this is great; it's better than a cartoon!"

  "Mark, we need to get you a job doing commentaries for a rodeo," Francis laughed. It took their minds off of their circumstances and they all relaxed.

  The following day, they went back to the house, as the furniture was supposed to be arriving. They did a lot of cleaning in preparation. Not knowing what time the truck would arrive, and having worked up quite an appetite, they ordered Chinese take-out with soda and prepared for a carpet picnic.

  The young man who delivered their food, Carl Patterson and Julie talked for a few minutes before he had to get back to work. Carl was going to the same high school as Julie would attend and he had horses and had invited Julie to go riding. She was on cloud nine when she came back to sit down. "Mom, I might like living here after all," Julie said as she sat down. Francis was really pleased with the welcome distraction from their situation.

  Julie had become moodier since her dad left and you could tell she was trying to work things out in her mind. When Mark ran out into the backyard to play, Julie asked, "Mom, what really happened with dad and did you know anything at all about all of that?"

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  Francis explained to her the best she could and let her know she was just as shocked as her and Mark. "Ok I feel a little better, but I just wish dad had at least said goodbye or something instead of disappearing. Do you think we will see him again," she asked.

  "I wish I knew, Julie," Francis answered.

  Just as they finished their meal, the moving truck pulled up. The men got out and stretched and headed up the walk. Four hours later all of the furniture was in the proper rooms. The guys were very helpful putting all of the furniture together after Francis promised to pay them a large tip.

  They decided to explore the new city some more and look for a place to buy a washing machine and dryer. Francis drove into town and found an appliance store, "The Clean Machine". "Well hello folks! You must be new around here. I don't believe I've ever seen you around here before. I'm Jerry Jenkins, the owner and salesman. Can I help you?" Francis explained to him that they had just moved into Huntington Acres and needed a washer and dryer.

  "If I'm not mistaken, Huntington Acres has been empty for a few years and I suggest you have an electrician and a plumber check out the wiring and piping first to make sure everything is in working order before I sell you any appliances," Mr. Jenkins suggested.

  "That's a very thoughtful suggestion, Mr. Jenkins," Francis said.

  Deciding to follow up on those details tomorrow, they stopped at Dairy Queen and took food with them to a miniature golf place they had spotted earlier. They set up the food at a picnic table and ate and played and of course, Mark skunked Julie and Francis. He was only 8 but he had always had an affinity for anything athletic. It was so great to hear the kids laughing and even arguing about their best strategies; just any step back toward normalcy was appreciated, so Francis savored the moment.