She held her arms out an I went into them gladly. Mari had been the glue holding me together lately.My dad said he was going to be gone for. an entire year. And I would be all by myself. " My father is leaving me all alone for an entire year and I don't want to be a-alone" I said with a stumble over the last word. She knew how I felt though her parents had to go to Amarica for ten months. They have only been gone a week