“You can’t move,” Lauren said. “You’re my last babyless friend. If you go, I’m going to have to start going to Mommy and Me just to see people.”

“I don’t think you would like that class,” Isabel a said.

“Yeah,” Lauren said. “Not to mention it might raise red flags if I go without a baby.”

“Probably.”

“So, you’re real y going?”

“Yeah,” Isabel a said. “I guess I am.”

“I feel like that’s a real y adult decision to make,” Lauren said.

“Real y?” Isabel a said. “Because I feel like I’m fourteen.”

“Join the club.”

“What about the second apartment we saw?” Harrison asked. “The one that was in the Cleveland Circle area. It had the real y big closets.”

“I’m not sure I real y liked that one,” Isabel a said.

“Why?”

“It’s in Boston.”

“Right,” Harrison said. “I forgot about that.”

“I think you need to network more,” Harrison told her. She stil didn’t have a job in Boston. It didn’t bother her that much. If she didn’t have a job, she could pretend that she wasn’t real y moving there.

“I think you need to network more,” Isabel a said. Harrison sighed.

“I’m serious, Isabel a. It’s not a good time to get a job. You real y need to get out there and pound the pavement.”

“Pound the pavement? Could you sound more like my seventy-year-old father if you tried?”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Wel , you aren’t.”

“It seems like you don’t real y want to find a job,” Harrison said.

“What are you worried about? That I’m not going to be able to pay rent? Calm down, I got it covered.”

“It’s not that,” Harrison said.

“Then what? What?”

“Nothing,” Harrison said. “Forget it.”

“I’m not going to forget it. You know, I’m only moving there because of you.”

“I know,” Harrison said. He walked out of the room and left Isabel a lying on the bed. Two hours later he came back. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“Good,” Isabel a said.

“I don’t care if you have a job or not,” Harrison said. “I just want you to be happy and find something there that you like.”

“I know,” Isabel a said. “I know.”

“Are you sure you want to go?”

“Yeah,” Isabel a said. “I’m sure.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’d rather have you here than not here,” Isabel a said.

“That sounds pretty simple,” Harrison said.

“I think it is.”

“The only pil in the pot,” her mom said, “is that you’ve never driven a U-Haul before.”

“The pil in the pot?” Isabel a asked.

“Isabel a,” her mom said. “Don’t be difficult.”

“Wel , anyway, I’m not driving it. Harrison’s going to. He’s the pil in the pot.”

“No,” her mom said. “I meant that the rest of your moving plan sounds good, but that the drive wil be difficult.”

“Maybe the worm should take the pil ,” Isabel a said. “Then there won’t be a pil in the pot.”

Her mom sighed. “Isabel a, I think you’re the pil in the pot.”

“People on the subway that stand too close,” Harrison said. “Put it on the list.” He threw the boxes on the floor and the dog jumped.