The boys were excited when they woke up and saw their mother there.
"Daddy, you and mommy are getting back together," Max asked.
Leland nodded.
"Boys," he said, "Sit down. We need to talk"
"Did we do something wrong dad," 8-year-old Jarred asked.
"No… not at all," Leland replied, "It's nothing like that. Just sit down and we'll talk"
The boys sat down. Jarred recognized the look on his father's face. It was the same look he had when he had to tell the boys their sister was missing. He looked like he was about to cry.
"Boys this isn't easy to tell you. Mommy is really sick right now"
"That's okay," Max said, "we could make her some chicken soup and she'll feel better.
Leland and Karen exchanged a smile.
"It's a sweet idea," Leland told his son, "but she's a little sicker than that."
"Is she going to get better," Jarred asked.
"Of course she is," Leland said firmly, "but in order for her to get better she's going to seem a lot sicker for a long time. She's going to need a lot of treatments that are going to make her feel worse but what you have to remember is that the treatments are fighting her sickness but her sickness is inside of her and because her sickness is inside of her she is going to feel sick from the treatments"
"Because of that," Karen explained, "I may be acting in some pretty weird ways."
"How?"
"You remember how I always say getting mad isn't right?"
"Yeah"
"Well there may be times where the medicine that I have to take affects me so bad it makes me get mad"
"So are you gonna get mad at me and Jarred," Max asked
"I'll try not to honey," Karen said
"Mom," Jarred said
"Yeah baby?"
"If you have to get mad, get mad at me—not Max. Max is only a little kid"
Leland and Karen looked at each other proud as their older son put an arm around his little brother. Karen just nodded.
"You're really a grown up little man," she told him
"I'm 8," Jarred laughed, "Not so little anymore"
"You'll always be my little guy," Karen said
"I thought I was your little man," Max said
Karen laughed
"Okay you're my little, little man. Jared's my big little man"
"And what's Jennifer"
Karen smiled sadly.
"Jennifer's my first baby."
"Lets find her," Max suggested.
Leland smiled.
"I had a few ideas," he said
"And clearly," Karen told her husband, "so does Max. Lets hear him out"
"Remember," Max said, "when Ginger was missing? We put up missing posters and someone found her"
Jarred added, "What about making an aired video of Jennifer. Maybe someone will see it and call and we'd find her again"
Leland nodded his approval.
"I like those ideas," he said, "Karen do you have any ideas"
"You'll have to run the camera," Karen said, "with my treatment-"
"I could do it mommy," Max said
Normally Karen would argue with that.
"Okay honey," she said instead, "but your brother and your dad will have to be there as backup"
"We'll trade off," Jarred said, "I just wish I could take your treatment for you so you get better without getting sick again"
Tears filled her eyes as she hugged her son.