A/N: Thank you to all the reviewers - I really appreciate your feedback and encouragement.


As Laura emerged from the en suite on Friday morning, Robbie was finishing up a phone call.

"We've got to get moving, Laura."

"Okay - just give me ten minutes. But why?"

"There's been a change in plans, and Thea asked me to give her a ride to an office somewhere between here and Liverpool."

"Liverpool? That's crazy."

"Yes, but... Well, do you mind taking care of Jack? You two got on so well last night."

Laura looked skeptical at the hastily changed schedule, but she knew Lyn had her exam today and was counting on someone to care for Jack.

"Okay. I'll do some gardening with Jack. I talked to Tim last week, and he's told me where we can plant some flowers. How long will this trip of Thea's take?"

"I don't know. It's something of a mystery to me. It has to do with financial matters, and someone at her bank in America arranged for some transfer of money or something but first she has to open some type of account. I don't understand it but Thea's adviser set up this meeting for her, without any idea of how far it was from Manchester."

"I guess he can't read a map very well."

"He probably didn't even try." Robbie was already wishing he didn't have to go.


When Laura arrived back at Lyn's house, Tim was waiting for her with a mug of coffee and some fruit and yogurt.

"Lyn hoped this would be enough for your breakfast. She left early, nervous and all about the exam. I'll be leaving for work in about ten minutes, if you're okay with that."

"Yes, thanks, Tim. Have you seen my friend Jack?"

A few seconds later, laughter erupted from under the kitchen table, and Jack slid out from his hiding place, grinning. While Laura quickly finished eating, Jack talked about "playing Legos" with her.

"We could do that, Jack," Laura agreed, "But maybe you'd like to see what I brought?"

His curiosity was piqued and Legos quickly forgotten as Laura opened a small bag and Jack was delighted to see that Lolly had brought packets of seeds. Soon, Laura and Jack were walking around the back garden, talking about what his Dad had already planted there. Laura showed him the area set aside for "Jack's Garden." It was a small plot with adequate sunlight, and Tim had turned over the soil already. She asked Jack to choose which seeds to plant first in his garden. He was unhappy there were no red flowers pictured on the seed packets but finally decided they would start with the marigolds and then plant the cosmos.

From Tim, Laura knew where to find the spades and a watering can. She then showed Jack how to carefully dig holes for the seeds, drop them in and then cover them up. She later used some stakes to attach the seed packets to, so Jack could see where he had planted the flowers.

"Which flowers will grow first?" he asked.

"I don't know. You'll have to tell me. Will you draw me a picture of the plants when they grow?"

"Yes," he promised.

Together, she and Jack removed their muddy boots at the back door to the house. And together they crowded around the small sink in the downstairs bathroom and washed their hands in the warm, soapy water, to clean off the dirt, especially from under their fingernails.

Laura then picked up one of Tim's gardening books, and she and Jack sat on the couch together to look at the pictures and imagine all sorts of green and colorful things growing outside. That made Jack think of another book, and he ran to his room and came back with Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sedank.

As they looked at the book together, Jack asked anxiously, "Lolly, will a forest grow in my room tonight?"

"You'll be fine, Jack. There won't be any forest in your room," she assured him.

They read the book twice, with Jack doing most of the "reading" from memory, and then Laura got up to prepare lunch. As she did, she noticed a recent text from Robbie: "Things taking too long. See you in afternoon."

After lunch, the routine called for Jack to have quiet time. Lyn acknowledged he didn't like to take naps anymore, but she insisted he have some time in his room alone after lunch. That meant no telly, no video games or any other "screens." Laura walked Jack to his room, carrying Where the Wild Things Are, and as she placed it on the small bookcase near his bed, she noticed a colorful paper wreath hanging on the wall. The wreath was made of seven cutout hand prints arranged in a circle.

"What's this, Jack?"

"It's my family circle. Well, that's what my Gran calls it. We made it when we were at Granny's. She had all this pretty paper."

Then Jack described how they made the hand prints, demonstrating for Laura. He stretched out his right hand on an imaginary piece of paper and with his left index finger traced his hand. He then tried to mimic cutting the paper.

"Granny had some magazines and we each had to find a picture of something we like and paste it on our hand."

"Is that yours?" Laura asked, pointing to one of the two smaller hands.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"It has a red car on it."

"I'm not good at cutting out so Granddad cut it for me. But I pasted it."

Laura nodded. And then pointing to the next hand over, she guessed: "Is this your Aunt-T's hand? The one with someone doing yoga?"

"Yes. And that's Daddy's," he pointed to the next hand. "It has a picture of some trees."

"Next to Daddy's is Mummy's. You see the bicycle? I found that picture. And then there's Granny's - she has a picture of the Queen because she likes her. Then Granddad's."

"What's that on your Granddad's hand? A boat?"

"It's a canoe. Granddad said he'll build one for me when he stops being a copper."

Laura looked surprised, "Oh? Granddad can build a canoe?" she thought to herself.

Aloud she said, "This last one, Jack, this one between yours and Granddad's? Did you have a friend with you at your Granny's?"

"No," he replied looking up at Laura. "That's yours, Lolly."

"Mine?"

"Yes, Granddad said you are in my family circle, and he said your hand is small, so he made a second hand with mine, and tried to cut it a little bigger. And he said you liked flowers."

Laura saw that "her" hand had a picture of a small red flower. "It's lovely. Did you choose it, Jack?"

"Yes. I rather like red."

"Me, too, Jack."

Jack picked out another book, climbed on to his bed, and then stretched to Lolly for a hug. As she leaned in to hold him, she kissed the top of his head. A few minutes later, as she left the room, Laura was smiling to herself, smiling because of Jack and smiling because she knew Robbie had been thinking of her during the week.

A while later, she heard the door open, but only Thea came in, looking unhappy.

"Is Robbie parking the car?"

"No, he's gone back to the hotel for something. He'll be here soon."

Before Laura could ask for details, Jack came downstairs, thrilled to see his aunt. He ran to her. Thea stooped down to him, ignoring Laura's questioning look.

Lyn returned soon afterwards, happy the test was over and that it had not been as hard as she'd feared. She apologized for being late but she and her mates had gone out for a celebratory lunch, which Laura and Thea agreed was the right thing to do.

Maybe an hour later, Robbie finally arrived. Jack was in the garden showing his aunt and his mum where he and Lolly had planted the seeds; Laura was on the couch, dozing.

"Sleeping on the job, Dr. Hobson?"

"I'm off duty," and gestured to the back window. "Jack's in the garden with Thea and Lyn."

"Ah. Good gardener, me grandson?"

Laura stood up and reached out to him, eager to put her arms around him. As he came to her, she asked, "Is everything okay at the hotel, Robbie?"

His smile faded. "Yes. I'll explain later. This whole day's been...difficult."

"Tell me about it."

"Not now. And I don't want anything said to Lyn. Nothing. Okay?

"Right."

"Now, Laura, how was your day?"

"Splendid. I'm smitten with Jack."

"You mean I have to compete with my own grandson for your affections?"

"Well, he is a very good looking younger man, but I love you both. And I think you've been teaching Jack how to care for those he love."

"What do you mean?"

"His family circle - he showed it to me, and how you made me part of it."

"Of course. You are."

"But, Robbie, it was you who made sure I was included."