I thought I'd posted this last weekend, but when I went to post chapter 13, I found that I hadn't. So I'll post 12 now and 13 on Monday before we leave on another trip.
Chapter 12.
The next morning as they ate their breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, Colin asked his mother "Is Dad coming for us this morning?"
"It's Saturday, so I expect he'll be here at 10:30 or so like last week. I didn't really talk to him about it."
The children finished eating, then went into the family room. They'd decided to play some more with the Sims game. They didn't really need House to do that, although Addie thought it would be even more fun if he were there.
By 11:00 there was still no sign of Jack. Dee decided to call him. There was no answer at the number he'd given her for the apartment where he was living. She tried his cellphone but it was out of service. She wondered where he was, but decided to give him another hour. If he didn't show up or call by then, she'd assume he wasn't coming and plan on doing something with the kids herself.
A half hour later, Addie and Colin came into the kitchen where she was unloading the dishwasher.
"Where's Dad?" Colin asked.
"Isn't he coming?" Addie wanted to know.
What could she tell them? "I couldn't reach him before. I'll try again." She picked up the phone, but the responses were the same, that is, no answer.
"Maybe he went to see Grandma," Colin suggested.
She should have thought of that. She called Regina immediately.
"Hi, Regina. How are you today?" she asked.
"Feeling better and better," her mother-in-law responded.
"That's good. Is Jack there with you?" she asked.
"Why, no. I haven't talked to him since yesterday afternoon when he stopped by."
"Oh." She didn't want to alarm the older woman, so she downplayed her concern. "Well, he never said whether he was taking the kids out today, and they've been asking. I guess he had other plans."
"I'm sure that's the case, although he should have told you," Regina said. "Are the children very disappointed?"
Dee looked at their faces before answering. "A little. I guess they were just expecting him to take them to lunch. I'll find something else to do with them that they'll like."
"I'm sure you will. And call me if you hear from Jack." It was apparent that Regina was beginning to worry despite Dee's efforts.
"I will," Dee said. "I'll talk to you later." When she hung up, she was already thinking about how she could make up for the kids' disappointment.
"He wasn't at Grandma's, was he?" Colin stated.
"No."
"He's not coming," Addie said.
"Kids, it's not like he promised."
"He doesn't want to see us anymore." Addie sounded so sad.
"Oh, honey!" Dee took her daughter in her arms. "Why don't we plan a fun day, just the three of us," she suggested.
The children seemed skeptical.
"How about pizza for lunch, and then we can go to a movie."
"Can we see the Horton movie?" Addie asked. "I was going to ask Dad to take us."
"Colin, what do you think? Is that OK with you, too?" Dee asked.
"I guess so," he said. He wanted to see it, but didn't want anyone to think he was a baby.
"Well, then it's settled. We'll have pizza, then go to the movies." Dee was happy to see the smiles returning to her kids' faces.
They were just about to leave when the phone rang. Dee saw from the caller ID that it was Jack's cellphone.
"Hi, Jack. Where were you earlier?" She bit her tongue as soon as she said it. She didn't want to sound accusatory. "The kids were wondering if you were coming by today," she finished lamely.
"That's why I'm calling, uh, I'm not going to be able to," he said. "Something came up."
She could have sworn she heard someone in the background. Maybe it was the TV. But then a female voice distinctly said, "Jack, who's on the phone?"
"Uh, look, I gotta go," Jack said, and hung up.
Dee closed her eyes and shook her head. Finally she looked up. "That was your dad," she told the kids. She used his words to explain. "He said something came up and he won't make it today."
"That's OK," Colin said. "We already have plans, don't we?"
"Yes we do," she said, smiling at him.
Dee took the children to see their grandmother on Sunday. Addie was full of things to tell her about the movie they'd seen. Regina smiled as the child went into minute detail, as much as she could remember, about the film. Every once in a while Colin would correct what she was saying, but it wasn't in a mean way. Regina was happy to find that Colin had enjoyed his Saturday, too. She knew how disappointed both children had been.
But eventually Addie's descriptions wound down, and the kids ran off to the living room where their most favorite thing in their grandmother's home had a place of honor. The piano. They could each play a little. She'd taught them. So they settled in, taking turns to play.
Regina took the opportunity to tell Dee, "Jack was here for a little while earlier today. He brought me lunch from my favorite bistro, but then he had to leave again. Dee, is he seeing someone?"
Dee looked down at the floor, then into her mother-in-law's eyes. "It would seem so. There was a woman with him when he finally called yesterday. I didn't want to say anything when I called to let you know we'd heard from him, but I guess I should have."
They thought they were talking quietly, but not quietly enough. Colin and Addie heard their conversation. It confused Addie, so she asked her brother, "What did Grandma mean 'seeing someone'?"
"I think Dad has a girlfriend. Someone he likes better than Mom."
"Oh, like Mom feels about Uncle Greg?" Addie asked.
"I guess," Colin wasn't sure. There'd been so many changes in his life over the past few months and they all had to do with his parents' feelings. He didn't understand adults. He thought that when you loved someone, you'd love them forever.
Dee and Regina came into the living room to see what the children were doing, since they no longer heard the piano.
"Will you each play something for me?" Regina requested. "Then we can all have some of the cake I have in the kitchen."
Monday the children went to school and Dee went into work at the hospital, as usual. They were all comfortable now with this routine. But in the evening, Colin waited until his mother had gone off to give Addie a bath before he picked up her cell phone from the counter and looked for Dr. House's numbers in the list on the phone. He tried the home number, but there was no answer.
He decided to leave a message. "Dr. House, it's Colin. Uh, Colin Worthington." He didn't know how many Colins the doctor might know. "Um, I have to talk to you. Oh, but don't call back 'cause Mom will answer. Or Addie. And I really need to..."
"Colin, my man, what is it?" House cut in, curious about why the kid would call.
"I have to ask you something," Colin said. "I can't ask Mom."
"OK" House said. He doubted he could help. "But why didn't you ask your dad?" He figured it was a male thing.
"Because he doesn't care about us anymore. He didn't even come to take us out on Saturday." Colin wondered if he should tell, but it wasn't really a secret, was it? "He has a girlfriend."
House sighed. "So what's the question, kid?"
"Well, this girl in my class? Abby. Well, she kissed me today."
House could sense the boy's embarrassment and confusion. He WAS only seven.
"What should I do?" Colin asked.
"Do you like her?" House asked.
"Not really."
"Is she pretty?"
"Well, yeah. But kinda dumb. She never does her homework and she fails every test."
House thought a minute. "Tell you what. You promise her that she can kiss you again if she aces the next spelling test or math test or something."
"Huh?" But it didn't take long for Colin to get the idea. "How about both?"
"That'll work." Sharp kid, House thought.
"Thanks, Dr. House."
"That's not really what you wanted to talk about, was it?" House asked.
"Well, yeah. I mean I did need advice." Colin was obviously hedging.
"But?"
"Dr. House, why would my dad do that?" he blurted. "And don't say I'll understand when I'm older."
"OK, I won't. I don't know myself why your dad would rather be with his new girlfriend than with you."
"Would you ever make Mom leave us?"
House had to be honest with himself. That's exactly what he wanted, to have Dee return to him without any baggage, including her kids. And yet he also knew that they were a part of her, a part of who she was.
"I couldn't make her do that," House said. "She loves you and your sister too much. She'd never turn her back on you, for me or anyone else."
"But she left before."
"She wasn't leaving you, kid. She needed to think, but then when she had amnesia, she couldn't think. And when she remembered, she chose to be with you."
"Oh."
"You've got a great mom. She's gonna need your help now."
"She needs yours too," Colin said.
"So we'll help her together" House told him, wondering how he came to be giving advice to a seven-year-old boy.
House was not about to reveal what Colin had told him in confidence, not even to the boy's mother. He was even reluctant to tell her about his phone call. But he was curious about what was happening with Jack and how Dee was handling it.
So the next day, he made a point to stop in Cuddy's anteroom just before noon to see if Dee was free for lunch. He didn't think she'd object to a meal with him since she'd invited him to her home the previous Friday night. The way her crooked smile lit up her face and her gray eyes shone when she saw him made him glad he'd stopped in.
"Hi, I was just thinking about you," she said.
"What part?" he asked with one raised eyebrow.
She chuckled. "Thanks for never changing. No, actually, I was wondering if you wanted to do something with the kids and me next Saturday."
"Sure," he said automatically, but then realized he shouldn't know about Jack's latest snub of his kids. "Don't they spend Saturdays with their father?"
She shrugged her narrow shoulders. "He doesn't seem interested in seeing them."
"Bummer. For the kids especially." He thought of all the times his father hadn't shown up when he'd wanted him to. "What were you thinking for Saturday?"
"If it's still warm, we can have a picnic."
House scrunched up his face. "Not my idea of a fun day."
"Well, we'll think of something," she said. "So why're you here?"
"I'm hungry."
It could have been a suggestive remark, but knowing House as she did, Dee knew he meant it literally. She smirked at him. "OK, big boy, how 'bout I treat you to a Reuben?" She got up, grabbed her purse, and linked her arm in his.
"Thought you'd never ask." He smirked back. They walked toward the cafeteria. "So, Jerk didn't show on Saturday?" House asked.
Dee shook her head. "The kids were very disappointed. I took them for pizza and a movie."
"You shoulda called me."
"Except the reason Jack didn't show was that he has a new gal pal," she explained.
"And you decided not to throw me in their faces, huh?" he surmised.
"Yeah, something like that. I know they had fun with you on Friday night, but I wasn't sure that you or they were ready for more so soon."
House nodded. Then he sighed. "Dee, this is all so new for me. I'm just...feeling my way with them. I don't want to mess it up."
"Greg, I know you're making the effort for me. Just don't try too hard, OK? Be as natural as you can with them. They already like you."
"I know that Addie does, but..."
"Colin, too. I can tell that he trusts you more than he ever trusted Jack. And seeing you playing with them, I can understand why."
House was beginning to believe that, but of course, he couldn't tell her the clincher. "So how do you feel about Jack's latest?"
"It's strange, I just feel sorry for the kids, but I don't feel anything myself" she replied. "I knew I didn't love him any more, but I'm beginning to think I don't even like him."
Colin was having lunch as usual with his best friend Peter, a slight boy with glasses that dwarfed his thin face. They sat at a table in the school cafeteria, eating their sandwiches.
"So are you gonna let Abby kiss you again?" Peter asked. He'd been there the day before when the girl approached his friend and, without warning, kissed him.
Colin shook his head and smiled a sly smile. "Dr. House said I should tell her she could only kiss me if she gets a hundred on the next spelling test and the next math test."
Peter laughed. "She'll never do that."
Colin nodded. "I told him she was pretty but dumb."
Peter agreed. "Is he your doctor?"
"No, he's a friend of my mom's and he diagnosed my grandma," Colin told his friend.
"Oh" Peter said. "He must be smart. But why did you ask him instead of your dad?"
"I haven't seen my dad," was all Colin was willing to admit, even to Peter. "And Dr. House is very smart. He knows all kinds of things. He got me the new Sims game and played it with me and Addie."
"He sounds like my Uncle Jerry," Peter said. "I can ask him anything."
"Yeah, Dr. House is like that."
The rest of the week passed quickly. Colin had suggested that they have pizza again on Saturday, and then play miniature golf. When Dee told House, he didn't object. In fact, she thought she saw a brief smile cross his face but she may have been mistaken.
On Saturday morning he arrived at the house at 11 on his motorcycle, and was letting the kids admire it when Jack drove up. A twenty-something blond with very red lipstick remained in the car as he got out.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" Colin asked, completely surprised.
"It's Saturday. Holly and I are here to take you out today," Jack replied.
"But we were going for pizza and miniature golf with Mom and Uncle Greg," Addie protested.
"We didn't expect you," Dee explained.
"So you thought you'd expose them to your boyfriend?" he sputtered. He didn't expect an answer. "C'mon, kids," he ordered.
"But..." Addie looked at her mother in alarm.
"We're going with Mom and Dr. House," Colin insisted. "We had plans."
"What? I miss one week and you're turning on me too? You ungrateful little..."
"Jack! That's enough!" Dee told him. "You have no idea how disappointed they were last week, but they were finally accepting it. Don't think you can play with their emotions like that. I won't stand for it!"
Jack stared at her, then seemed to shrug. "Ah, who needs this!" He walked away in a huff, got back in the car and drove off.
Dee knelt down and put a comforting arm around her daughter who was on the verge of tears.
"I'm never gonna talk to him again!" Colin vowed.
"He's your father," Dee told him calmly. "Despite how he's acted, he does love you. And you love him."
"No I don't," Addie muttered into her mother's shoulder.
"So, who's hungry?" House asked to break through all of the emotions, including the empathy he was beginning to feel for the kids.
They brightened a bit, but Addie said, "I don't think I am."
"Oh, c'mon," her mother coaxed. "You love pizza."
"Well..."
They got into Dee's SUV with House driving and Dee directing him to their favorite pizza place. It was an old-fashioned pizza parlor, serving east coast-style thin crust pizza, so hot it burned the roof of your mouth, and so drippy with cheese that you needed several napkins.
Dee remembered how much pizza House could devour at one sitting and ordered two large pies, one plain cheese and the other loaded with sausage and peppers.
"I never had that kind," Colin said when they came out, delivered on their round and flat metal pans.
"Try it," House urged.
The boy did and immediately decided it was even better than the plain kind he usually ate.
Addie wasn't willing to try it, but didn't need much persuasion to eat a piece of the other pie. By the time they'd all stuffed themselves, they were laughing.
Next they drove to a miniature golf range closer to Princeton. House had decided that, although he couldn't handle a round of regular golf, this might be fun. He wouldn't need to swing so powerfully so the strain on his right leg would be much less. True, he couldn't ride the course in a golf cart, but it would be a lot less walking.
They got their clubs and balls and went to the first hole, a simple straight shot with no obstacles. No one objected when Dee helped Addie hit her ball across the Astroturf. Colin insisted on keeping score.
They were all off to a good start with the adults getting a hole in one and the kids taking only two strokes each.
The second hole had a little hill in the middle and took a little more skill, but they each managed it in two or three shots. As the went along, it become more and more difficult. They'd reached the eighth hole where the golfer had to get the ball passed a windmill, timing the shot so that the vanes didn't deflect the ball. Colin went first, but just as he was about to swing, they felt the first raindrop.
House and Dee looked at each other and then up at the increasing cloud cover. They knew they'd never finish the course before the drizzle turned into a downpour.
"Kids, I guess we'll have to finish the game another time," Dee told them.
"Aaww!" they said in unison. But they headed back to the parking lot with the other 'golfers' and were given rain checks as they exited.
"Now what?" House asked.
"We're nearer your place than ours," Dee said.
House debated briefly whether he wanted to take the kids to his apartment, but in the end decided it didn't matter. It was bound to happen sooner or later. In fact he'd been kind of expecting it.