Chapter 36

"I'm home!" Sydney called as she came through the front door.

Jack got up from his desk, where he'd been continuing to read Flowers for Algernon, and walked to the top of the stairs. "We're up here, sweetheart," he called down, and Sydney ran up the stairs.

When she reached him, Jack picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "How come you don't go to work no more, Daddy?" she asked as he carried her into the study.

"Any more," Laura corrected, looking up from her lesson plan. "Hi, baby. How was school?"

"Fine. How come Daddy doesn't go to work any more?"

Jack chuckled as he set her on her feet. "I'm just taking a few days off to take care of Mommy, sweetheart. I'm going back to work tomorrow."

"Oh. Are you doing your homework, Mommy?"

"Yes, Sydney, but I'm almost done. Do you have any homework?"

"A little bit. Can I draw on your cast?"

"Only when all your homework is done." She looked at Jack and inclined her head toward Sydney.

Catching her meaning and knowing she needed to finish her work, Jack put his hands on Sydney's shoulders. "Why don't we go downstairs so you can start your homework, Sydney?" On the way out, he grabbed the empty bowl and spoon perched on the edge of Laura's desk-he had thought after she'd gone upstairs that she should probably get something into her stomach besides tea, so he'd made her a bowl of soup.

"Can I have a snack first, Daddy?" Sydney asked as they got out in the hallway.

"Umm..." Jack wasn't really sure if Sydney was supposed to have an after-school snack; he was virtually never home this early.

"She can have the rest of the soup, Jack," Laura called from the study.

"Soup sound good, Sydney?"

"Yeah." Jack took his daughter's hand and took her downstairs.

***

"Mommy, don't forget about my Halloween costume!" Sydney said, coming into the kitchen after practicing the piano. "We have to go get it tonight."

Irina pushed her wet hair out of her face. Her advisor had come and gone, and she had finally found time to wash her hair in the kitchen sink. "I know, sweetheart, we'll go after dinner so that my hair has a chance to dry."

"Okay. Can I draw on your cast now?"

"As soon as I'm finished." She rinsed the conditioner from her hair, twisted the water out, and wrapped it in a towel while Sydney went up to her room and came back with markers. She turned to see Sydney sitting at the table, fidgeting impatiently. "Let's go in the den." She put her crutch down in a bit of water and it slipped, causing her to come crashing down on top of her broken leg.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Sydney asked, hurrying over.

Irina considered for a moment. A sharp pain had shot through her leg when she fell, but was gone now. "I'm fine, honey." She pulled herself up using the kitchen counter, got her crutches under her, and started toward the living room more carefully.

A few minutes later, Irina was settled on the couch with her leg propped up on the coffee table, while Sydney sat on the floor considering her canvas. "Tell me about school today, Sydney," she said as Sydney began to draw. "Besides that it was fine."

"We had tryouts for the Thanksgiving play at recess."

"You tried out?"

"Uh-huh, but I don't find out if I got a part until tomorrow."

"I'm sure you'll get a very good part, sweetheart."

Sydney continued to chatter as she colored for about twenty minutes. Then Jack came in and smiled when he saw them. He sat down on the couch and put his arm around Irina's shoulders; she smiled at him. Despite the hallucination and the nagging stomachache and headache that she still had, Irina was glad she'd gone through with the drugs; whatever she'd said had had a marvelous effect on Jack. He was acting almost normal. "How's the drawing going?" he asked Sydney.

"Good," Sydney said.

"That's good. Does Chinese food sound good for dinner?"

"Yeah! I want cashew chicken," Sydney said eagerly.

"How about you, Laura?"

"Moo goo gai pan, please."

Jack frowned. "Is your stomach still bothering you?" She normally ordered something spicy when they got Chinese.

"Just a little bit."

"Okay." He kissed her cheek. "I'll go call the order in." Irina smiled as she watched him leave.