[June 1992]

In the battle between which family would receive the pleasure of housing Eric and Tami for two months, the Taylors won.

"Sometimes I think you like your father-in-law better than your own mother," Tami's mom grumbled when she told her of their decision.

"This is just more practical, Mom."

Eric was gone all day for his certification program, and so was Karen, for her med school classes and study groups, while Mr. Taylor was in and out of the house, sometimes on a job site but sometimes hammering and sawing away in his garage shop, sometimes preparing invoices in his study, and sometimes calling his workers on the kitchen phone. He'd even get paged late in the evening some nights. They really had needed Tami to watch Andrew.

"So much for flexing your schedule," she told her father-in-law one afternoon when he was home for lunch between job sites.

"I'm working a lot now so that I can get things in place so I can be more flexible later," he said as he handed Andrew his sippy cup.

"Isn't that what you said when Andrew was born nine months ago?"

"Well, these things take time. And I didn't expect my business to grow so much so fast. I've essentially started a contracting company. A real company. I've got eight men working under me now. I'm not just a handyman anymore." Mr. Taylor petted his son's head where the infant sat in his high chair. "Andrew could grow up in the family business. I could train him up in it, and he could inherit it. He'd be set for life."

"Not grooming Andrew for the NFL?" she asked with a smirk.

"No reason he can't do both," Mr. Taylor said. "Play pro a few years, then take over the business empire from me after he retires from the NFL." His smile told Tami he was only joking. Mostly.

Everyone was busy. Tami, Eric, and Mr. Taylor took turns cooking, but Karen didn't get home from classes until 7:40, when she would read to Andrew and cuddle with him and put him to bed and then reheat a plate of food that she'd eat on the couch before the television, her feet up on the coffee table, looking exhausted. Karen and Mr. Taylor were not often together; at night, she would sometimes go back out again to a study group, or Mr. Taylor would retreat to his garage shop or his study to work.

One Saturday afternoon, when Karen was at a seminar, Eric and Mr. Taylor disappeared onto the back porch for two hours with a six pack of beer. Tami was a little irked they had left her alone with the kids she'd already cared for all week, but she was glad to see Eric and his father reconnecting.

Eric seemed relaxed when they came back in.

"What did y'all talk about?" she asked.

"Football, cars, and women," Eric said.

"What women?" she wanted to know.

He smiled. "Our favorite ones."

Mr. Taylor trailed in behind his son, two empty beer bottles in each hand. "Why don't we take the kids to the park, son, and give Tami some time to herself?"

Tami used the time to follow up on the resumes she'd sent out to the various Arlington schools, leaving cheerful messages on office answering machines, wondering why no one had yet called her for an interview.