Monday evening, a few days after the wedding:
The ball sails high, just out of the reach of Cheryl's outstretched hand. She lands on the ground with a thud, her father wincing at the sound. Sandra assures him she'll be fine and when Cheryl rolls over and hops back to her feet, he breathes a sigh of relief.
At this young age, the junior pyramid players wear pads and a helmet to help stave off injuries from the physical game. Rough play isn't allowed, although it is at the discretion of each referee, and they have proven to be quite different. Boys and girls play together and since Cheryl is playing up an age level, the boys tend to be heavier compared to her. She's tall and lanky with a quick first step, proving elusive on the court. That doesn't stop some boys from putting this young girl in her place, intentionally slamming into her whenever they can catch her.
In this second match of the evening, the ref is letting the boys pound on her and the frustration is showing on her face. When she finally gets mad, she shoves a boy to the ground in a similar fashion to what he did to her twice before. The ref blows the whistle and removes her from the game, assigning her a three-minute penalty.
"Aw, c'mon!" Sandra yells, standing in the bleachers. "That boy knocked her down twice and you didn't put him in penalty!"
"Miss, if you don't sit down and be quiet, I'll have you removed from this facility!" the ref warns.
"Then call a fair game!" she retorts before taking a seat and staring him down.
"I didn't realize there was going to be this much contact at this level," Dave whispers to her. "Do you think she's okay?"
"She's fine, daddy. She looks mad as hell, but she's fine."
The coach spends the first minute of Cheryl's penalty speaking with her, and she listens and nods her head as she sips water. After two more minutes, her penalty is over and she re-enters the game, a very determined look on her face. She immediately gets the ball and when the same boy approaches her to slam her to the ground again, she ducks and rolls away from him, passing the ball to her teammate who scores. The boy hits the ground hard and begins to cry.
"I'm afraid you're done for the game, young lady," the ref informs her calling another penalty.
"I didn't even touch him!" she argues back, stomping off the court.
"Really?!" the coach yells at the ref. "He fell on his own. If he wasn't trying to tackle her, he wouldn't have gotten hurt. What's she supposed to do? That was an elite move on her part, Wes, and you know it!"
"Sit down, coach, or I'll have you removed from the game, too," the ref warns.
With Cheryl benched, her team doesn't score another point, and the other team consisting of one girl and five boys goes on to win easily.
"I hate that ref!" Cheryl grouses as she walks to her father, Sandra, and Craig after the game. "He favors the boys!" She removes her elbow pads and slams them on the bleachers as she sits next to her father.
"You still have one more game. You won one, lost one, hopefully you won't have the same ref for the third game. But I think that team is undefeated," Sandra informs her. "That was an excellent pass you made while you rolled away. You may need to do more of that if they keep tackling you and the ref doesn't call it."
"You're right. I have to get my teammates more involved. I'm running point and I need to be smarter."
"You got this, Cher-bear," Sandra assures her bumping her arm.
"Thanks, Sandra," she replies putting her arms around her and giving her a big hug. "I know you have my back. Will you come and have ice cream with me and daddy afterwards? And can we have a pajama party later?" she asks while glaring at Craig.
"Sure! Ice cream sounds good, and I know how hungry you get after pyramid. Three scoops this time?"
"And toppings! Oh, looks like coach wants to talk to me. 'Bye!"
"You don't mind, do you, Craig? I need to get up early tomorrow anyway, so I'll just ride home with daddy and Cheryl."
"No problem, I need to get up early, too," he replies, a frown on his face as he stares at Cheryl from across the court.
Cheryl 1. Craig 0.
Tuesday morning at Cheryl's school (ASS SHITS):
Persephone motions for Cheryl to join her at her table, two large medical books laid out in front of her. They wait until the teacher is on the other side of the room before they speak in low whispers so their classmates don't overhear.
"What did you find out?" Cheryl asks, looking down at the open page in the first book.
"There are only three drugs I could find that are a white powder that can be sniffed. The first one is genchrise, and it's for people who have pain from different kinds of cancer. It's expensive and you can only get it through a doctor, so I don't think that's it."
"What about the other two?"
"The next is aspershane, and that puts people to sleep. The third is tandercaine, and I think that's the one. It doesn't have any medical use, but people buy it to get high. It's very addictive and you can go to jail for having it. Drug dealers call it baby powder."
"That has to be it. His eyes were huge and black when he was talking to me, and he went from being really nice to being really scary."
"Then that's the drug. It says it makes your eyes dilated and causes mood swings in chronic users. Cher, you need to be careful. He's already hurt you once and I don't think it's a good idea to make him mad. How's your bruise?"
Cheryl pushes her sleeve up revealing the black spot on her arm, which is surrounded by several other bruises after three pyramid games the previous night. "Daddy thinks it's from my games last night. I made sure he didn't see it until afterwards. I want to tell someone about Craig, but he said he'd deny it and make me look stupid. I need to figure out a way to break him and Sandra up because I know he's going to hurt her."
"Be careful," she whispers before the teacher walks past their table again. "I might have some ideas."
Wednesday morning:
Dave leaves with Cheryl at the usual time but Sandra stays at the house since she doesn't have class until later in the morning. Craig volunteered to drive her to campus so that she could get a few extra hours of sleep. Dave agreed to the arrangement, relieved that Sandra has a boyfriend that makes her happy and seems to be responsible.
When Craig parks in the main campus parking lot, he pulls Sandra into a deep kiss, stroking her hair the way she likes, and telling her how much he enjoys spending time with her.
"Can you do me a favor?" he asks before she leaves the car. "I have a friend that I need a package delivered to. Could you meet him by the student union at noon and give it to him?" he asks, pulling a plain brown box from the back seat.
"Um, well, what is it?" Sandra asks, looking at the package that is about the size of a shoe box.
"It's a bunch of my vitamin supplements and pre-workout. He wants to get in shape and audition at the club, but he's kind of skinny right now. It's all legit – you know I don't put garbage in my body."
"No, you certainly don't," she says eyeballing his physique. "Sure, I'll take it. What's his name?"
"Stuart. Skinny guy, little bit taller than me, long black hair. He'll be by the fountain out front."
"Got it. Skinny, black hair, Stuart," she repeats getting out of the car, shoving the package under her arm.
Thursday evening:
"Is Craig joining us tonight?" Dave asks as he, Sandra, and Cheryl set the table.
"I tried calling him but only got voicemail. I didn't think he was supposed to work tonight but maybe I'm confused about his schedule," she replies, placing three plates around the table.
"Or maybe he just doesn't want to talk tonight," Cheryl says as she places silverware around the plates.
"Why would you say that?" Sandra asks, looking at her little sister curiously. "Do you know something?"
Cheryl shrugs her shoulders as she begins placing napkins on the plates.
"You do, don't you?" Sandra says.
"I don't think I should say. I'm not supposed to eavesdrop, right daddy?"
"No, it's rude to eavesdrop," he affirms.
"But in a way I wasn't," Cheryl says eyeing her sister's reaction. "I was walking by when Craig was talking to this girl, and they were talking really loud because of the music. I didn't mean to listen, but I couldn't help but hear them."
"What girl? What are you talking about, Cheryl?" Sandra asks, seating herself at the table.
"The girl at the wedding reception. She worked in the kitchen – the one with long dark hair that was super pretty. She gave Craig her phone number and he said he would call her. That's probably why he's not answering his phone tonight."
Cheryl 2. Craig 0.
Sunday afternoon:
The doorbell rings and Cheryl flies to the foyer in her pretend viper, yelling "I got it!" before opening the door.
"What do you want?" she asks in a disgusted tone upon finding Craig standing in his church clothing, carrying a bouquet of flowers.
"Is Sandra here? She hasn't been returning my calls."
"She doesn't want to talk to you."
"I'd like her to tell me that herself," he says stepping inside before Cheryl can slam the door shut.
"Craig," Sandra says emerging from her room. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you. Why haven't you returned any of my calls?"
"We need to talk," Sandra says curtly, motioning toward the sofa in the living room.
Cheryl quickly leaves and joins her father in his study.
"Who was at the door?" he asks.
"Stupid Craig."
"Cheryl, that's not very nice. Why would you call him stupid? I happen to like Craig."
"He's stupid because he's being mean to Sandra. I think he's cheating on her."
"You don't know that. Just because that girl gave him his number doesn't mean he used it. I've had a few women give me their numbers and I haven't called any of them."
"Really? Someone gave you her number? I'm not ready for another mom yet."
"You don't need to worry about that," he says smiling at her honesty. "I'm not ready for you to have another mom yet, either."
"Good. Now what are we going to do about Craig?" she asks slapping her hands on the arm of the chair she's sitting in across from his desk.
"We're going to let him and Sandra sort this out. Are they talking?"
"Yes. And I don't like it."
"Are you sure you aren't jealous because of all the time she's spending with him? You became awfully clingy with her when they started dating."
"That's not it. I don't like him."
"Well, whatever the reason, it's between Sandra and Craig and you need to stay out of it. As long as he isn't hurting her, then I'm okay with them dating. He seems to be very responsible and it's good to see her happy. You should be happy for her."
Cheryl rolls her eyes and leaves her father's study in a huff, uncertain about how to get her father to see what a horrible person Craig really is. She recalls Persephone's ideas about splitting Sandra and Craig up, then heads to the kitchen where she leaves the house through the garage. Craig's car sits in the driveway unlocked, so she returns to the kitchen to find her father sitting at the table, pretending not to eavesdrop on Sandra's conversation.
She then goes to her room where she emails Persephone with her latest plan to foil Sandra's relationship with Craig, and after a few minutes she gets a response: three thumbs up icons, indicating her best friend's approval. Changing into pyramid practice clothes and pulling on her pads and helmet, she emerges from her room and walks to the kitchen, noticing that Craig and Sandra are embraced, her sister smiling at him.
Dammit she thinks to herself. She opens the refrigerator pulling out a bottle of water and placing it in a sack pack, then after a quick glance to make sure her father isn't watching, she removes a bottle of beer from a six-pack and slips it into her bag.
"Daddy, I'm going to practice in the backyard," she calls before exiting the house through the garage. She walks to the driver's side of the car, opens the door, and places the bottle of beer in the cupholder in the center console, then quietly shuts the door before going to the backyard.
A few drills later, she pulls the bottle of water from her bag and takes a long drink. She then rolls her pyramid ball underneath the car and returns to the kitchen.
"Daddy, my ball is stuck under Craig's car. Can you get his keys and move it so I can get it out?"
Craig tosses Dave the keys and he follows Cheryl outside. She slips into the driver's seat as he starts the car and backs it up ten feet.
"Daddy, why is there beer in the car? Craig shouldn't be drinking and driving," she states in a concerned tone.
His hand moves to the bottle, picking it up and observing that it's cold. "How long has Craig been in the house?"
"I don't know. Maybe an hour."
"Come with me," he says sternly. He takes the bottle of beer in one hand, Cheryl by the other, and marches back inside. Instead of confronting Craig, who is kissing Sandra in the living room, he walks to the refrigerator and finds that the new six-pack of beer he bought the previous night is missing a bottle.
"I don't know what you're up to, young lady, but this is going to stop." He picks her up and carries her to her room, placing her on the bed and sitting down next to her. "What's going on? Why are you trying so hard to undermine Sandra's relationship?"
"I don't like him," she says crossing her arms and pouting.
"This is because you're jealous. You need to learn to be happy for your sister. You weren't like this when Laurie started dating Bill or when Aunt Sara started dating KC."
"I don't want to lose Sandra! Craig isn't a good person!"
"Why would you say that?"
"He pretends to be nice but he isn't. He's mean to me – see?" she says holding her arm out with the faded bruise.
"You told me you got those bruises from pyramid. Now you're telling me you got them from Craig?"
Frustrated, she blurts out "He does drugs, just like Sandra's old boyfriend. And he told me to keep it a secret."
"You haven't spent a single minute alone with him, how would you know all of this about him?"
"At the reception, daddy! I saw him doing drugs! And he hurt me and told me to keep my mouth shut."
"Cheryl…" he groans, shaking his head. "Craig is a nice person. The man just came from church! With flowers! Did that girl at the reception even give him her phone number or did you make that up, too?"
"You have to believe me! He's not nice. He's going to hurt her!" she pleads.
"Sweetheart, I know you're smarter than this! Sandra is happy again, and Craig is a good guy. I know it's hard to accept that she isn't spending as much time with you. If I can learn to let you grow up, you can learn to let Sandra grow up. I'm going to have both of them come in here and you need to apologize for your lies."
Cheryl 2. Craig 2.
Monday evening, junior pyramid courts:
Cheryl rips the ball from the hands of the older boy, then knocks him to the ground before passing the ball to her teammate. The ref lets it slide even though it was an egregious foul. This ref is the opposite of the one last week, letting girls get the upper hand on the boys and calling the boys for the smallest of infractions. Cheryl takes full advantage, her team winning handily, 20 to 5.
She's much more focused for the next game, using her quickness and passing abilities to set up her teammates to score, even though it's the same ref from the previous week that favors boys over girls. She doesn't give him the opportunity to call her for any penalties, playing smart to avoid his sexist foul calls. Her team wins 10-3.
The next game is against an undefeated team consisting mostly of boys, and it becomes extremely physical, the ref letting the kids play. Cheryl's team wins in a squeaker, 6-5, the tie-breaking goal scored by her in a dramatic leap through the air over the head of a defender.
"Good job, kid," Craig praises her as she joins him, Sandra, and her father at the bleachers afterwards.
She doesn't acknowledge him, instead turning to her sister and asking if she will join her for ice cream.
"Not tonight, Cher. Craig and I have plans."
Her head drops in disappointment as Sandra walks away holding hands with her boyfriend, seemingly closer than ever, leaving her alone with her father.
"We can go home, daddy. I don't feel like ice cream tonight."
Cheryl 2. Craig 3.
Wednesday morning:
Sandra locks the front door of the house and follows Craig to his car, leaving in plenty of time to make it to her 11 am class. He parks in the main campus parking lot just like he did the previous week, then asks if she can deliver another package to Stuart.
"Again? Has he used all the supplements from last week already?"
"He shared them with his roommate. They both want to audition at Stud Farm in the spring. Do you mind?"
"No, I guess not. To be honest, I don't think he stands a chance. He's not very attractive." She recalls the long-faced man with greasy hair that eagerly took the package from her the first time. He seemed surprised when she wished him luck with his audition at the strip club, then he broke into a high-pitched laugh, his grotesque yellow teeth on full display as he wheezed.
"He doesn't have to be. He just needs a good body and some dance moves. Women are drunk at Stud Farm so the face doesn't matter so much."
"For the record, I think you are very handsome," she says getting lost in his eyes. "And you have excellent dance moves, and a fantastic body."
"So do you," he replies. "You're the prettiest girl I've ever dated, and I think I'm falling for you, Sandra."
Cheryl 2. Craig 4.
Wednesday afternoon:
Dave looks over research proposals and the latest grant submissions from his office, his calendar finally clear of meetings for the rest of the day. Instructions were left with his secretary that he is not to be disturbed unless it's an emergency, so when Stephen walks in and notifies him that there's a call he must take from Cheryl's school, he immediately shuts the door and answers the phone.
"Dr. Roslin? This is Jason. I need to speak with you about Cheryl." His tone is serious, and Dave worries that she has been up to some more orneriness.
"What's going on, Jason?" he asks, taking in a deep breath, expecting bad news.
Jason explains how Cheryl's demeanor has been off the entire week and that she is not engaging in learning, which is very unlike her. Persephone clings to her and seems protective of her, and Cheryl barely touches her food at lunch.
"I'm very concerned that something is going on with her. She seems rather depressed and refuses to talk to anyone except her best friend. I was hoping that you might provide some insight into her behavior."
Dave shares his theory that Cheryl is jealous of the time Sandra is spending with Craig, and how she tried to cast him in an unfavorable light.
"Don't you think that's unusual? Has she ever done anything like that before?"
"Well, no, but Laurie just got married and is away, Sandra is spending more time with Craig, and I probably shouldn't have mentioned that a few women have given me their phone numbers. I think she's worried that we're all moving on and leaving her behind."
"I see. With your permission, I would like to resume our therapy sessions. We can do them at school. I need to make sure there isn't something else going on with her. She won't be able to stay enrolled if she doesn't actively participate during the day."
"Please, feel free to start therapy again. I really feel like this is a transition period for her and that she isn't coping well, but at least she's not acting like a bear anymore."
One hour later:
"Cheryl, I called you into my office because I spoke with your father, and we think it's a good idea to start counseling sessions with you again."
"Whatever," she responds, rolling her eyes and sinking down in her chair.
"You've had a sharp change in behavior over the past several days, and I'd like to learn why. You know that anything you say here won't leave this room."
"Then what's the point? Why would I tell you anything if you can't go to daddy and convince him that I'm telling the truth?" she asks, exasperated with her situation.
Jason sighs as he watches her, her head hung low as she fidgets, obviously agitated. "You're very angry. Is this because you don't like Sandra spending time with her boyfriend?"
"I'm not jealous," she replies through gritted teeth.
"You have to admit it looks that way. Lying about the waitress at the reception, planting a bottle of beer in his car and luring your father outside to see it. Why are you being dishonest?"
"Because no one will believe me if I tell what happened. Craig said he would tell everyone I'm trying to get attention because I'm jealous. Guess he wins. The only person who believes me is Persephone. She looked up the drug I saw him taking and it's called tandercaine. His eyes were really big after he stuck it in his nose and he went from being really nice to being really mean. He pinched my arm so hard I got a big black bruise."
Her hands suddenly snap up to cover her eyes because she can feel herself losing control. "I - I know he's going to hurt Sandra," her voice cracks. "I feel sick because I'm worried. My stomach hurts all the time, and I can't eat anything. And I hate that no one will listen to me because I'm a little kid!"
"Are you telling the truth about seeing Craig using tandercaine?"
"YES! You don't believe me either! I didn't even know what it was until I told Persephone about it and she looked it up. Craig is just like Sandra's old boyfriend, telling me to keep secrets. And when I said I was going to tell Sandra, that's when he got mean."
"When did you see him using the drug? Your father said you've never been alone with him."
"At Laurie and Bill's reception. I went to get some leftover noodles from JJ's office, and when I opened the door, he was sniffing lines of white powder off the desk, and he yelled at me. He found me hiding in the hallway and was nice at first, but then he pinched my arm. I hid in the bathroom for a long time and when I came out, Laurie and Bill were leaving and then I went home with daddy," she sniffles, trying hard not to cry.
While he isn't fully ready to believe her, the level of detail that she describes to him regarding the drug and how Craig was using it makes him suspicious. Sandra is still under probation and subject to drug testing, so he makes the decision to request that a drug technician stop by the home and obtain blood and hair samples from her. That would at least rule out the possibility of her using drugs. He also decides to run a background check on Craig, which is within the scope of his position as a therapist who works with the court system.
"Okay, Cheryl. I will do some checking into what you told me. I'm limited in what I can do, but I'm glad you shared with me what happened. Another thing I need to speak with you about is that you have not been engaged in learning for several days. Can you work really hard the rest of this week and show me what you have learned on Friday?"
"Well, I don't know if I'll be done by then," she mumbles, relieved that he changed the subject.
"Done with what?"
"I decided to write a computer program that takes the game and player statistics for each pyramid team and then predicts who will win each match. I've only set it up for a few teams so far."
"Oh! I had no idea. Can you at least give me an update on Friday? What about science and literature? Have you done any work on those?"
"I wrote a program that monitors Fernando's growth and progress in the sanctuary, and I ordered some books on Earth but they're not here yet."
"Earth? Where did you hear about Earth?"
"Priestess Elosha told me about it at the reception. She said it's the home of the thirteenth tribe that left Kobol before the other twelve tribes. Daddy says it's a fable, so he doesn't have any books on it, which is why I had to order some."
"Cheryl, do I have your permission to speak with your father about some of the things you told me today?"
"Yes, but he's going to tell you I'm jealous. It makes me sad that he doesn't believe me."
Wednesday early evening:
After running the background check on Craig, Jason discovers that there is no criminal record on him since he turned eighteen, the age of majority in the colonies. Juvenile records are sealed on Caprica, but there is no indication that one exists for him, although he cannot be certain. It would take a court order to determine that, but he would never be able to get one based on the story of a four-year-old.
He orders the drug test for Sandra, to be completed in an hour when he's certain she will be home for dinner. He then places a call to Dave.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you. I spoke with Cheryl, and she gave me permission to talk with you about some of the things we discussed today."
"That was quick – I didn't realize you were going to speak with her so soon. What did you find out?" he asks leaning back in the plush leather chair in his office, placing his feet up on his desk.
Jason asks him about Cheryl's conversation with Elosha at the wedding reception, which Dave confirms.
"Why did you want to know about that?" he asks.
"To see if she was being truthful. She claims to have seen Craig doing drugs at the reception when she went to get noodles from an office – what is the woman's name that runs the restaurant?"
"JJ. She was keeping leftovers in her office for Cheryl, but she wasn't supposed to go back there alone."
"She says it was shortly before the reception ended because she hid in the bathroom for a while and when she came out, Bill and Laura left. Was she missing for any length of time?"
Dave thinks back to that night and how many times noodles were retrieved from JJ's office for Cheryl. He doesn't recall seeing her the final thirty minutes of the reception, but he assumed she was dancing. "I can't say for sure. She wasn't with me until right at the end, and I remember that she was very clingy with Sandra when we left. In fact, Craig and Sandra had gone for a walk by the pond and had just returned to see Laurie and Bill off."
"Interesting. This goes against protocol to tell you this, but I've ordered a drug technician to stop by your house this evening to gather blood and hair samples from Sandra. She's still subject to testing since she's on parole, and I feel it is a good idea to rule out the possibility of her taking drugs. She's due soon for a test anyway, this is just bumping it up by a week."
"Do you really think that's necessary?"
"It's for peace of mind. Have you noticed any changes in her behavior?"
"Other than her being very happy with Craig, no. Her grades are good, she's helpful around the house, she doesn't argue with me as much. She wasn't even upset with Cheryl about her lies because she said she knows how it feels to be left behind."
"Did you tell Sandra about Cheryl's claim that she saw Craig using drugs?"
"No. I figured I'd spare both her and Craig that lie. I made Cheryl apologize for making up the story about the waitress and for putting the bottle of beer in his car."
"Good. Please don't mention the drug use to either of them but keep a close eye on their relationship. I suggest they don't spend much time alone together, at least until we figure this out. Family activities are fine, but you don't need to hover. Pay attention to Sandra, and especially to Craig. The reason I'm requesting this is because Cheryl knew some very specific details about a street drug and its use and how people behave when they are on that drug. It's not like a young child to seek out that information without a good reason. She's a smart girl and I believe that she feels there is something very wrong with Craig. Whether that's because she actually saw him do something, or some other reason, her ill feelings toward him are very real. If Cheryl did see Craig doing drugs, the reaction she is having right now is within reason, especially when taking into account her previous experience with Sandra's former boyfriend."
"Should I tell Sandra to stop seeing Craig for a while?"
"I wouldn't do that. We don't know anything for sure and I would hate to have Sandra resent you if this turns out to be nothing. Be aware of what's going on with your children and Craig, but don't overreact. It's not easy being a parent these days, is it?"
"No, not at all. Did you speak with Cheryl about her schoolwork?"
"Yes, and she is going to give me an update on her work on Friday. She has ordered some books about Earth because she can't find any in your study. She has written a computer program monitoring her adopted bear at the sanctuary and she's currently working on another program to predict the winner of pyramid games based on game and individual statistics. If she is successful doing that, she will be a very wealthy person!"
"I say we don't tell anyone and make a fortune with the bookies! Then we can all retire early!" Dave chuckles.
"That's an excellent plan! Before I go, I wanted to mention something Cheryl said to me at the end of our session. She's sad that you don't believe her. She was upset during our session and it's obvious to me she is very stressed out about this. Her stomach hurts enough that she barely eats. Maybe you can find a way to connect with her. Let her know you do believe in her regarding other things. It may go a long way in alleviating some of the stress she's feeling right now."
"I'll do that. And I know exactly how to connect with her right now. Thanks, Jason. It's always a pleasure speaking with you."
After their conversation, Dave goes to a bookshelf in his office, perusing the three-ring binders from his graduate school days, until he finds two thick ones from his first few years in his PhD program. Placing them on his desk, he glances through them, grinning to himself over the research he had abandoned so many years ago.
There's a light rap at his office door, then Cheryl enters. "Daddy, Sandra said to tell you that there's a drug technician downstairs. She doesn't need you, but she wanted you to know."
"Thank you, sweetie. Come here."
"Am I in trouble again?" she asks sheepishly, slowly walking to the chair in front of his desk.
"No. Come sit on my lap. I have something you might be interested in."
"What is it?" she asks, glancing down at the notebooks on the desk.
"When I first started graduate school, I studied Earth. These are all the notes from my research, and I'd like you to have them."
"You said it was a fable," she reminds him, giving him a confused look.
"The official stance of the history department is that Earth is a fable, and since I represent the history department as Dean of Research, then I have to go along with that. But there was a time I was very interested in the thirteenth tribe."
"Why didn't you keep studying Earth?"
"I was told that if I wanted a career in academia, then I should find something else to study."
"You let someone else tell you what to do?"
"Yes, I did. Sometimes adults have to go along with things even if they don't want to."
"That sucks."
"It does suck, it really does," he laughs. "But it's part of being responsible. Anyway, if you would like my notes, you are welcome to them. Maybe we can study this together."
Cheryl gazes down at the handwritten notes and crude drawings in the binder, then places her hand over her father's. "Thank you, daddy. I want to learn about Earth with you. And I love you."