“You hear about things like that …thank God she came back,” he said, looking at Page, almost wishing he could have been there with her. The nurse had also told him they'd called Brad, and he had never come to be with her.

“She surprised us all,” Page said with a warm smile.

“I hope she continues to do that.”

“Me too,” Page said softly.

“How's Andy holding up?”

“Not so great. He's been having nightmares,” she lowered her voice not to embarrass him, even though he wasn't there, but he would have hated anyone to know, “and wetting the bed. I think he's really shaken up over all this, but I don't want him to see her.”

“I agree.” Allie still looked terrible. No matter how stable her situation had become since the second surgery, she still looked terrifying to those who saw her. Even Chloe had been shocked the first time she had been aware of it, and she had sobbed when she understood it was Allie. At first, she hadn't even known it. “It would be too traumatic for him.”

“Actually, he's having a hard time with us too.” She hesitated for a long moment, staring down the hall, and then she looked up at him. “Things are getting pretty rough with Brad, and Andy knows it. He's not coming home much these days. He …uh …actually, he's talking about moving out,” she said almost calmly. There was the smallest tremor in her voice as she said it, but she surprised herself by how smoothly she said the words. After sixteen years, he was leaving her. In fact, for all intents and purposes he had already left her. He had called her that morning and told her not to expect him home for the weekend.

“Poor kid. That's a lot to handle all in one week,” Trygve said emphatically.

“Yeah, except I haven't told him. But he knows something's up, and he's very worried.”

“I didn't mean Andy when I said 'poor kid,' I meant you. You've really been through it. At first it just sounded like Brad was hysterical after the accident, but it sounds like things are a little more complicated than that.” He was sorry to hear it.

“They are. He's been involved with someone else for eight months. He seems to be in love with her. I missed that somehow. Too busy doing murals and car pools, I guess.” She tried to make light of it, but she didn't convince him. He stood very near her, and watched her.

“I know what that feels like, and it's not good,” he said softly.

She shrugged, wanting to make light of it, but she couldn't. “I didn't even suspect …can you imagine that? I feel so stupid….” And hurt, and cheated, and bereft …and lonely.

“We're all stupid sometimes. Those things are pretty hard to face. Everyone in Marin County knew about Dana, and I was still trying to pretend we had a marriage.”

“Yeah … me too….” Her eyes were damp when she looked at him and he wished he could put his arms around her. But it was different somehow when they were talking about Brad, and not Allie. “It's funny how it all happens at once …Allie …Brad …it's kind of a shock …and poor Andy is trying to cope with all of it. So am I, but I'm supposed to be the grown-up.”

“Forget that, kick him in the shins if you want to.” She laughed at the idea, and the image.

“I think we just about did for most of this week. I can't believe how bad it was, and then when Allie almost died, suddenly I got a different perspective … it didn't seem quite as catastrophic anymore, Brad I mean, it's just something we have to resolve …and the accident is something I have to live through. I feel stronger now, though I'm not quite sure why.”

“You look it. The mind is an extraordinary thing. We always find the resources we need there.” She nodded, feeling comfortable and close to him, and he looked at her almost shyly then with a question. “What are you and Andy doing tomorrow afternoon?”

“I'm not sure, he doesn't have a baseball game for once' and I was going to leave him with my neighbor. Brad won't be around but I haven't told Andy yet. I don't want to leave Allie alone all day. I really hadn't figured it out yet. Why? What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that it would be nice if the two of you came for lunch. Bjorn loves kids Andy's age, and they might get along okay. If they do, you could leave him with me when you go to the hospital, and pick him up again after dinner, or even come back and join us.” It was quite an invitation, and she was touched that he had asked her.

“That sounds like a lot of trouble for you. Are you sure you want us? What about Chloe?”

“I promised Bjorn we'd come over tomorrow morning and see her, and then go home and play. Two of Chloe's friends said they would visit and Jamie's going to visit her too. I thought I'd come back again in the evening.”

“Sounds like a full day for you.” She was hesitating, but his eyes pleaded with her to come. He enjoyed her company, and he liked the boy, and they both needed a break from the grimness of the situation. It had been a rough week for both of them, and he knew she needed a breather as much as he did.

“Honestly, Page, we'd enjoy it …and maybe Andy would too.” It might also distract him from wanting his father.

“I'd enjoy it too,” she said softly. “Okay …and thank you….”

The two girls who'd been visiting Chloe left the room, which was his signal to go back in, and he told her to come at noon the next day, with Andy.

“And tell him to bring his mitt. Bjorn loves to play baseball.”

“PU tell him.” She smiled and waved, and then she went home and told Andy about the plans, and that Brad had to go away for the weekend on business.

“On Saturday and Sunday}” he asked suspiciously, but he didn't question her further.

She tried to explain Bjorn to him, and he wasn't frightened but intrigued. He knew Bjorn, but he'd never played with him before. He said there was a boy like him at school, but they had put him in special classes.

But she and Andy were both surprised by how smoothly it all went the next day. Bjorn had helped to make lunch, he had made really good hamburgers and french fries, and Trygve had made hot dogs and potato salad, and sliced tomatoes. Nick had gone back to school at USC, but Bjorn said he made the best hot dogs in the whole family, much better than their Dad's. He said it with great seriousness, and Andy laughed toothlessly, and helped himself to a hot dog.

“What happened to your teeth?” Bjorn asked, intrigued.

“They fell out,” Andy explained, looking nonplussed. He understood better about Bjorn now, and didn't think it remarkable that he had Down syndrome. He was intrigued by the fact that he was eighteen though. He was the oldest child Andy had ever played with.

“Will the dentist give you new ones?” Bjorn asked with continued interest. “I broke one last year, and the dentist fixed it.” He showed Andy which one, and Andy nodded solemnly, it looked just like the others.

“No, mine will just grow back in. Yours probably did at my age, too. You just don't remember.”

“Yeah. Maybe I wasn't paying attention.” Page and Trygve were watching them, intrigued. They were getting on splendidly, like two old pals, sitting on deck chairs in the spring sunshine. “You play baseball?” Bjorn asked, looking at him.

“Yup,” Andy said with another smile, helping himself to a hamburger this time.

“Me too. I like bowling too. You like bowling?”

“I've never been,” Andy confessed. “My Mom says I'm not big enough yet. She says the balls are too heavy.”

Bjorn nodded. It made sense to him. “They're heavy for me too, but my Dad takes me…. Sometimes I go with Nick … or Chloe. Chloe's sick. She broke her leg last week. But she'll be coming home soon.”

“Yeah,” Andy nodded, looking serious, “my sister's sick too. She hit her head in a car accident.”

“Did she break it?” Bjorn looked sorry for him, it was bad when your sister was hurt. He had cried when he'd gone to see Chloe.

“Yeah, sort of. I haven't been to see her yet, she still feels too yucky.”

“Oh.” Bjorn was pleased that they had a common bond. They both liked to play baseball, and had sick sisters. “I'm in the Special Olympics. My Dad does it with me.”

“That's nice. What do you do there?” Bjorn explained to him how much he loved basketball and long jump, as Trygve and Page walked away and sat down across the garden.

“I'd say it's a hit.” Trygve smiled. “Andy is just about the right age. Bjorn is somewhere between ten and twelve, but he has a real soft spot for younger kids. Andy's a nice boy.” Trygve had been touched by the warm, respectful way Andy had talked to Bjorn, and it was obvious that he liked him. “You're lucky.”

“We both are. They're all good kids. I just wish that two young ladies we know hadn't told a lie last Saturday night and gotten themselves in a hell of a lot of trouble,” she said, watching their brothers—it was hard to believe that only a week had gone by since fate had torn their lives apart stem to stern, and then thrown them together. All week she had bared her soul to him, and she had paid no attention at all to how he looked. But now she realized that he was actually very good-looking.

“Sometimes, I wish I could turn the clock back,” he said quietly, and then looked at her. She had stretched out on a lounge chair, her hair fanned out on her shoulders, and her face turned to the sun. It felt wonderful to be there.

“I'm not sure turning the clock back is the answer …maybe ahead would be better, but very fast, so you get past all the bad parts.” She smiled as she said it.

“The bad parts seem to take forever, don't they?” They both laughed, thinking how true that was.

“I wouldn't mind speeding up right now to the part where Allie gets better.” She sighed, thinking about it.