appointment?"
"Oh, yes he did. But it seems Dana made her own appointment with a different doctor. Harlan doesn't know yet."
"A different doctor?" Colleen turned and looked toward the stairway. "I'll go change. Can I help with supper?"
Jillian considered her a moment and then nodded.
"You can set the table. The way my hands are shaking, I'd probably drop something."
"Maybe Harlan ought to come home earlier," Colleen said, her worry increasing because of Jillian's unusually nervous demeanor.
"No, there's no point in driving him into a panic." She released another one of the thin, airy laughs and tugged on the collar of her housecoat. "I'll go change too. Come on," she said, and the two of them started up the stairs. When they reached the top, they stopped because Dana had come out of her room. She was wearing her blue velvet robe and she obviously had brushed her hair. She had tied it back in a dark brown bandanna.
"Dana," Jillian said, "you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"
"Good," she said, and smiled. "What time is it? It's so dark out."
"It looks like we might have some rain," Colleen said. "It's only a little after four."
"Oh." She looked very relieved. "I thought I missed a feeding. Mother, you mean to tell me you haven't gotten dressed yet today?" she asked, and laughed, sounding more like her old self. Colleen and Jillian looked at each other and smiled. Then they laughed too.
"Your air of relaxation is catching," Jillian offered in defense. Dana just shook her head.
"What's for supper tonight? I'm literally starving," she said. At the mention of food, Jillian's smile quickly dissipated.
"The roast beef," she said, recalling how she had found it hacked after Dana had been in the kitchen earlier.
"Great. Don't overcook it. I like it a bit on the rare side."
"Since when?" Jillian asked quickly.
"Since when? I don't know… since now," she said, smiling. "How's school, Colleen?"
"Good. We had a rally for the football team today."
"I'll bet that was fun."
"The coach and the team didn't look that happy about it. Coach thinks celebrating is premature."
"And Teddy?"
"Whatever the coach says is gospel. You know Teddy," Colleen said. "I'm going to change and set the table."
"I think I'd better take a shower and put on something decent," Jillian said, grateful for the relaxed, happy atmosphere that was more characteristic of the relationship between her and her daughter. She started for her room.
"I'll check on Nikos," Dana said. "Isn't it wonderful how long he sleeps?"
"Wonderful? You sure you're not drugging him?" Jillian quipped. Dana smiled and went to the baby's room. As soon as she entered it, Jillian turned to Colleen, who was standing in front of her bedroom door too.
"Am I going crazy or what?" Jillian asked, shaking her head. "One minute she acts one way and the next minute…"
"I told you… Harlan said it was all part of the postdelivery syndrome, whatever that means," Colleen said, and shrugged. "See you downstairs."
"Thanks, honey."
Dana's pleasant mood lifted the heavy gloom from Colleen's mind. As soon as she walked into her bedroom, she thought about Teddy up at the M and W, surrounded by all those girls, and regretted not having gone up there with him, at least for a little while. Then she remembered Audra and the manner in which she had treated her after the rally. She went to the phone and called her immediately.
"Come over right after you eat supper," she said, "and we'll study together, okay?"
"Fine," Audra said. "I wanted to see the new baby too."
"Good, see you about eight."
She changed into a pair of loose, older jeans and a gray sweatshirt and then started to let her hair down but reconsidered and left it in a pony tail. Just as she walked out of her bedroom to go downstairs, Dana appeared in the hallway with the baby. Nikos looked even more alert than before.
"Say hello to your aunt," Dana said, holding the baby in a sitting position, his head against her
"Oh, yes he did. But it seems Dana made her own appointment with a different doctor. Harlan doesn't know yet."
"A different doctor?" Colleen turned and looked toward the stairway. "I'll go change. Can I help with supper?"
Jillian considered her a moment and then nodded.
"You can set the table. The way my hands are shaking, I'd probably drop something."
"Maybe Harlan ought to come home earlier," Colleen said, her worry increasing because of Jillian's unusually nervous demeanor.
"No, there's no point in driving him into a panic." She released another one of the thin, airy laughs and tugged on the collar of her housecoat. "I'll go change too. Come on," she said, and the two of them started up the stairs. When they reached the top, they stopped because Dana had come out of her room. She was wearing her blue velvet robe and she obviously had brushed her hair. She had tied it back in a dark brown bandanna.
"Dana," Jillian said, "you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"
"Good," she said, and smiled. "What time is it? It's so dark out."
"It looks like we might have some rain," Colleen said. "It's only a little after four."
"Oh." She looked very relieved. "I thought I missed a feeding. Mother, you mean to tell me you haven't gotten dressed yet today?" she asked, and laughed, sounding more like her old self. Colleen and Jillian looked at each other and smiled. Then they laughed too.
"Your air of relaxation is catching," Jillian offered in defense. Dana just shook her head.
"What's for supper tonight? I'm literally starving," she said. At the mention of food, Jillian's smile quickly dissipated.
"The roast beef," she said, recalling how she had found it hacked after Dana had been in the kitchen earlier.
"Great. Don't overcook it. I like it a bit on the rare side."
"Since when?" Jillian asked quickly.
"Since when? I don't know… since now," she said, smiling. "How's school, Colleen?"
"Good. We had a rally for the football team today."
"I'll bet that was fun."
"The coach and the team didn't look that happy about it. Coach thinks celebrating is premature."
"And Teddy?"
"Whatever the coach says is gospel. You know Teddy," Colleen said. "I'm going to change and set the table."
"I think I'd better take a shower and put on something decent," Jillian said, grateful for the relaxed, happy atmosphere that was more characteristic of the relationship between her and her daughter. She started for her room.
"I'll check on Nikos," Dana said. "Isn't it wonderful how long he sleeps?"
"Wonderful? You sure you're not drugging him?" Jillian quipped. Dana smiled and went to the baby's room. As soon as she entered it, Jillian turned to Colleen, who was standing in front of her bedroom door too.
"Am I going crazy or what?" Jillian asked, shaking her head. "One minute she acts one way and the next minute…"
"I told you… Harlan said it was all part of the postdelivery syndrome, whatever that means," Colleen said, and shrugged. "See you downstairs."
"Thanks, honey."
Dana's pleasant mood lifted the heavy gloom from Colleen's mind. As soon as she walked into her bedroom, she thought about Teddy up at the M and W, surrounded by all those girls, and regretted not having gone up there with him, at least for a little while. Then she remembered Audra and the manner in which she had treated her after the rally. She went to the phone and called her immediately.
"Come over right after you eat supper," she said, "and we'll study together, okay?"
"Fine," Audra said. "I wanted to see the new baby too."
"Good, see you about eight."
She changed into a pair of loose, older jeans and a gray sweatshirt and then started to let her hair down but reconsidered and left it in a pony tail. Just as she walked out of her bedroom to go downstairs, Dana appeared in the hallway with the baby. Nikos looked even more alert than before.
"Say hello to your aunt," Dana said, holding the baby in a sitting position, his head against her
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