The girls were sitting right in front of his chair, staring at him with their great big eyes.
“I’m fine, girls,” he told them. “The doctor fixed me right up.”
“We missed you last night,” Little Rachel started.
Bekka shook her head. “Miz Halley was nice and spent the night and?—”
Sarah poked his foot, hard. “But it was weird, you not being here. I didn’t like it.”
“No, I didn’t like it either. Being in the hospital is no fun.”
That was the understatement of the century. Although they had drugged him up, and he had slept like the dead. It had felt so good. Nobody had bothered him at all, which was damn unusual.
The food had kinda sucked, but all in all, it was a tiny and super-expensive vacation.
He tried to grin at the girls, hoping he didn’t look like he was some kind of horror movie clown.
“Did you know that Mr. Cam was still here?” Sarah asked. “He’s out in the barns again.”
Did he know? Why yes, yes he knew. Cam had driven him home. Cam had been there when he woke up from surgery. Cam was still here.
It was very confusing, not only in his mind, but in the pit of his belly, if only for no other reason than he was really getting used to having another adult to help.
And everyone knew help wasn’t his only reason.
“He’s helping. Isn’t that sweet?”
Sarah looked at him, leaned in, and asked, “Are you sure he’s not like an alien or something? Maybe a homonuncoloco.”
“A whatawhosa?” Surely…surely Sarah didn’t mean a homosexual.
He swung that way and so did Cam, but really, she knew the term gay. He wasn’t sure that she knew the term homosexual. And even if she did, why would she use it? She knew queer, too.
“No! homo-nunk-o-lung-cos.”
“Huh. Did you read it in a book?”
She nodded, obviously pleased with herself.
“Can you bring me the book?” Whatever it was, that was too long a word for an eight-year-old.
She ran off, and Bekka shook her head. “She’s going to give herself nightmares reading those scary books.”
“She’s doing fine. I think she gives you nightmares reading those scary books.” He winked at her.
“Maybe. You look much better, Daddy.”
“Thanks, I feel better. Thank goodness. How about you, little one?” He smiled at Rachel. “You glad I’m home?”
She nodded, her eyes wide. “Yes! You have to tuck me in at night. I had to sleep with Bekka last night.”
“Oh dear, did she kick you, Bekka?” he asked, because everybody knew that Rachel was like a wild monster in the bed, kicking and hitting and wiggling. It was impossible to sleep when she was sleeping with you.
Sarah came back with a thin chapter book that looked like something out ofNightmare on Sesame Street.
“Okay, show me the word.”
She pointed and he chuckled, “Homunculus. I think those are supposed to be really small. Cam isnotvery small. He’s not a homunculus. He’s a cowboy.”
