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Or maybe it was Mommy's wonderful homemade

soup. Maybe it was a good dose of aspirin, or maybe

it was a combination of everything, but Uncle Simon

relaxed, his face looked far less flushed, and he fell

into a comfortable sleep very soon afterward. "We'll move him back into the house

permanently," Daddy vowed.

"I think if he still has a high fever, we should take him to see Dr. Spalding tomorrow," Mommy

said.

"I'll try." Daddy told her. "He might not want to

be blood-related to Dad, but he shares some of his

stubbornness. That's for sure."

Mommy laughed.

Could we find away to mend all this? I

wondered. How I loved the both of them for their

eternal optimism, for the way they bore down and

gritted their teeth no matter what difficulties arose. I

hoped and prayed I had their perseverance. I knew if I

intended to go forward with a career in music and

entertainment, I would surely need it. Rejection and

defeats would be all over the road to any sort of

success.

The day went on. I kept hoping to hear from

Chandler, but he didn't call. and I wasn't up to calling

him just yet. I had worked in the garden for nearly an

hour, fixing what I could, and then I came in,

showered, and joined Mommy and Daddy in the

kitchen, where they were just getting ready to have a

late lunch.

"It's been hours. Isaac," she told him. "I guess

you'll have to see what's become of him."