"That's all any of us gets to do," Helen replied. Then she instructed Claire to buy fresh vegetables, take the recycling out, and stop surviving entirely on cafeteria food. The conversation ended with ordinary maternal demands, and Claire held the silent phone for a moment afterward, aware of the privilege of still hearing them.
Back at St. Catherine's, Jack stood beside Lily's bed watching a nurse check the color and warmth of her fingers. He had become intensely aware of small physical details: the gentle rise of her chest, the position of her eyelashes, the way her hand looked in the center of his. At home she moved constantly, leaving crayons without lids, books open on the sofa, and socks in rooms where no one wore socks. Here the stillness made him feel as though he were visiting a photograph rather than the child he knew.
"Can she hear me?" he asked Leah.
"She may be aware of familiar voices at times, even though she's receiving medicine that keeps her comfortable and sleepy," Leah said. "It's okay to talk to her. Just don't worry if you don't see a response."
Jack nodded. "She always complained that I talked too much."
Leah smiled. "Then she's in familiar territory."
He settled into his chair and opened Lily's astronomy notebook. He read aloud about Jupiter's storms, the rings of Saturn, and the fact that a day on Venus lasted longer than its year, which Lily had underlined twice because she thought the planet was cheating. He stumbled over an unfamiliar scientific term, then caught himself explaining how orbital mechanics worked as though Lily were sitting across the kitchen table preparing to correct him. For a few minutes the room felt less like a place where the worst might happen and more like the small, noisy home they had built together.
The next afternoon, Mateo arrived with a bag of clean clothes and a cardboard box of food from Mrs. Ellis's bakery. He stood in the doorway to bed twelve for several seconds, taking in the equipment and the motionless child. His usual easy confidence disappeared. Jack watched the big man remove his cap and hold it against his chest.
"Hey, Lilybug," Mateo said, voice breaking around the nickname. "Your dad owes me twenty dollars. I need you to wake up and tell him that."
Jack managed a rough laugh. Mateo walked to the bed, took Lily's hand for a moment, and told her that her favorite peppermint candies were waiting in his truck for when the doctors said she could have them. Then he and Jack stepped into the hall, where Mateo revealed that the shop's biggest commercial customer had postponed a contract.
"It's temporary," Mateo said quickly. "I'm working on other jobs. We'll be okay."
"Don't lie to me."
Mateo looked away. "The rent is due next week. I can cover the utilities and payroll for a while, but I don't have your signature on the business account. And the bank called about the equipment loan."