"Is it really time to go?" Taylor asked Dan.
Dan nodded. "Yeah."
"To go live with my mommy," Taylor whispered. He looked up. "Are we ever coming back?"
"I hope so," Dan said. "Maybe not to live, but to visit."
"Oh." Taylor took a deep breath. "To visit?"
"Yeah, maybe. . . I�m not saying definitely. . . but maybe, if it�s okay with your mother, and we can work it out."
"I hope we can work it out," Taylor said.
"I hope so, too," Dan agreed. It�s only when you�re a little kid, he realized, that you think that grown-ups have all the answers. Once you finally are a grown-up, you find out that half the time you�re just making stuff up as you go along, and the rest of the time you can�t even think of anything to make up. "You can call us, though. Whenever you want."
Taylor nodded. "Nora gave Ike your phone number."
"Yeah, you can call anytime," Dan assured him.
"Even late at night?" Taylor asked.
"Even late at night." Dan agreed.
"Isaac," Nora said, "this probably won�t happen, but if your mother ever goes away again. . . or anything happens that you don�t think you can. . . I mean, you don�t want to handle on your own, anything we can help you with, let us know. We�ll help any way we can."
Isaac nodded. He didn�t trust himself to talk.
Nora hugged him. �Things are going to be okay, sweetie," she said. "I know you�re really, really worried right now, but it will be better than you think."
"Okay," Isaac whispered.
"Even if you just want to talk," Nora offered. "Even if you just need help on a homework assignment or something."
Isaac nodded. "I don�t want to bother you."
Nora shook her head. "You�d never bother us."
Isaac managed a smile. "I don�t want to start."
Nora hugged him again. "You would never bother us! Don�t worry!"
Isaac took a deep breath. Soon he was going to have to face his mother again, and he�d never been more worried in his life.
Zac sat on the couch, staring warily at the cat. He knew he had to leave, and he wouldn�t miss Gallagher. That cat was scary!
"I�m going away," Zac ventured, "and I�m not taking you with me. Because you�re mean. I hate you!"
Gallagher growled at him. Zac felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle in fear. "Dan!" Zac cried, dashing out of the room as fast as his short legs could carry him. "Don�t let the cat get me!" He raced down the hall and into Dan�s outstretched arms.
Things are never going to be like this again, Dan realized, settling Zac onto his hip. The awareness came like a punch in the stomach. It was never going to be like this again. . .