“You’ve got a few minutes,” she said. “I’ll get the toast going.”

By the time I came back downstairs, Jane was already serving up at the table. I sat next to her.

“I’ve been thinking about whether or not to stay overnight,” she said.

“And?”

“It’ll depend on what Dr. Barnwell says when he calls. If he thinks Daddy’s doing well, I might as well head on to Greensboro. If we don’t find a dress, that is. Otherwise I’ll just have to make the drive tomorrow anyway. But I’ll have my cell phone in case anything happens.”

I crunched on a piece of bacon. “I don’t think you’ll need it. Had he taken a turn for the worse, Dr. Barnwell would have called already. You know how much he cares for Noah.”

“I’m still going to wait until I talk to him, though.”

“Of course. And as soon as visiting hours start, I’ll head in to see Noah.”

“He’ll be grouchy, you know. He hates hospitals.”

“Who doesn’t? Unless you’re having a baby, I can’t imagine anyone liking them.”

She buttered her toast. “What are you thinking about doing with the house? Do you really think there’ll be enough room for everyone?”

I nodded. “If we get the furniture out, there should be plenty of room. I figured we’d just store it in the barn for a few days.”

“And you’ll hire someone to move it all?”

“If I have to. But I don’t think I’ll need to. The landscaper has a fairly large crew coming. I’m sure he won’t mind if they take a few minutes to help me.”

“It’ll be kind of empty, won’t it?”

“Not once we have the tables inside. I was thinking of setting up the buffet line next to the windows, and we can leave an area open for dancing right in front of the fireplace.”

“What dancing? We don’t have any music arranged.”

“Actually, that was on my agenda for today. Along with getting the cleaners set up and dropping off the menu at the Chelsea, of course.”

She tilted her head, scrutinizing me. “You sound like you’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

“What do you think I was doing this morning while I was walking?”

“Panting. Wheezing. The usual.”

I laughed. “Hey, I’m actually getting in fairly good shape. I passed someone today.”

“The old man in the walker again?”

“Ha, ha,” I said, but I was enjoying her high spirits. I wondered if it had anything to do with the way she’d looked at me the night before. Whatever the reason, I knew I wasn’t imagining it. “Thanks for making breakfast, by the way.”

“It’s the least I could do. Considering the fact that you’ve been such a big help this week. And you’ve made dinner twice.”

“Yes,” I agreed, “I have been quite the saint.”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“No?”

“No. But without your help, I would have been insane by now.”

“And hungry.”

She smiled. “I need your opinion,” she said. “What do you think about something sleeveless for this weekend? With a cinched waist and a medium train?”

I brought my hand to my chin and considered this. “Sounds okay,” I said. “But I think I’d look better in a tuxedo.”

She tossed me a look of exasperation, and I raised my hands in mock innocence.

“Oh, for Anna,” I said. Then, mimicking what Noah had said, I went on, “I’m sure she’ll be beautiful no matter what she wears.”

“But don’t you have an opinion?”

“I don’t even know what a cinched waist is.”

She sighed. “Men.”

“I know,” I said, imitating her sigh. “It’s a wonder how we function in society at all.”

Dr. Barnwell called the house a little after eight. Noah was fine, and they expected to release him later that day or, at the latest, the next. I breathed a sigh of relief and put Jane on the phone. She listened as he went over the same information. After hanging up, she called the hospital and spoke to Noah, who prodded her to go with Anna.

“Looks like I might as well pack,” she said as she hung up.

“Might as well.”

“Hopefully, we’ll find something today.”

“But if not, just enjoy your time with the girls. This only happens once.”

“We’ve still got two more kids to go,” she said happily. “This is only the beginning!”

I smiled. “I hope so.”

An hour later, Keith dropped Anna off at the house, small suitcase in hand. Jane was still upstairs gathering her things, and I opened the front door as Anna was coming up the walk. Surprise of surprises, she was dressed in black.

“Hi, Daddy,” she said.

I stepped onto the porch. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you?”

Putting down her suitcase, she leaned in and gave me a hug.

“I’m fine,” she said. “This is actually a lot of fun. I wasn’t so sure about it in the beginning, but it’s been great so far. And Mom’s been having a blast. You should see her. I haven’t seen her this excited in a long time.”

“I’m glad,” I said.

When she smiled, I was struck anew by how grown-up she looked. Moments ago, it seemed, she’d been a little girl. Where had the time gone?

“I can’t wait for this weekend,” she whispered.

“Neither can I.”

“Will you have everything ready at the house?”

I nodded.

She peeked around. Seeing her expression, I already knew what she was going to ask.

“How are you and Mom doing?”

She’d first asked me this a few months after Leslie had moved out; in the past year, she’d done so more frequently, though never when Jane was around. At first I’d been puzzled; lately I’d come to expect it.

“Good,” I said.

This was, by the way, the answer I always gave, though I knew that Anna didn’t always believe me.

This time, however, she searched my face, and then, surprising me, she leaned in and hugged me again. Her arms were tight around my back. “I love you, Daddy,” she whispered. “I think you’re great.”