I bit my tongue as Pippa started packing up Raina's things. If there was one thing I'd learned about women, it was that if they made up their mind, especially about something involving their children, they would not be overruled. She was taking our daughter to a hospital for treatment, which would hopefully do its job. I just wasn't sure about the whole distance thing. Raina was definitely a daddy's girl and I knew she would miss me.

Raina sat on the couch with her brother playing the iPad together. I was most worried about the effect it would have on the twins. They were incredibly close and had never been apart for more than a day. I walked close to them and heard them talking about the game. I would have to make sure Felix got lots of extra TLC.

Pippa deposited two suitcases by the door. They were going to fly out in about two hours.

"Will you get a sippy cup with water for her and some snacks for the plane?" she asked me, looking a little flustered.

"Sure," I said, and went to the kitchen. Molly wandered out, looking sad. As I put some pretzels and Goldfish in some plastic baggies, she rested her head against my arm. I pressed a kiss to her head.

"You doin' okay?" I asked her.

"I don't get why Mom has to take her to Tennessee," she said. That made two of us, but I wasn't going to badmouth my wife to her children.

"Well, your mom's done a lot of research about the type of cancer Raina has and that's the best place. She's a little nervous that the first treatment didn't work," I patiently explained.

"But what about the rest of us?" she asked.

The kids had been great about understanding that a lot of our time and energy was going to Raina right now, but it was taking a toll on them. Molly was incredibly close to her mother. We weren't sure how long she'd be gone, but I knew it would be rough on Molly.

"You've been so patient," I acknowledged, stopping what I was doing and turning to her. "I know this is hard on you. Hopefully the treatment will work first time and they'll be back in a few weeks."

She sighed, not liking the answer. I didn't like it either, but it was the best I had. I pulled Molly into a hug and rubbed her back.

Pippa walked back in, tucking a couple more things into the suitcase. "Alright, Raina. Find your shoes."

Raina passed the iPad to her brother and pushed herself off the couch. She walked to the door and found her little boots and pulled them on. I could already feel the tears threatening to spill over. I didn't want to make this harder for Raina.

"Time to say goodbye to everyone," Pippa prompted her. I walked down the hall to get Cam. When we walked out, Molly was kneeling down mid-hug, and there were tears in her eyes. When she stood up I put my hand on her shoulder in support. Cam was next, then Felix. Finally, it was my turn. I bent down and picked my little girl up. She giggled as I hugged her tight.

"Daddy you're squishing me!" she complained as she laughed.

"I'm just gonna miss you so much," I told her, my voice catching.

"I'll miss you too, Daddy," she said in her sweet little voice. I held her for a long while, but it wasn't enough. Pippa announced it was time to go. I gently set Raina down and pressed my lips together hard to keep from losing it.

I gave Pippa a quick peck on the cheek, but there wasn't an amorous goodbye like there usually was. I still hadn't forgiven her for doing this to us. They both waved as they headed out the door with their luggage. When the door closed, the apartment was completely silent. No one really knew what to do or say.

Not knowing what to do, I walked back to my room, closed the door, and proceeded to cry my eyes out.

____

Though I wanted to just curl up and sob all day, there were three other children I needed to take care of. I dragged myself off the bed and forced myself to make dinner. The kids still needed healthy meals. I was tempted to order in pizza, but I didn't want the kids thinking this was how things were gonna be when their mom was gone.

Molly set the table and the others were called. We sat around the table silently, missing Pippa and Raina.

"When will Mommy and Raina be back?" Felix asked as he forked his mashed potatoes.

"We're not completely sure," I explained patiently. "Hopefully in a couple weeks."

"Why can't I go with them?"

"Because you have to go to school," I said. "We'll FaceTime Mommy tomorrow once they're settled in okay, buddy?"

"Okay," he said, though I could tell he was disappointed.

"Why does Pippa just get to decide what happens?" Cam demanded, looking at me. "I mean, you didn't want them to go but it happened. Why's she being so selfish?"

Molly shot her a venomous look but held it in.

"She's not being selfish," I told Cam, though I didn't completely disagree. "She's sure that St. Jude's is the best place for Raina. It's a great hospital and Raina will be in good hands."

"But she's in good hands here," Cam pointed out. She was preaching to the choir.

"Well, it's done now," I said. "They're going to St. Jude's so we need to be supportive."

"But what if things go south and Raina dies there?" Cam said.

Felix's head straightened up and he looked terrified. "Raina's gonna die?" Tears filled his eyes.

"Nice, Cam," I told her, shooting her a disappointed look. She shrugged. "C'mere, Felix."

Felix wandered to me and I pulled him into my lap. "Listen to me," I put my hand on his belly. "Raina is not going to die. I will never let that happen. What she has is serious, but there's really good doctors at St. Jude's that are gonna give her some really good medicine."

Felix cried softly in my lap and I hugged him tightly. Cam decided she was finished. She pushed back her chair and took her plate to the kitchen. I held Felix a little longer and Molly sweetly began to do the dishes. I took Felix to the couch so we could watch some cartoons to cheer him up. He ended up falling asleep.

I carried Felix to his bed and felt a punch in my gut at the sight of Raina's empty bed. I already missed her like crazy. I tucked in my son and heard a knock at the front door. The girls were in their room, hopefully doing in homework, so I answered. A Latino woman I'd never seen before was on the other side.

"Hi," she smiled at me.

"Hi," I answered. "Can I help you?"

"I'm so sorry to bother you," she began, then held out her hand. "I'm Sofia Martinez. I just moved in down the hall. You don't happen to have a tool set, do you?"

"I sure do," I told her, opening the door. "Come on in and I'll find it."

"Thank you so much," she told me, stepping inside. I opened the closet in the hallway and rummaged around a little for the kit. I soon found it and brought it out, setting it on the counter.

"Where did you move from?" I asked her.

"Oh, just from Brooklyn," she said. "My husband and I just divorced, so I'm relocating with my two kids."

"Sorry to hear that," I said. "How old are you kids?"

"Ten and sixteen," she said.

"I've got four myself," I said. "Fifteen, eleven, and five-year-old twins."

"Wow, you've got your hands full," she commented.

"I'll say," I agreed. "Let me know if you need to borrow anything else."

"Thank you. I didn't catch your name," she said.

"Oh. I'm Lin," I said, tucking my hands in my pockets.

"Nice to meet you," she said, smiling at me as she picked up the tool box.

"Likewise," I said. I opened the door and we said goodbye. As I closed and locked it, Cam wandered out to get a snack.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"New neighbor," I said. "Cam, you really need to be careful about what you say. We don't need to scare Felix."

"Well, I'm scared," she told me as she got out a yogurt from the fridge. "And I don't understand why Pippa just decided to take her. That's shitty."

"Language," I reminded her, rubbing at my forehead. "It's no use arguing about it at this point. They're gone."

She watched me for a few moments as she pulled off the lid. "You're pissed."

I looked at her, my forehead wrinkled. "Cam, it's not your concern. I just want Raina healthy."

"You and Pippa are fighting," she observed. I sighed as I leaned against the counter.

"Cam, that's adult business. It's none of your concern," I told her firmly. "Are you done with your homework?"

"No," she said, licking the yogurt off the lid.

"Go get busy," I told her. "I'll be in to check on you in a while."

Cam rolled her eyes but headed to her bedroom. I decided to check on Molly. She was at her desk doing her homework. She was a very conscientious student, unlike Cam. I rested my hands on her chair and looked over her shoulder.

"How's the homework coming?" I asked her, trying to sound upbeat.

"Fine," she said quietly. I squeezed her shoulders and then sat on her bed.

"Take a break for a minute," I told her. She seemed to reluctantly set her pencil down, then turned her body in her chair, waiting for me to continue.

"I know you're worried and you miss your mom," I began. "And if you're feeling upset, that's okay. It's perfectly normal. And if you need to talk or vent, I'm here, okay?"

She nodded, looking away. We weren't as close as she was with her mom, but we had a great relationship. Molly knew she could come to me with problems.

"Are you feeling okay right now?" I asked gently.

She shook her head. "Not really."

I sighed and nodded. "Me neither. I already miss them like crazy."

"Me too," she admitted, scratching at her arm. We were quiet for a few moments before I stood up.

"Well, once you're done with you're homework you can come join me on the couch for a movie," I told her, patting her shoulder.

I sat on the couch and pulled up Netflix, finding something funny. Usually I laughed and laughed at this show, but I remained silent. I just wasn't in the mood. Neither of the girls joined me later, and I ended up going to bed alone.