I was anxious to get home, but of course my flight got delayed.  I tried to make the best of the extra time at the airport.  I hopped on my laptop and got some work done.  Finally, I boarded my flight and a few hours later, I was back in New York City. 

Vanessa hadn't called me crying at any point, so that was a good sign.  When I walked through the door, though, I could tell she was glad I was back.  Sebastian instantly ran up to me and launched himself into my arms.  I showered him with kisses.  I'd only been gone for three days but I'd missed them all terribly.

Vanessa walked up and gave me a hug and a kiss.  "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad I'm back too," I admitted as I set Sebastian on the floor.  "Everything okay?"

"Fine," she said as we both collapsed on the couch.  "Nora's moping in her room.  She got detention today for too many tardies, so I took her phone away for the evening."

I nodded, not surprised she hadn't managed to completely stay out of trouble.

"We did have a bit of a breakthrough Monday night, though," she admitted, and I raised my eyebrows.  "She was up in the middle of the night because she missed her mom.  We had a good talk and she ended up sleeping in our bed."

"Wow," I said, surprised.  It was nice to see that Nora was slowly opening up.  Vanessa and I chatted a bit more, and then I decided to go say hi to Nora.  If I expected a warm welcome, I would have been disappointed.

"Hey, kiddo," I said, walking in.  Her room was an absolute mess.  I stepped over clothes and books to reach her desk chair.  "How's life?"

"Fine," she said from where she read a book on her bed.  She sighed and set it face down.

"I brought you back something," I told her, reaching for my pocket.  She sat up a little, somewhat surprised.  It wasn't much – it was a pack of little notebooks with various California landmarks on them.  She seemed touched, and took them from me with a smirk.  She ran her finger over the little ribbon holding them together.

"Thank you," she said softly.  I wasn't sure what it was, but she was very melancholy.

"Are you okay?" I asked her gently, leaning forward on my elbows.

She stared off into the distance for a moment, then mumbled, "No".

I was surprised she was actually admitting to me that she wasn't okay.  I pushed myself up and sat on her bed next to her.  "Tell me what's wrong.  Is it your mom?"

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice weary.  "Just everything."

I nodded, not prodding.  "You've got a lot going on right now," I admitted.  "But you've got a home full of people who love you and care about you.  No matter what, you're safe.  You understand that, right?"

She didn't say anything; just stared at the floor.

"How about we go do something fun," I suggested.  "We could go take a walk or get some fro yo?"

The suggestion of fro yo seemed to catch her attention.  I told Vanessa we were going out, just the two of us, and I lead my daughter down the street to Yo Sweets.  She ordered a mango and cream and I got an Acai Berry. We found a little spot in the corner and ate with our tiny plastic spoons.

"Have you gotten together with Taylor lately?" I asked her.

She shook her head.  "I'm still grounded," she reminded me.

"Oh, right," I said.  "Only a few days left. Maybe we should go out to celebrate."

"Or I could go skateboarding and hang out with Taylor," she countered and I laughed.  Of course she'd want to get together with her only Washington Heights friend as soon as she could.  We were silent for a few moments and I decided to turn a little serious.

"So, you're missing your mom?" I ventured carefully.

"Yeah," she admitted, digging around with her spoon in her dish.

"Well, like Tupac said, I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing,"

She joined in, "Through every dark night, there's a bright day after that.  So no matter hard it get, stick your chest out, keep ya head up and handle it."

We both smirked and continued on with our fro yo.  I'm glad my teenage daughter and I can bond over gangster rap.

"Do you think you're fitting in okay at Hunter?" I went on.

"Okay, I guess," she said.  "I know a few more kids now."

"Well you'll have to invite them over soon," I told her as we both took the last few bites of our treats.  "Alright, kid.  Let's go home."

We tossed our dishes in the trash and started walking down the street together.  It was September now and starting to get a little cooler.  Perfect walking weather.  When we got to our apartment building, I buzzed us in but she hung back.

"You coming?" I asked, holding the door open.

"Actually, I might walk around a little bit if that's okay," she said.

"Of course," I told her.  "Be back by 6."

When I reached the apartment, I was met with the sounds of both children screaming.  I felt badly that I'd left Vanessa all alone after being away for two days.  She immediately handed off Francisco to me as she tried to deal with Sebastian's meltdown.

I took Francisco off to his bedroom where it was quieter.  I laid him down on the changing table and found he had a dirty diaper.  As I changed him, I also noticed he had a bit of a rash.  I cleaned him up and got out some ointment and gently rubbed it on his little tush.  His screaming had subsided, so I diapered him up and put on a fresh onesie.  I held him, just cuddling for a few minutes, until he had completely calmed down.

We went back out to the living room, where Sebastian was now quietly whimpering, laying face down on the rug.  Vanessa was standing nearby, her arms crossed, at a loss for what to do.  She was definitely going to need a glass of wine tonight.

"What's going on?" I asked her.

"Your son is refusing to pick up his toys," she told me.  "He says it was his imaginary friend Oscar."

She gave me a look that said 'have fun with this', and then disappeared to the master bedroom for some well-earned peace and quiet.  I sat down nearby with Francisco, balancing him on my knees.

"Sebby, what did mommy ask you to do?" I asked him gently.

"Pick up the toys, but I didn't make the mess.  Oscar did."

I decided to play along.  "Well, maybe Oscar's not a very good guest.  We always help pick up toys when we visit our friends, don't we?"

Sebastian nodded and rubbed at his eyes, sitting up.  He wandered over to me and cuddled up to my side.  My two boys.  I put my arm around him so he could calm down.  We talked a little about what he'd done when I was away.  He was a sucker for an audience, so he soon forgot about his battle of wills and started telling me all about the last few days.  At the end, I got down on my knees on the floor and started tossing a couple toys into the toy box.

"Let's get this cleaned up together, okay buddy?" I suggested.  He nodded and began helping.  Only a couple moments later, it was finished.  "Good job.  When mommy comes back out, tell her you're sorry."

"Okayyy," he agreed, wandering off to do something else.  The front door opened and in walked Nora, looking a bit less stressed.  She'd gotten the mail on the way up.  She held up an envelope with a concerned look on her face.

"Department of Child Services," she announced, holding it out for me.  Obviously, she wanted me to open it up right away.  I tore open the envelope and took out a letter, my eyes scanning the page.

"Don't leave me hanging like a teste," she told me.  I lowered the paper and eyed her.

"Was that a Nicki Minaj reference?"

She nodded.  "Well played," I told her.  "But no more talking about testicles."

"I have testicles," Sebastian announced, causing Nora to burst out laughing.  Vanessa and I had decided to be very open with the boys about their body parts.  Sometimes he announced the names of his male anatomy to others.  "But you don't because you're a girl."

"That's right," Nora told him, then turned her attention back to me.  "But seriously, what does it say?"

"It says we should start feeding you only vegetables and liver," I teased, stroking my goatee.  "And enroll you in Chinese school."

She snatched it out of my hands and read it herself.  It was a notification of her mom's court hearing.  It was a formality, and nothing Nora needed to worry about.

"What's a hearing?" she asked me as I started to get things out for dinner.

"Just a formality, really," I tried to explain.  "They'll talk about your mom's charges and plans for the trial.  They could give her a plea bargain.  If you really want to know more, ask Vanessa.  She's a lawyer."

"Do I have to go?" She asked, leaning on a bar stool.

"No," I told her. "In fact, they're incredibly boring from what I hear."

"Do you think my mom would want me to be there though?"

I set the casserole dish down.  "I don't think so.  I don't think she'd want you to witness her getting charged in court.  Not exactly her proudest moment."

She nodded and looked relieved.  I hadn't told her about my conversation with her mother, but decided it might be a good idea to bring it up.  "You know, your mom and I spoke the other week," I told her.  "And she doesn't want you getting upset.  She'd rather you not visit her if it's just going to make things harder for you."

"You were talking about me?"

"Yeah, we're your parents," I told her.  "We both want what's best for you."

She looked at me like I'd been plotting her demise.  "You didn't let me talk to her?"

"This was pretty soon after your visit," I told her.  "You were still pretty upset."

She paused for a moment, thinking, and I didn't rush her.  "What if...what if she doesn't get out of prison for a long time?  I don't want to go years without seeing her."

She brought up a good point.  "Nora, there's no easy answer to that.  Give it some time.  We don't even know how long she'll be there, so let's not get worked up about it just yet.  We'll figure it out when the time comes."

That seemed to satisfy her for the time being.  I truly hoped it wouldn't come to that.  Not that I was looking forward to trying to co-parent with Laura.  I had a feeling she wouldn't be picking up the slack.

That night in bed, Vanessa and I laid down cuddling, her head resting on my shoulder.  She was exhausted after three days alone with the kids.  "I'm working from home tomorrow, so you can sleep in a bit," I offered.

She laughed.  "I wish.  I have an early meeting with a client tomorrow.  I have to be there by 7:30."

I winced.  "Well, I'll get up with Francisco if he wakes up."

I kissed her forehead, and soon she had drifted off.  A couple hours later, the door cracked open.  I'm a light sleeper so I woke up, assuming it was Sebastian.  I saw someone taller.  I sat up in bed.

"Nora?  Sweetheart, are you okay?" I asked her, and for once she didn't tell me not to call her sweetheart.

"Can I sleep in here?" She asked quietly, like a little child.

"Sure," I told her.  I found her an extra sheet and set it on the floor at the edge of the bed.  She laid down and I set the covers down over her.

"Good night, Nora," I told her gently.

"Good night, Dad."