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follow the arrows until we arrive at the designated location.”
    “Follow me.” Dylan marched down the hall in his most dignified, soldierly walk.
    Rob followed behind him, then turned to call over his shoulder, “Don’t worry about us. I’ll keep them both under control.”
    None of us had a clue just how out of control things were going to get.

    “I wonder what Rob and the kids are up to?” Jana said a few hours later as we sat in the post-op waiting room. She looked toward the door for the hundredth time since we’d arrived.
    “I’m sure he has them well under control.” I laughed. “Or not. Perhaps Dylan has tied him up somewhere, and even now he and Hannah are making a break for that new ice-cream parlor downtown.”
    Jana laughed outright. “You say that as a joke, but it doesn’t sound that far off from you at that age.”
    “Hey, I wasn’t that bad.” Even as I said it, I knew I kind of was.
    “Flibberdijibbit. That’s what Mom used to call you. Remember?” Jana bobbed her head. “That pretty much sums it up.”
    “I believe Dad’s term was more like delinquent.” My mother was the only person who ever believed in me—really believed in me. To Dad I was just someone who was never quite enough of anything—not driven enough, not serious enough, not hardworking enough.
    “I think a few of your teenage stunts added several grays to his hair, that’s for sure.”
    “Not my fault. Teenage rebellion was the only subject where I could reach my true potential. I never could measure up to my big sister in any other area, so I figured I might as well have some fun. No one should be forced to walk in the shadow of such glowing perfection.”
    “Bah.” Jana made a dismissive gesture with her left hand. “You have never not measured up to anyone, let alone me.”
    “Spoken like a painfully modest valedictorian.”
    “Mrs. Graham?” A man in blue surgical scrubs entered the waiting room.
    “Yes.” Jana and I both answered at once, not bothering to correct our names.
    He came and sat across from us. “Your father is out of surgery. Everything went according to plan. I’m very pleased at the outcome. Given how bad his knee had gotten, I think he will begin to see significantly improved mobility and comfort almost immediately.”
    “That’s great.” Jana nodded. “Can we go see him now?”
    “He’ll be in recovery for another hour or so.” He stood. “They’ll let you know as soon as they are ready to move him to a room.”
    “Thank you, Dr. James.” Jana watched him walk out the door, then turned toward me, arms folded.
    “Okay, maybe I had you in grade-point average, but that was the only way. You were always the one everybody wanted to be around. The popular girl. I’ll bet if Dylan tried to pull half the stuff you did, you’d have an all-out meltdown.”
    “It’s a different world out in California, Jana. It’s not Shoal Creek. He could get swallowed up out there. I just want to raise him as best I can. Teach him the value of being healthy and safe.”
    “Of getting a good education so he can be a productive citizen,” Jana said in a mock gruff voice as she leaned forward to slam her fist on the magazine table.
    I burst out laughing. She was doing a pretty amazing impersonation of my father—using the exact same words and motions that had been shouted at me time and time again. Then it occurred to me—she was also doing an imitation of me. I was becoming like the one person I never wanted to be like.
    No. It couldn’t be true.
    Could it?
    I stood up and stretched as though I hadn’t a care about anything. “Let’s go see if we can find Rob and the kids. He probably needs a break about now.”

    I awoke to a dark room and the song “Paperback Writer” blaring through the darkness. I had no idea where I was or what was happening, but the faint glow of my cell phone as it vibrated on the bedside table pulled me into action. I reached for it out of instinct.