Chapter Four

I was in the kitchen when I heard footsteps. I looked up just as my father came up from the basement.

“Hey, Dad. I didn’t know you were home.”

“Hey, Q-Cat.” He was the only one who called me that. “I got in about twenty minutes ago.”

“Oh. I didn’t hear you.”

“I came in through the garage door and went straight into the basement.”

“Why didn’t you use the front door?”

“I wanted to be able to change out of my scrubs, put them straight into the washer and have a shower.”

“I didn’t know you do that after every shift.”

“It’s just been the last few days.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. “Did you hear about schools being closed?”

“Yes. It’s all over the news. I think it’s a very wise precaution.”

I noticed he had several red lines on his face. “What happened to your face?

He put a hand to the bridge of his nose. “Those are just pressure marks from the mask and face shield I have to wear when I see patients.”

“You don’t usually have those marks.”

“I don’t usually have to wear PPE—that’s short for personal protective equipment—as much as I do now. Hey, you hungry?”

“Depends. Are you making dinner tonight?”

“Yes indeed.”

“Is Mom working late tonight?”

“Not too late. She’ll be home by six or six thirty. Do you want to help me with dinner?”

“If I help, does that mean I don’t have to do any of the cleanup?”

“Sounds fair. Come on, I want this to be a special meal.”

“Please pass the potatoes,” my father said.

I took a couple more for myself and passed the bowl down to him. He piled them on beside the meat and asparagus. He had a lot of everything. My father was definitely a meat and potatoes guy.

“You’ve had quite the appetite the last week or so,” my mother commented.

“I’m burning it off. Long days, working harder, running faster. Anyway, how was work today?” he asked. My mother worked for a bank.

“Busy. We had a full staff meeting today, and they’re talking about setting us up to work remotely.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“It means I might start working from home. A lot of what I do could be done by phone or video calls.”

“That might be good,” my father said.

“It certainly would cut down on the commute. But it will create some real challenges too,” she said, turning to me. “But we’ll figure it out. So, Quinn, how was your day?”

“It was a very normal day until it wasn’t. I guess I get a really long spring break now.”

“What a shame we had to cancel our trip,” my mom said with a sigh.

“Yes, the timing is unfortunate,” said my dad. “But this is not the time to be leaving the country. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people end up having to cut their trips short.”

“Yes, I know you’re right,” Mom replied. “I just was so looking forward to a little time in the sun. So tell us how your day went.”

“It was hard. I’m exhausted.”

My father’s words surprised me. He was always so positive. He loved being a doctor.

“Things are ramping up,” he continued. “We had almost double the cases admitted today than we had yesterday.”

“But it’s still not too bad, right?” I asked.

“No need for you to worry. I just wish we had more information. There are different opinions about how the virus is spread. We’re not even sure just how long it lasts on different types of surfaces.”

“Like clothes?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“And that’s why you came in through the side door, changed your clothes and showered downstairs?”

My father nodded. “But I’m not sure that’s enough.”

My parents exchanged a long look. “Quinn, we want to let you know something, so there are no surprises,” my mother said.

My father nodded. They both knew surprises made me uneasy.

“There is going be a change in our living accommodations,” my father said.

“We’re moving?”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean,” he said.

“And it will only be a temporary change,” my mother said. “Your father is going to start living in the basement.”

“What? Why?”

“To minimize contact with you and your mom. I don’t want to risk passing anything on to you. I’ll come and go through the side door and eat and sleep downstairs.”

My mother reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “Are you sure this is necessary?”

“Better safe than sorry.”

I smiled slightly. I was remembering that I had just said the same thing to Isaac.

“I need to make sure you two are safe.”

“But who’s going to make sure you’re safe?” I asked.

“I’ll be careful. I’ll wear all the right equipment when I’m working, wash carefully and sanitize everything.”

“Quinn,” my mother said, “we just have to trust that your father will do everything he can to take care of himself. But we don’t want you to worry. Everything is going to be fine. Now, who’s ready for a special dessert?”

“I am,” my father said, raising his hand. “Unfortunately I think all we have is ice cream.”

“All we had,” my mother said.

She got up, disappeared down the hall and returned with a box that I recognized before I even saw the name on it. McCormick’s Bakery. I knew that inside the box would be a pineapple upside down cake—my favorite.