Meet Again

Back to School

On Monday morning at the beginning of September, Rory and Logan found themselves getting the kids ready for their first day of school. It was the first time that all 3 kids would be in school, and it was the first time that Rory would be going into the office since March. Logan had been there a few times but for the most part they were working from home since both Nicky and Sammy were home every day, and Nicky either had doctor's appointments or chemo most days.

All 3 kids were sitting at the kitchen island. Sammy and Grace were eating breakfast while Rory braided Grace's hair and Logan helped Nicky with his meds.

"Do you need help?" Logan asked. Nicky had become very insistent on doing the meds himself, which was fine, but Rory and Logan still needed to make sure that it was being done the right way.

"I can do it" Nicky said.

"Alright, but make sure you tighten it all the way before you do it"

"I know"

"Ok" Rory said and gently tapped Grace's head so she'd look at her. "I'm done. You can put your ears on" she signed before turning to Nicky. "Do you want something to eat before school?" She asked. She knew that he'd say no, but she always offered.

"Nope"

"Hey, don't use your mouth for that" Logan said when Nicky tried to open the bottle for his antibiotics with his mouth.

"I thought you want me to use my mouth" Nicky chuckled.

"Yeah, for eating" Logan said. "Not opening things. I'll open it for you if you need help" 

Nicky laughed. Rory smiled. It had been a long time since she'd seen Nicky acting like himself. She knew that it was partly due to a change in his medications making him feel better, but he was also excited and happy to be going to school.

"Do you know that when we put something through the tube it feels like I'm swallowing but I'm not" Nicky said.

Rory grimaced. "Really?" She asked. The thought of the tube in his nose being down his throat and in his stomach grossed her out more than she'd like to admit. Especially when a nurse had to take it out and replace it every 4 weeks.

"Yeah, and it's cold"

"Can you taste it?" Grace signed

"Not really" Nicky said and signed.

"Ok, Nicky, I made you lunch and I put your lunchbox in your bag" Rory said.

"Why?" Nicky asked. While he might eat something like crackers or drink smoothies, it  had been several months since he'd eaten an actual meal.

"Because I want you to have it in case you want it"

"Is there crackers?" Nicky asked.

"Of course" Rory said. She knew that realistically, if Nicky was going to eat anything, it would be crackers.

"Thank you" 

Since Grace and Sammy both went to Chilton, but Nicky went to a different school, they decided that Rory would drop Nicky off and Logan would take Grace and Sammy, then they'd meet at work.

After finding Grace's classroom, Logan went over to the preschool building to find Sammy's classroom. 

"Daddy, there's alphabets!" Sammy's said excitedly and pointed at the alphabet stickers on the wall. "And magnets! I will put it on Gracie's head!" He said. The only person in the world who Grace let call her 'Gracie' was her baby brother. Sammy was fascinated by the magnets in Grace's head and a lot of the time, if she didn't have her processors on, he'd try to stick stuff to her.