บท 117: Chapter 117: Impasse

The tent unzipped and Jo popped her scruffy dirty-blonde head in through the hole, her warm brown eyes peering eagerly down at Isaac. "Whatcha doing?"

Isaac looked up from his work, awash in relief at the sight of his sister's fervent expression. It'd taken two weeks, but she was finally starting to act like herself again. He released a silent thanks into the world for children being so incredibly resilient on so many levels.

"Just fixing this hole." He held up the tear in his pants in one hand and a needle in the other.

Her eyes lit up. "Oh. Why don't you ask M-" but then she caught herself, and the light all but went out.

Why don't you ask Mom, is what she was going to say, he realized with a pang.

Isaac put his project aside and held his arms out to Josephine. "Come here."