Grace Under Pressure

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Nathan seems to be settled in now," Carla remarked as we watched him, Jennifer, and Jack going from one costume to the next in Wal-Mart trying to find ones they liked.

"We have him in therapy once a week," I shared as I plucked a baby Princess Leia costume off the rack. "Perry and are also both trying to take him out one on one at least once a week. I think he's finally starting to trust that he's home." I handed her the costume. "Here. Turk will love this on Izzy." The baby in question was dozing off in the shopping cart's baby seat.

"Yes, he will, oh, and it's her size." She tossed the costume into the cart before turning back to speak to me again. "You, Jordan, and Dr. Cox should be proud of the little family you've made. It's unorthodox, but it's healthy. Most kids of divorced parents don't have it as good as Jack and Jennifer do because their parents can't stand each other.

I had never given it any real thought before. Perry and I had learned in the beginning to just roll with the punches, and Jordan had been my best friend before I was with her ex-husband. We'd never really discussed making it work. We just did.

"Thank you." It was all I could come up with to say, but, at least, it was sincere.

"Grace, is this my size?" Jack was holding up a Woody from Toy Story costume.

I took the costume and checked the tag. "Sure is. Is this who you want to be this year? You're sure?"

Jack nodded, and into the cart the costume went.

I noticed Jennifer struggling to try on a Little Red Riding Hood cape and Nath looking overwhelmed as he looked at his choices. I asked Carla to help Jennifer while I went to see to Nathan.

I couldn't crouch down because I was pregnant, so I bent down a little to talk to him. "What's the matter, love?"

Nathan blushed and averted his gaze. "I've never dressed up before. I don't know what I'm supposed to pick."

I smiled and took a deep breath to push down the urge to murder my mum. "The only rule is to pick something that you really like."

Nathan grabbed a Harry Potter Slytherin costume off the rack. "I can go as this?"

I gave him an encouraging smile. "Sure, love. And when we get home, I'll order you a nice wooden wand and have it shipped overnight. Your school has Book Character Day next month. You can wear this then too. We'll just say that you're Draco Malfoy."

Nathan shook his head and grinned. "No, I want to get a black wig and go as young Severus Snape."

I had to resist the urge to groan. If Turk or J.D. saw him dressed like that, the Alan Rickman's daughter jokes were going to start up all over again.