AN: There's a small historical error in this chapter, but I thought the idea was too cute to make it historically accurate. Also because I forgot when I was first writing this that smartphones really weren't a thing yet, or were just coming out around this time.
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Thursday
Rossi and Nora fell into a routine over the course of the week. They'd eat breakfast, Nora would get dressed while Rossi fixed her lunch, he'd do her hair and shoes. (He was getting pretty good at doing her hair if you asked him. Penelope and Erin told him not to quit his day job.), they would take pictures to send to Penelope and Erin, they would listen to the same last tracks of her CD in the car, he would walk her to her class, and he would pick her up every afternoon to be informed she spent the afternoon in Dr. Lewis's office.
Rossi was happy with their little routine except for the last part. By Thursday, he was concerned about the fact Nora hadn't spent an entire day in class. So that afternoon, over dinner, he decided to ask Nora about it. "Is everyone nice at school?"
Nora nodded, fidgeting like she always did when school was brought up. "Is anyone being mean?"
Nora shook her head.
"Do you like your teacher?"
Another nod.
"Do you like your class?"
Nora shrugged.
"What don't you like about it?"
Nora was quiet for a moment before mumbling something in French.
"Again, please?"
"Numbers," Nora mumbled in English.
"Numbers?" Rossi asked.
"Don't like," Nora replied, looking down at her plate.
Rossi had a light bulb moment. Mrs. Baker had mentioned Nora had been consistent with her time of leaving. Rossi didn't doubt Nora's dislike of school stemmed from the number of people, but the dislike of numbers could be the cause of her avoidance. The people thing would take time, but numbers were something they could work on.
"Why don't you like them?"
"Confusing"
"Okay," Rossi said, ending the topic.
After dinner, he emailed Mrs. Baker about the new revelation and set up a meeting to decide what they could do to help Nora. He then shot a text to Penelope and Reid, knowing they would have some ideas on how to help.
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Rossi had made great progress through the tapes. Nora had moved beyond the karaoke ones, and they were now on home videos. So after dinner and a bath, they snuggled up on the couch and put one in.
"You look like a crazy person," Emily joked, swatting the camera away from her face.
"But it's the girls' first trip to the zoo," Chris defended.
"Then film them," Emily said, looking in front of them.
Chris turned the camera to Kate and the girls who were crouched in front of a tortoise exhibit.
Rossi guessed they were about 2 and 3.
"Are you having fun?" Chris asked as Emily joined them and crouched down.
The two girls turned to the camera, nodding. "Yeah," Meg exclaimed.
"What do you want to go see next?" Kate asked, standing up.
YOU ARE READING
Tiny Dancer
FanfictionRossi has spent his life working. Three failed marriages, several one night stands, and the one that got a way have turned him away from ever having the life he had once wished for. He had long accepted the fact the only thing he would ever have in...
