We Own the Sky(27)

“Well, seems like a good party...” I said, trying to break the silence.

“This is Karolina by the way,” Scott said, nodding at her.

“Hello,” she said frostily and with a thick Slavic accent. Then she looked wistfully at a group of young people on the other side of the room.

“This is Rob,” Scott said.

“Uh-huh,” Karolina said, and I expected her to say something else, but she just nodded to herself.

“Look, Scott, I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ve had a lot going on, some family

problems. But I was hoping we could meet to talk...”

“I’m going to sell, Rob. I’ve made up my mind. I just asked you for one

thing...”

“I know, I’m sorry. But it’s not as simple as that...”

Scott took a deep breath, looked into the mingling crowd. “Rob, let’s talk tomorrow. I’m not going to bother to ask you to send the code because I know you won’t. As I said, I’ve made up my mind.”

We stood in silence for a moment, picking at our food. “Have you tried the food, Karolina?” I said after a while.

“It’s okay,” she said without looking at me. “Nothing special.” I nodded, swallowed, trying to think of something to say, when Jack and India came running up.

India was eighteen months older than Jack. When she was little, she used to call Jack her doll. She would play with his hair, putting his curls into bunches, trying to fashion his locks into a ponytail. Jack was besotted by her, the older sister he never had.

“Hello, Uncle Rob. How are you?” India was six, but spoke like a twelve—

year-old.

“I’m fine, India. How are you?”

“Very well, thank you.”

“Are you both having a nice time?”

Jack nodded enthusiastically. “There was a spider on the floor, so we came here.”

“Oh. Do you think it’s still there?” I asked.

“I think it’s gone now, Jack,” India said, and Jack blushed a little, just like his mother.

“Shall we go and see if my mommy needs any help?” India said.

Jack nodded so vigorously his ears wobbled.

“Did you see Mommy, Jack?” I asked. “She said she was coming to find you.”

Jack shook his head. “No. Maybe Mommy’s gone home.”

“No, she’s here somewhere,” I said, looking around again.

“Come on, Jack.” India took Jack’s hand in hers and led him off to the play corner. I could hear her telling Jack about the nutrients, how the food was much cleaner this way.

“Is that your children?” Karolina asked, when I turned back to her and Scott.

“Just the boy. The girl is Lola’s daughter.”

“Who’s Lola?”

“She’s the host, babe,” Scott said, checking if anyone had heard. “The raw-food woman.”

“Oh, her,” Karolina said. She turned to look at me, and I found her intense, unnerving. “He looks tired, your son.”

It was a strange thing to say, and I didn’t know how to respond. “He probably is a bit,” I said, a little flustered. “It’s been a long day.”

“He’s got these—how you say, Scottie?” She turned to Scott, and with her

finger made half-moons under her eyes. “These black  krug, circles, here.”

“Yes, well, he is a bit tired at the moment,” I said, trying to temper the annoyance in my voice.

“Sometimes it means problem with liver or kidneys, it’s connected,” Karolina said.

“Excuse me for a bit,” I said, and as I walked away, I could hear Scott raising his voice.

I went to the bathroom and sat inside a cubicle and Googled “brain tumor dark circles” on my phone. One million two hundred fifty results came up in 0.59

seconds. Shaking, I clicked on one, The 5 Warning Signs of Pediatric Cancers.

There it was. The neuroblastoma symptoms to watch out for: bulging eyes, dark circles, droopy eyelids.

I sat in the cubicle listening to the dripping of a pipe. Outside in the gallery, I could hear the sound of speeches, of Lola on the mic. I Googled some more, clicking on link after link. There were other symptoms—glassy eyes, a worsening stutter, sensitivity to bright light. Jack didn’t have any of those things.

I was just getting myself worked up, so I took a deep breath and headed back to the party.

Lola was still on the mic at the other end of the gallery, but I couldn’t see Anna. I looked around and then found her outside, sitting in the car with the light off.

“I’m sorry, I know I’m being rude. I just can’t be in there right now,” Anna said. “I just keep thinking about it, and I can’t smile and pretend that everything’s normal.”

“I know,” I said, putting my hand on Anna’s shoulder. “Why don’t we leave? I can make some excuse.”

“Would you mind? I just can’t go back in there.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make something up.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come. It was a mistake.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll go and get Jack, all right?”