what Is Going On?

My father and I were resting quietly when my mother came limping back into the room. She had a huge smile on her face, but it was clearly being faked for my benefit, because I was sure that I saw her wiping tears from her cheeks as she came through the door.

"Everything okay, dear?" my father asked her with a knowing look on his face.

"Fine, Maxwell, everything is fine," she said as she nodded in his direction and slid back onto the bed next to me. I knew without a doubt that they were hiding something from me because she always put on such a big "it's all okay" act that even a child could see right through it.

"Mother, what is going on?" I looked her straight in her eyes and asked her as frankly as I could.

"Everything is fine dear," she said while she played with my hair and stared away into space.

"Julie, why don't we go and get some fresh air?" Maxwell asked her with a smile, and a very irritated look in his eye. She quickly agreed and struggled to pull her aching body back out