She is an inspiration. I’ve scribbled a note to myself to remind me the next time I’m whining about a client. After a grueling day of chemo, she still manages to laugh out loud and practice her sense of fashion. Knock wood, she hasn’t been sick, though it is still early. When I got home, she cuddled with me and smiled with a grin as wide as the ocean. I cradled her, careful not to seem too concerned, and smiled back, humbled by my little girl.

He crossed his arms and sulked, then threw back his head and exhaled a sigh brimming with contempt. I shot a look in the rearview mirror. Silence thickened the mood, adding drama to an already tense morning. Jordan ignored it and returned to her singing. “Those blue eyes are going to get you in trouble. I fell in love with those eyes…” She inflected her verse with a flavor of Billie Holiday, improvising the lyrics to Them There Eyes.

With each new day Jordan is getting stronger and more like her old self. Her sleep cycle hasn’t returned to normal, yet. She generally crawls into our bed around 4am and takes a long nap at around 10am. She’s a little less moody, and her wit is regaining its sharpness. Wednesday we meet with the oncology team to discuss the new chemotherapy protocol. Jordan will return on Thursday to get started.

Jordan is doing well. She gets dizzy frequently, and whines constantly. We’ve decided time was up to feel sorry for herself, so we gently admonish her when she starts moping. I am cross today. I’m not alone. The whole house is in a foul mood. We snap at one another over the most trivial matters. Patience is lacking.

Jordan and Jeanette have been napping all morning. Both seem pleased to reunite with real beds. Each tries to lie alone, but within a short time the other cuddles into the same bed. I have lots of energy, so I have been cleaning. More to come…