Chapter 25

Monday. Andrew had headed off to school, and Clara had a few lectures at Centralia University, so she left early too. Everyone was doing their own thing. Nancy was busy around the house—working in the yard, feeding the pigs, and taking care of chores. Michael, on the other hand, had been out of work since he lost his job at the construction site, so now he was just staying home. That afternoon, he brought in a basin of water and started wiping down Nicholas. Nancy had already made it clear—taking care of Nicholas was now his responsibility. She didn't think it was appropriate for Clara to be doing that kind of thing all the time, especially since she was a young unmarried woman. Michael might not be the brightest, but he took the job seriously. He was careful and thorough as he cleaned Nicholas up. "You really don't have to help me every day, Mike," Nicholas said with a bit of embarrassment. "Didn't you just do this yesterday?" Michael just scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. "No