Larissa's POV
"Well," Harlan said after a long pause, "I suppose lunch will have to wait."
A nervous laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "Leave it to you to crack jokes when everything's falling apart."
"Somebody has to keep us sane," he replied with a shrug, though the worry in his eyes betrayed his casual tone.
Mom rose from her chair, pulling herself together with visible effort. "We should go talk to your father. He needs to know what's coming."
Dad handled the news better than any of us expected. "So I'm getting the full Frankenstein treatment," he said with a weak grin. "Think the scars will make me look tougher?"
"Only you would get excited about surgical scars," Mom replied, though her voice trembled slightly.
"I need something to brag about at the senior center," he said with a wink that made my chest tighten.
"Dad!" I protested, but found myself smiling anyway.
