Alexis had been in bed for half an hour when he finally came home. She could tell by his expression that he had not had a good day.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, setting aside the book she’d been reading to stand when he entered the living room.
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sp; He shrugged, his expression glum. “I didn’t do so well on the gross anatomy exam today. Went totally blank on the names of the nerves branching off the femoral nerve.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been upsetting for you.”
He pushed a hand through his hair. “You could say that. What makes me so mad is that I can remember them now that the exam is over. Anterior femoral cutaneous branches, nerves to the Sartorius muscle, the rectus femoris muscle, the vastus lateralis muscle, the vastus intermedius muscle, the vastus medialis muscle, the pectineus muscle…Why couldn’t I remember all that when it counted?”
“I don’t know how you ever remember all of that. Is there anything I can do for you? Maybe I could quiz you later?”
“Thanks, but it’s too late now. I can’t go back and retake the exam.”
She supposed she couldn’t blame him for being grumpy. She could empathize with him. She hated feeling as though she hadn’t done her best on anything. She was sure she would be as driven as he was when she started her own graduate studies. “Are you hungry? I can warm some leftovers for you.”
He started to shake his head, then stopped. “Yeah, I guess I am hungry. I went straight to the library after the exam and never did get around to eating dinner.”
“I made a pork loin with creamed potatoes and gravy and brussels sprouts. Would you believe Alexis loves brussels sprouts? She calls them little cabbages. Said her grandmother made them quite often.”
“Never heard of a kid actually liking them,” he said, trailing her into the kitchen.
“I hope you like them,” she said, taking covered dishes from the refrigerator. “I dressed them with parmesan cheese and slivered almonds.”
“I like pretty much anything. Except coconut.”
That was something she’d known already. Connor was one of the least picky eaters she’d ever known. His daughter seemed to have inherited that trait.
He studied the drawing on the fridge door while she popped a plate into the microwave for him. “Is this supposed to be her stuffed cat?”
“Very good,” she said approvingly. “Yes, that’s Pete.”
“What’s this thing beside him? A brussels sprout?”
“A tree. He’s going to climb the branches and then have to be rescued by the fire department.”
“Oh.” Lifting an eyebrow, he murmured, “That should be interesting because the cat’s twice the size of the tree.”
“Maybe it’s a perspective thing. Maybe the tree’s really far in the distance.”
“Yeah, that could explain it,” he replied drily.
“I thought I’d get some more magnets in case she wants to display more of her artwork. You don’t mind, do you?”
He shrugged. “Why should I?”
Because the question seemed to be rhetorical, she didn’t bother responding.
He opened the fridge again. “You want a glass of tea?”
“Yes, thanks. I’ll drink it while you eat. Keep you company.”
Nodding, he poured two glasses of tea and carried them to the table.
While he ate, Mia kept up an easy monologue by chatting about things that had happened at school, catching him up on news about mutual acquaintances, sharing with him some of the things Alexis had told her about her day. He didn’t say a lot in response, but he seemed to relax while she talked. By the time he’d finished the meal and the apple crumble she’d prepared for dessert, the frown he’d worn home had mostly disappeared.
They moved into the living room afterward to watch the evening news. Mia sank onto the couch, shifting over when Connor dropped down beside her rather than taking one of the chairs.