Chapter 11 " Dad . " Alessia glanced up at the sound of footsteps . Brendan stepped inside , a smile on his face , not a trace left of the lost look he'd worn earlier . He changed his shoes at the door as if nothing had happened . " How'd you sleep , Lessie ? " " Pretty well . Mom and I went grocery shopping this morning - it was actually kind of fun . " Four sets of plates and forks lay set out on the table . Brendan blinked rapidly . He bent to set his briefcase on the floor , head bowed , and by the time he straightened up , any trace of emotion had vanished from his face . " You're back . Go wash up , dinner's almost ready . The fish is fresh today - I just need to finish one last dish . " Karen bustled around the kitchen , smiling as usual . " I'll give you a hand , " Brendan said , and slipped into the bathroom to wash up . They both knew the truth , but neither said a word . This family had been through enough ; what they needed now was to support each other , not to point fingers . Each one of them was trying to make things better - that was enough . " Lessie , would you call Ivan for dinner ? " Karen wiped her hands on her apron and set the pot down on the table . Alessia nodded and headed for Ivan's room . Out of courtesy , she knocked first , waiting a few seconds . When no answer came , she tried the doorknob . It wasn't locked . The door swung open , and she paused in surprise for a moment before collecting herself . The room was pitch - dark , except for a small desk lamp illuminating one corner . Ivan sat curled up on the floor , legs drawn to his chest , focused intently on a drawing in the pool of light . Just a single door separated two different worlds : outside , it was noon ; inside , it felt like midnight . Unlike her own bright, airy room , Ivan's was cramped - barely enough space for a double bed . The only small window was blocked by the neighboring building , so sunlight never reached inside . Still , Ivan had carved out a little space for himself - a low table and an easel stacked with books , a few nearly - empty jars of paint strewn beneath . Pressing her lips together , Alessia quietly crossed the room and crouched next to 1/2 15:36 him . Ivan was so absorbed in his work that Alessia simply watched in silence , waiting as he put the finishing touches on his painting . But the more she looked , the deeper her frown became . Ivan's paintings had a spark to them - the lines and composition were bold and fluid , his use of color daring yet harmonious . But every piece seemed to radiate a kind of heaviness . No matter how bright the paints , Ivan's brush always turned them into swirling , endless black holes - so much so that just looking at them made it hard to breathe . Alessia had studied painting for a while , and her teacher used to say she had an eye for beauty but no technical skill . She could appreciate color and composition , but every time she tried to draw , her figures came out as crude stickmen . It nearly drove her teacher mad . While she was lost in thought , Ivan finished his drawing . He put down his brush , ready to clean up , but as he turned , he jumped at the sight of Alessia crouched beside him . Quick reflexes saved the moment - Alessia reached out and steadied him before he could knock over his freshly completed painting . " Dinner's ready . " She saw the guarded look in Ivan's eyes , but didn't push . Once he was steady , she let go of his arm , stood up , and brushed invisible dust from her jeans , her tone cool and even . Ivan stayed silent . Alessia didn't mind , and left the room . Less than a minute later , Ivan followed her out . " Eat up , both of you . You're still growing - and you , mister , you're the head of the family now . You need your strength . " Karen busied herself piling food onto the others ' plates , barely serving herself a scrap of meat . " You're the one running around all day . You should eat more , " Brendan said . Since their bankruptcy , the two of them had only grown closer , not farther apart . Alessia paused with her fork halfway to her mouth , looking thoughtfully at Karen . " Mom , have you ever thought about starting a little business ? Maybe a food stand ? " " Oh , Lessie , you always know how to make me smile ! " Karen thought Alessia was complimenting her cooking and beamed , but Brendan caught the seriousness in Alessia's tone - eight parts earnest , two parts testing the waters. 212