"Varian, can I talk to you?' Grace asked that morning. She had taken matters into her own hands; after talking with Ellen, she got homeschool teachers for the kids and of course, knowing how terrible people can be, she made the teachers sign an NDA. Grace noticed a change in her son's attitude since he came home. When she had spoken to him over the phone, he sounded happy, if she was to describe it, but after he got home from the trip, it was like he was lost in his world, and Grace was not just about to allow him to get lost in his world while the kids needed him at that time.
"I might be late if I stop to chat," Varian said. His icy nature, which had been melting, was back, and it was like someone had increased the freezer.
"Stop to chat? I did not ask for a chat; I asked for a talk."
