"We're not going to play cards, we're going to build a house of cards," Jeff told Dawn.

For the next hour, Julie was fascinated as Jeff showed her how to place the cards on top of each other to make a house. "Gently, gently," he warned, as she laid the top card in place. "If you even breathe on it, it will all

fall down." When they finished playing with the cards, Jeff made up a story about a cowardly dragon who wanted to be friends with a lion, and Julie giggled when he made funny faces. Then he showed her how to make shadow puppets on the white stucco walls, and invented animal voices to go with the shapes. Finally, a happy, tired Julie fell asleep on the rug.

Dawn was amazed. "You were great," she whispered. "I had no idea you were so good with kids."

"What can I say?" Jeff laughed. He put a blanket over Julie and looked at Gregory. "He's asleep, too."

"Can you believe it?" Dawn said wearily. "Let's try carrying them upstairs and putting them both in my bed."

"So far, so good," Jeff said a few minutes later when they'd returned to the living room. He looked up at the ceiling, as if he expected to hear crying any minute.

"What do you think is going to happen with Dad and Carol?" Dawn said. She curled up on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow to her chest.

Jeff shrugged. He minded Carol just as much as Dawn did, but he felt a little uncom-

fortable talking about her. "He likes her, that's all."

"Are you sure it's not serious? She's over here all the time."

"That doesn't mean anything. Dad's not going to go off the deep end and marry her or anything like that."

"How can you be so sure?"

Jeff shrugged. "I just know he's not. You worry too much."

Dawn was about to say something else, but Jeff reached for the remote control. In a moment, Harrison Ford's face filled the screen, and Dawn tried to put all her fears behind her.