Dart feels that if he doesn’t get some good sleep tonight he’ll pay a price. He thinks the price might be another cold because he feels something coming on.

For all his scolding in last night’s letter, he only addressed one page of her recent letter. “I don’t feel like scolding tonight, even though I have a lot more I’d like to say about your letter.” (Why would one adult ever “scold” another adult?)

He realizes how bad his letter might have sounded. He also suspects that the mood she was in when she wrote the letter that triggered his may have been fleeting. He imagines that if he spouts off in a similar fashion a couple of days from now, it may not do much harm – or, he suspects, much good, either.

Pop is coming home on Thursday! Dart will have to cut journalism class in order to get him, but that means the family should  be at home when Burke arrives for the weekend. The remaining question is whether they can take good enough care of the old man to prevent a return trip to Crile Hospital. Yesterday, Pop admitted that his troubles are mostly his own fault. Dart sees that as a positive sign.

The results of last week’s Spanish test were better, but not as good as they needed to be. Now he only has four more tests to bring his grade up. The results in Mr. Carter’s literature class were quite gratifying for Dart, for a change. He got a much-needed B+ on the test.

He comments that it’s nice of El and Norm to help out for the night of the wedding. Whatever it is they’ve committed to, Dart thinks it’ll help them make a clean getaway. He asks Dot what they might do to guard against any foul play from family or wedding guests that might interfere with their first night together? He suggest sleeping pills.

She’s worried about him wondering why he ever married her, and he reminds her they are both likely to wonder that in the first year. That’s all part of their “growing up” together, and he likes the thought of growing up with her.

Dart returns on the 20th.