Excerpt from The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

“Look how tiny the keypad is,” Shazia said, pulling it from her pocket.

“Wow.”

“How are you finding Columbus?” Ann asked. “It must be quite a change from Oxford and Cairo.”

Shazia laughed. “In many ways, yes. But it’s actually been an easier adjustment than I expected. People have been very welcoming. There are lots of international students here.”

Peter held up the wine bottle and Shazia shook her head. She set down her water glass. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go lie down. I have a terrible headache.”

“Of course.” Ann wiped her hands on a dishtowel. “Let me show you your room and get you some towels. Peter, would you dish the girls up?”

She said it so casually. Dish the girls up. One of the shorthand expressions they used to use all the time. Surprising how nostalgic he felt hearing it again. Staying here was going to be more difficult than he’d realized. He watched Ann climb the stairs, her voice floating lightly down as she talked to Shazia, showing her around, welcoming her into what would be her home, too, for a little while.
After dinner, peter stood in the doorway of maddie’s room. Dishes clattered from the kitchen below as Ann cleaned up.

Shazia was in the guest room down the hall. He heard the soft murmur of her voice and guessed she was on the phone.

He put his hands on his hips. “You’re sure you brushed your teeth, Maddie?”

She giggled from where she lay in bed. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Because I’m not coming in if you haven’t.”

“I have. I swear.”

“With toothpaste?”

“With toothpaste.”

“All right then.” He reached down to turn on the nightlight, then straightened and switched off the overhead light. The room was bathed in a soft glow. He made his way to her bed and sat down beside her.

Maddie lay back against her pillow and looked up at him seriously. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, and now he could see her features, the rounded curves of her cheeks, the sleepy slants of her eyes so like Ann’s. He’d noticed that she’d lost another tooth, a bottom one along the side. What was the Tooth Fairy bringing these days? The going rate used to be five bucks. Once they couldn’t rummage up enough bills between them to slide under seven- year- old Kate’s pillow. In triumph, he had produced a Lowe’s gift card. So much laughter. They should have saved some of it for the years to come.

Maddie said, “My teacher told us that birds are making people sick.”

“ Uh- huh.”

She frowned. “You’re around birds all the time.”

“Well, that’s true. But I wear a special suit. Did you know that?”

“Like Superman?”

“No. It has a mask and goggles to keep infection from getting through and gloves to protect my hands. Sometimes I put on white overalls so I don’t spread the infection around.”

“And you wear that all the time?”

“Oh, yes. Whenever I go in the field. I keep all that stuff in my truck.”

“Do we need suits? Kate, Mommy, and me?”

“No. I don’t think so.” He brushed the hair back from her forehead.

“Now I lay me down to sleep.”

“I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May God’s love be with me through the night and wake me with the morning light.” She yawned and smiled up at him.

He kissed her cheek, so soft and warm. He’d missed this. “Good night, Maddie girl.”

He was at her doorway when she spoke up again.

“Daddy?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you and Mom still having a divorce?”

Poor Maddie. This turn of events must be so confusing for her. “Yes, sweetheart,” he said gently. “We are.”

Excerpted from The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley Copyright © 2010 by Carla Buckley. Excerpted by permission of Delacorte Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.