We savored every last bite of our Mexican food before making our way to the patio to carve the pumpkins. Luc was already in his costume, a white t-shirt inscribed with a self-designed iron-on that read “this is my Halloween costume. Deal with it.” Jordan was halfway through her transformation into the Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. It was a thoroughly Southern California holiday, with the temperature lingering in the mid 70’s, and our family was ready for a celebration.

It was time for a break. Nearly twelve weeks of uninterrupted chemotherapy, a long summer, and a career change (I’m starting a new job in a week) demanded a week to just do nothing. The family needed to retreat somewhere with a pool and five-star service. We needed to be pampered. But we couldn’t go far. Jordan has another chemo appointment today and an MRI procedure scheduled for Friday. So we chose to stay close to home – to vacation “in town” – so we checked in at the W Westwood, about 30 miles from home.

–What day is it? Her eyes squinted off into a distant place, as though she were trying to recall a calendar page and picture it in front of her. She brushed her hair back from her face in a haphazard, distracted manner reflective of her intense concentration. –It’s Sunday, sweetie. She was quiet for a moment, eyes locked in that far away place. Then she broke the silence with a groan.

Our family has a rhythm these days. We fit. The twists and turns of Jordan’s Journey don’t stop us from behaving like an ordinary family with ordinary highs and lows. Only once in awhile do I stop to reflect on gravity and uncertainty and cancer. The Vincents Know How to Party A few nights ago I stood outside my house in the backyard between the two windows of my children. I looked to the right to see Luc, squatting in his room over a textbook, fiddling with a rope in one hand and a pencil in the other.

We unfolded the single sheet of paper and handed Jordan a pen. The nurses looked on curiously. Six menu items were listed. She couldn’t read any of them, but she knew what the big rectangular box meant next to each. If she could check off each of these boxes, she’d earn a reward, and today’s reward was the DVD of High School Musical.