Grady's Home!

After a week in the woods, Pablo's big brother is home. Today will be their last day of summer play. Monday is a pivotal day in both their lives: Grady starts high school tomorrow at St. Francis in La Canada; at the same hour Pablo will roll down that long, quiet hallway in the Surgery Department at CHLA.

When the boys reconnect Monday afternoon Grady will be a real-life high school freshman. And Pablo will have one less guest in his tummy–and possibly one less kidney.

Today, though, they are laughing and smiling and ordering brekkie at Auntie Em's–a couple of brothers on a sunny Sunday morning. If you saw them carrying on here at our table you'd never know that one of them has a life-threatening disease. It's amazing what two brothers can do with a couple of spoons. The smile on Pablo's face almost makes me forget that beneath his pink polo shirt there's a port implanted in his chest, and a pair of tumors that've overstayed their welcome.

When brek is done P and I are gonna head to Brentwood to see the bike race that's going down today on San Vicente Boulevard.

Check in with you later.