Chapter 106

Lexi visibly brightened up when she was with Linda and Samson. She enjoyed holding their hands and strolling around the neighborhood, squatting by the frozen river as she asked, "Why isn't the water moving? Are the fish inside going to die?" James had taught Lexi to speak and recognize words early on, so she spoke much more clearly than children her age. Samson explained to her, "The water is frozen because it's cold, but the water underneath the ice is still flowing, so the fish haven't died." Linda, who was standing a short distance away, was on the phone, discussing work. Since Lexi was there, both she and Samson were working from home. At that moment, a neighbor walked out and seemed surprised to see Samson, as he hadn't seen him around before. "Hi, Mr. Lynch." Samson immediately picked Lexi up and shielded her face from view when he heard someone calling him. "Hi! Is there something you need?" While speaking, he kept Lexi's head buried in his shoulder. "No, no! I'm your