Once when Penny and David were out of town, Jeremy spent the weekend at our house.  I think he was around eleven or twelve years old.  It was Katie's birthday; there were a lot of kids around and the household was pretty lively.  His parents were due back some time Sunday evening.  Around three o'clock that afternoon I found him in the front of the house looking out the keyhole window.  He'd return every half hour or so checking the street for his parents.  As the afternoon wore on his time looking out the front of the house got longer and longer, until finally he was glued to the spot waiting for his folks.  It may have been that the burden of the Ortner household was no picnic, but even that couldn't mask the poignancy with which he missed his Mom and Dad.