Summary

Chapter 8 – As the summer comes on in full swing, the Professor is hard at work on the most difficult math problem ever published in the Journal of Mathematics, which promises the biggest cash prize ever. The Housekeeper comes to understand that math, since the day of the accident, has truly become the Professor’s life. The Professor takes breaks from his work to watch the Housekeeper cook, saying he simply likes to watch her cook. This fills the Housekeeper with a sense of satisfaction. On Friday, July 31, the Professor finishes the proof, and the Housekeeper rushes to get it in the mail.

The first week of August, Root goes away on a camping trip with friends. The Housekeeper continues to care for the Professor. A summer thunderstorm comes on, which worries the Housekeeper, but the Professor tells her that Root will be fine. The...