Home for Thanksgiving

            The next morning, Chance sat on the edge of his bed. He had taken the sheets off and put them in a pile on the floor.  His bag was packed and he was ready for Andy to take him to the Child Services. 

            To his great surprise, it wasn’t Andy that came down it was Marabeth.  To add to his shock, she invited him to stay with them for a while.  The Lucas-Simpsons would become his foster family if that was all right with him.  He assured her it was all right with him.  The rest of the day he felt like he was in some kind of alternate universe or something.  This could not be happening to him.  Especially after getting JJ in a fight last night.  He didn’t take Marabeth or Andy to be the joking kind and if this was a joke it was cruel.  But neither one said it was a joke.  In fact, the next day, Marabeth took him to the school to register.

            Even after he started school a week later, he waited for the other shoe to drop.  One week became two which became a month.  And that shoe never dropped. He exceled in all his courses except public speaking.  That was his lowest grade with a steady B.

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More Trouble

            Marabeth didn’t exactly sleep well that night.  She tossed and turned for most of it until her body overcome with exhaustion finally fell into a deep sleep.  Andy, however, other than wakening slightly with his wife’s movements, slept annoyingly well.  He was already out of bed when Marabeth woke up to the smell of bacon cooking.  That seemed unusual for their household even on a Saturday so she made her way slowly to the kitchen.  When she walked in, she saw Chance with a spatula in hand standing at the stove while Andy sat on a stool at the island talking to him.

            She didn’t catch the whole conversation but she heard Chance say he didn’t want to find his mom before Andy saw her standing at the doorway.  “Morning,” he said.  “Chance is fixing us some breakfast this morning,” he stood up to get another plate.

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Chapter II: Two Letters

July 10, 1941

Greetings Private Romero,

Oh, that sounds so formal, doesn’t it?  I’d rather just call you Pete.  It seems rather silly of me to be writing this so soon after we said goodbye on my front step but I want you to be among the first to get mail when you arrive at the base.  So, after we said our farewell, I ran up to my room and grabbed a pen and paper to write this note. 

            I don’t want you to think I am the kind of girl that does this often.  No sir, let me assure you, I will only write to one soldier at a time and that soldier is you.  I’m sure Ruth will have something to say about that but she isn’t home yet anyway.  Besides, considering her behavior lately, I’m not sure I give a flying fig what she thinks.  Sorry if that sounded a little harsh. Sometimes I get a little tired being the buffer between her and dad.  You know what happens to a buffer?  It gets worn out, that’s what!

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Chapter V – First Kiss 2.0

            While Gus changed from his work clothes and got ready for bed, Kristina worked quickly to get what she needed for her plan.  It wasn’t that elaborate.  All she needed was a paper bag and a black marker.

            When he finished getting ready, he walked out to the living room to join her.  He was looking at his phone’s screen and sat down on the couch next to her.  “Sleepy punch?” He questioned teasingly.

            “That’s all she needs to know right now.”

            He looked at her.  “At some point, she’s going to figure out the truth.”

            Kristina thought about it and nodded.  “I know.  I’ll tell her the truth some day.  When she’s about 50.  Or maybe she can read about it in my journal when I’m dead.”

            “You don’t keep a journal,” he said.

            “Guess she’ll never hear it from me then,” Kristina replied.

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Chapter III – Mom’s First Kiss

            Ginny sighed but didn’t complain.  The longer the story the longer until she’d have to turn off the lights and try to fall asleep.  As long as neither of her parents caught on to the delay, she could be patient until they told her about their first kiss.

            Kristina continued the narrative. “I was so embarrassed and sad, I just wanted to get out of there.  I needed some time to think about everything that happened. I mean, I did date Carson for a few years so it was a big decision.  Life altering at the time.” 

“Your mom walked fast when she left,” Gus nodded his head.  “She was almost to her car before I caught up with her.  As I have learned, she may be tiny but she can move quick.”  Kristina barely reached 5’3”.  Even though Gus didn’t quite hit 6’, his wife’s petite size made him seem like a comparative giant.

“But you caught up with her, right?” Ginny asked a little concerned.

Kristina smiled at her daughter.  “Yes, he did.”  She looked up and thought about that night so long ago to refresh her memory.  Then continued with the story.

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Chapter I: The Double Date – Mom’s Version

            “Mom, mom, moooooom!” Ginny yelled.

            Of course, Kristina could hear her daughter.  She was pretty sure the neighbors heard the call as well.  But she was determined not to be bullied into action by her demanding ten-year-old.  After several calls though, she couldn’t take it anymore. If her husband, Gus, had been home from work she might have had the will power to hold out a bit longer or maybe he would have responded for her.  Instead, she was tired and she needed Ginny to go to sleep so that she could fall asleep herself watching tv while waiting for Gus to come home. Her nap before bedtime was somehow her most restful sleep of the night and she needed it.

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Plan C: The Request

            Lizzie settled into some sort of restless routine.  At first, nothing felt mundane because she was aware of the fact she would soon miss all the small moments she was having with her dad.  Every moment felt like a gift.  But that feeling was short lived once the routine became familiar and she started taking those small moments for granted again.  Life was moving downstream and she got caught in the current of routine.  Until one morning when she saw her dad sitting in the kitchen.  He was normally up before she was and would work the crossword puzzle at the kitchen table.  This particular morning though, he just sat in the dark.

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