Click, click, click, and he was done. Chris
checked his phone. Barely ten minutes and all he had to do was get
a signature and he could head home early. Annie walked in to check
on his progress again.
“Wow. Really
fast,
”
she said.
“Yeah. Great
computer you have here. A couple click
’
a
’
roos and it was ready.
”
“That
’
s it? Maybe I
should've done it myself.
”
“Well,
it
’
s not just clicking but
…
I have to run out to
my truck and give a call to make sure things are fine on our end.
I
’
ll need your signature on the work order form and then
we
’
re done.
”
Chris stepped
out of the room and out of the house before she could respond. He
didn
’
t have to call; he just wanted to check his phone for
any news on recent trade rumors. The Forty Niners needed a top
flight receiver. He tapped on the app on his phone and flipped
through the articles but nothing looked of interest. Scanning the
phone for something else to do, he pressed the pictures icon and
swept through a short timeline of his thirteen-year-old daughter
and eight-year-old son
’
s lives. He
didn
’
t take close to half of the pictures his wife did, but
it proved a nice distraction to see those moments captured so
clearly. Then the air around Chris grew impatient and pushed him
back to the house.
He held the
clipboard and pen at his hip and knocked loudly on the door. Annie
met him this time smiling satisfied. Chris brought the clipboard up
to sign before spouting off from his work pamphlet like a good
robot,
“
Just need your initials there and signature
there. You'll be getting a call shortly after I leave from our
customer service department. It
’
s automated but will
ask you to complete a short survey about my services today. Please
be honest and
– ˮ
A loud thump
and a piercing scream turned Annie straight back into the house.
Chris stood at the door while the crying continued. He lifted a
foot to step inside and then pulled it back out. The crying got
louder. Chris thought of his own son, took the leap, and followed
the hallway to the boys
’
room.
The older boy,
Graham, wiped away tears while mumbling
“
I
’
m sorry
”
over and over again.
Annie cradled Sammie while kneeling on the rug. She was glued to
the spot and didn
’
t flinch at
Chris
’
s presence or the heart piercing sobs from
Sammie.
“It
’
s
broken,
”
said Graham, and pointed to his
brother
’
s leg.
“
I
’
m
sorry.
”
Sammie cried louder upon hearing this.
“Umm. Can I
help?
”
asked Chris.
“
I mean. You should
take him to the hospital. It looks like a clean break, I guess.
I
’
m not sure. I
’
m not a
doctor.
”
Annie cried
and rocked gently still clutching her son in her arms.
“
My husband has our only car. What am I supposed to
do?
“An ambulance.
I can call an ambulance.
”
“Our insurance
barely pays for doctors
’
visits.
”
“I want to
help, but
–”
“Your
truck.
”
“It
’
s the
company
’
s truck. I don
’
t know if I
can.
”
“Please.
”
Sadie tightened her grip on her
son.
More
complaints wanted to spill out of Chris, but Graham squashed them
with one more soft,
“
I
’
m
sorry.
”
Chris grabbed
his hand and hurried to the truck. He buckled the boy in and
sprinted back to help the mother. She was already on her feet when
Chris came back in the room. Annie
’
s puffy red eyes
fixed on Chris
’
s.
“Thank
you.
”
“Of course.
Here, let me get the door.
”
They awkwardly made it to the truck and just
as awkwardly set the boy next to his brother across the back seat.
Chris fumbled with the seatbelt but managed to put it on without
causing any more discomfort.
“Where
’
s the closest
hospital?
”
asked Chris.
“We have to go
to St. Emmanuel on Fifteenth.
”
“Do you have
directions?
”
“I
’
m horrible with directions. Use your
iPad.
”
“Of
course
…”
Chris typed in
the hospital to Google Maps, started the engine, and followed
Siri
’
s voice.
Chapter
Two
The sun was setting
when Chris turned off the ignition and stepped out of the truck. He
kicked the bits of concrete that popped up from the cracked walkway
and looked up at his home. He knew Sadie would be furious, but he
was exhausted. The red door loomed over the
steps
’
cracked tile. When am I going to fix those, he
thought, but before he could vaguely answer himself the door opened
for him.
“Look
who
’
s finally home,
”
said Sadie Byrne,
hands on hips.
Chris
smiled.
“
Yep, finally.
”
“Dad where
were you? Mom had to cook again and she burned the
tomatoes,
”
said Gerry.
“Mom had to
pick me up from volleyball practice, too,
”
said
Louise.
“Burned
tomatoes sound good to me,
”
said Chris.
“
As well as some
…
hugs and
kisses!
”
Gerry ran for
his room. Louise slunk her body and turned away, but Chris wrapped
his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. He
then made a bee-line for Gerry
’
s room.
“You
can
’
t hide from me and there
’
s always a price to
pay for running little stinky cheese man,
”
said
Chris.
Once in the room, Chris pounded his feet on
the wooden floor to make a resounding echo throughout the house.
Sadie made a loud disapproving sigh from the living room, but Chris
ignored it and continued to stomp around.
“He
’
s getting too old for
this, or maybe I am!
”
said Sadie, putting the sigh in to
concrete words.
“He
’
ll never be too old,
just embarrassed when I do this in front of his
girlfriends,
”
said Chris.
“Eww, I
don
’
t have a girlfriend,
”
said Gerry from the
closet.
Chris sprang
the doors open and wrapped his son in his arms as the laughing
seven-year-old tried to make another run for it. The hug turned
into a tackle onto the bed followed by kisses across the
boy
’
s red cheeks and tickling under the arm.
“I
’
m gonna pee!
”
said
Gerry.
“Eww.
”
Chris leaped off his son. Gerry ran for the
door, but his father ran faster and maneuvered the boy behind
him.
“I forgot. I
have to pee too,
”
said Chris.
They bumped and jostled in a short race to
the bathroom where Chris pretended defeat and let his son go
through the door first. Sadie walked up to her husband standing at
the closed door.
“Hurry, hurry,
I can
’
t wait any longer,
”
said Chris to the
door, with one eye on his wife.
“Oh really? I
didn
’
t think I could wait any longer for you to come home
either,
”
said Sadie.
“Looks like
Mommy has to go too. Hurrrrrryyyyy!
”
said
Chris.
“What happened
today?
”
“I was
working. And not peeing. Obviously.
”
“Really?
I
’
m going to get upset if you don
’
t tell
me.
”
“You
’
re not upset
yet?
”
“You know what
I mean.
”
The toilet flushed and Gerry popped the door
open.
“Mom, you can
go first. Dad can wait.
”
“Thank you
son, but I don
’
t have to go right
now.
”
“Perfect,
cause I really do,
”
said Chris, and jumped into the
bathroom shutting the door for a moment
’
s
salvation.
“I
’
ve seen you pee before,
”
said Sadie, and
knocked the door open.
“Eww,
”
said Gerry, as he walked away from
the oncoming storm.
“What
happened?
”
asked Sadie.
“It was the
last house. Something always happens.
”
“Not a four
hour something.
”
“I
would
’
ve been home early, but the mom needed a
ride.
”
“A ride? What
the hell did she need a ride for?
”
Chris finished peeing and looked at his
wife, waiting for her to add anything else.
“Go
on,
”
she said.
“Her son broke
his leg. I had to take them to the hospital because she
didn
’
t have a car.
”
“Oh my
goodness. Is he okay?
”
“Yeah. It was
a clean break. We think he was trying to jump from his dresser to
his bed to copy his older brother. I actually told her it was a
clean break when it happened. Maybe I should be a
doctor.
”
“Where was the
mother when this happened?
”
“Signing the
work order form with me. Oh crap, I didn
’
t get her
signature.
”
“Worry about
it tomorrow. Come on you need to eat something and say goodnight to
your kids, who would not be left alone to jump and break their
legs.
”
Chris shambled past his wife but stopped
when her hand grabbed his shoulder. She turned him around and
pulled him close to her.
“Where are my
hugs and kisses,
”
she said.
“I might be
all out. They
’
re in such high
demand right now from your son and daughter.
”
“No they
aren
’
t,
”
said Louise from the other
room.
“Well, with
prices falling I should hand them out now,
”
said
Chris.
Sadie kissed her husband long and embraced
him even longer.
In the
kitchen, Chris rummaged through the refrigerator for the parts of a
quick sandwich. Louise and Gerry finished their desserts at the
white dining table while monitoring their father
’
s
movements.
“Why were you
home so late, Dad?
”
asked Gerry.
“Not you too.
I just got done telling your mom the whole epic
tale.
”
“It
can
’
t be that long. Come on
…”
said
Louise.