ONE SIMPLE TOUCH - JACK'S POV
Jack sat on the couch in the living room. He held the remote control in his hand, but couldn't bring himself to do anything with it. The TV screen was a lifeless black in front of him. It matched his mood.
Jack ran through this day in his mind, trying to find a reason for his current melancholy. Work hadn't been so bad. Pretty uneventful, actually. No bomb threats, no hijacked airplanes, no weapons drawn. Just paperwork. So why was Jack sitting here on the couch feeling empty and weepy?
The door swung open. "Dad! I'm home!" Kim. She'd gone out with some of her friends for the evening. Somehow, Jack couldn't make himself answer.
"Hey, the movie was great, we have to..." Kim stopped, obviously aware that she wasn't getting any response. "Dad?"
Jack finally found his voice. "In here, Kim." He didn't sound like himself at all, he thought.
Kim entered the living room. She looked concerned. *Well, who can blame her?* Jack thought. *She's got to be wondering why her tough-as-nails dad is sitting on the couch staring at a blank TV screen.*
"Daddy?" Kim asked tentatively, as if the sound of her voice alone would shatter him. She sat down on the couch. "What's wrong?"
*Nothing,* Jack thought. But that wasn't true. *Something* was wrong, he just wasn't entirely sure *what.* At any rate, he needed the company.
"Is it Mom?" Kim asked. Generally, when Jack got introspective, it *was* about Teri. But not this time.
"No," Jack said simply. He was always thinking about Teri. She was always in the back of his mind and the front of his heart. But that wasn't the cause of his current period of numbness.
"What is it?" Kim sounded really worried now. She moved closer. "Daddy, what's wrong?"
Jack tried to speak. "Kim, I..." his voice faltered. He was close to tears. And he couldn't even tell her why. *What is with me tonight?*
Kim took Jack's hand and leaned on his shoulder. That was it. "I need a hug, honey," Jack said, well aware of the desperation creeping into his voice.
Almost before the words had left his mouth, Kim snaked her arms around Jack's neck. She snuggled close to him, swinging her legs over his lap and burying her head in his chest. Jack brought his arms around her back and squeezed her tightly, sniffling back his sobs. "I love you, Daddy," Kim whispered into his T-shirt.
A single tear escaped from Jack's eye. He lifted one hand to the back of her head and pulled her in closer, almost crushing her. "I love you too, sweetie."
Jack sat on the couch in the living room. He held the remote control in his hand, but couldn't bring himself to do anything with it. The TV screen was a lifeless black in front of him. It matched his mood.
Jack ran through this day in his mind, trying to find a reason for his current melancholy. Work hadn't been so bad. Pretty uneventful, actually. No bomb threats, no hijacked airplanes, no weapons drawn. Just paperwork. So why was Jack sitting here on the couch feeling empty and weepy?
The door swung open. "Dad! I'm home!" Kim. She'd gone out with some of her friends for the evening. Somehow, Jack couldn't make himself answer.
"Hey, the movie was great, we have to..." Kim stopped, obviously aware that she wasn't getting any response. "Dad?"
Jack finally found his voice. "In here, Kim." He didn't sound like himself at all, he thought.
Kim entered the living room. She looked concerned. *Well, who can blame her?* Jack thought. *She's got to be wondering why her tough-as-nails dad is sitting on the couch staring at a blank TV screen.*
"Daddy?" Kim asked tentatively, as if the sound of her voice alone would shatter him. She sat down on the couch. "What's wrong?"
*Nothing,* Jack thought. But that wasn't true. *Something* was wrong, he just wasn't entirely sure *what.* At any rate, he needed the company.
"Is it Mom?" Kim asked. Generally, when Jack got introspective, it *was* about Teri. But not this time.
"No," Jack said simply. He was always thinking about Teri. She was always in the back of his mind and the front of his heart. But that wasn't the cause of his current period of numbness.
"What is it?" Kim sounded really worried now. She moved closer. "Daddy, what's wrong?"
Jack tried to speak. "Kim, I..." his voice faltered. He was close to tears. And he couldn't even tell her why. *What is with me tonight?*
Kim took Jack's hand and leaned on his shoulder. That was it. "I need a hug, honey," Jack said, well aware of the desperation creeping into his voice.
Almost before the words had left his mouth, Kim snaked her arms around Jack's neck. She snuggled close to him, swinging her legs over his lap and burying her head in his chest. Jack brought his arms around her back and squeezed her tightly, sniffling back his sobs. "I love you, Daddy," Kim whispered into his T-shirt.
A single tear escaped from Jack's eye. He lifted one hand to the back of her head and pulled her in closer, almost crushing her. "I love you too, sweetie."