Chapter 6

Charlie replayed his brother's reaction in his head and smiled. He had to thank his father for this latest triumph and decided to express his gratitude as he walked up to the kitchen.

"Don left already?" Alan said cleaning the kitchen counter as soon as Charlie walked in.

"Yeah, he left just a second ago. Thanks dad… for, you know…" Charlie muttered almost a bit ashamed.

Alan turned to face Charlie waving a dirty rag at him. "Both of you are behaving like little children so all I needed to do was unleash my what I thought were long buried parental instincts. It turns out it's like riding a bike; you never seem to get out of practice."

Charlie snickered. If it weren't for his father he would never have been able to get to Don so easily. Although the plan Amita and he had hatched up to get back at Don for spraying his hair pink had been set in motion, what happened this morning was totally unexpected. But needless to say fitted the initial plan perfectly.

"Just so you know Charlie, I meant every single word I said earlier. To the both of you that is. You need to take a stand sometimes. Some day I won't be here to umpire your indifferences." He said still waving the dirty rag.

Charlie swallowed as his fathers' words sank in. "I know dad. I know…"

"Well, now that that's settled, are you finally going to tell your old man and partner in crime what's in that box?" Alan asked while guiding his son out of the kitchen.

"What is it with you people and that box!" Charlie exclaimed raising his hands in the air.

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Charlie decided to fill in his father on the contents of the box, still not having opened it as it was meant to be shipped again, this time to its final destination. At Calsi they were raising money and whatever else they could gather to send to students in El Salvador, being deprived of proper up to date study material. When Charlie had done some consulting for a big hard- and software company they heard of CalSci's noble gesture and graciously donated some hardware products such as switches, routers and catalysts. All of which were yet to be configured and assembled as part of their education.

When Alan learned what was in that box he patted his son on the back and smiled in contentment.

"It seems your mother and I have managed to do at least some things right when it comes to the both of you" He mumbled.

Charlie smiled sheepishly, rubbed his hand over the tall unopened box and then let out a deep sigh. "I know mom would have loved to participate in this. She was always about helping others. I guess that's why I work with Don on his cases. You know, to help. To make a difference."

Alan nodded. Even though he didn't always appreciate his eldest son's career path and how his youngest was more than once more involved than he would care to see he remembered vividly how much it hurt, and still did, losing his lover, best friend and mother of their two children.

When things get rough and dangerous, he imagines what it must be like for those who lose a loved one by the hand of another human being instead of an illness. With that person also being someone's son or daughter. A shiver runs down Alan's back every time the thought crosses his mind.

With that as a last thought Alan rubbed Charlie's back lovingly.

"Amita coming over today?" He asked.

"Tonight actually… "Charlie replied

"I'll be out for dinner tonight." Alan said as he walked back towards the kitchen.

"With who?" Charlie asked with a frown.

"You want the house to yourself or not?" Alan retorted with a sly grin on his face.

"Aaaah,… Thanks dad." Charlie replied with a thankful smile.

As Charlie watched his father disappear into the kitchen he let out a deep sigh. His dad was the best. He made a mental note to make sure to tell him that. He couldn't even begin to think how he could have ended up with his father not being the wonderful man he is.

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As the day progresses Charlie continued his work deeply concentrated in the garage waiting for his father to leave the house and Amita to come over. Ever since they had been together all their time was spent with someone else in close proximity. Either his father would be home doing something somewhere in the house, or Larry or his brother would come over to discuss whatever or watch a game.

In any case, they had hardly spent much time alone. And the times they were in fact alone they were at work, discussing work related matters in an academic environment that could hardly be called romantic. And some romantic time alone with Amita was something Charlie had been looking forward to for a long time now.

Charlie's concentration was suddenly disrupted by a penetrating high pitch sound that came from his cell phone. He had set the alarm. The last thing he wanted was for Amita to come over only to find him covered in chalk dust. Even though the by now must be used to seeing him that way, he figured a shower couldn't hurt. Chalk dust still wasn't considered to be an aphrodisiac.

"Time to turn on the oven and shower" Charlie muttered as he made his way to the kitchen.

The lasagna in the oven needed about one hour and 30 minutes, and Charlie liked to take long hot showers. Amita said she would come over round seven, so that gave him about forty-five minutes to get ready, as would the lasagna if Amita would be on time. And Charlie knew she would.

Then, just under forty minutes later, a freshly showered Charlie snuck a peek in the oven to see how the lasagna was doing. He took a deep breath and smiled.

"You will be one monster of a lasagna my friend" He mused to the dish.

Just as he closed the over lid, the door bell rang apparently being a queue for the butterflies to flutter in his stomach like never before. She was here. His evening alone with her was about to start.

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