October 1998

We're in Wyoming. This year is been really interesting so far. Sammy had his first kiss (he thinks that I don't know, but big brothers always know) and I had the most wonderful five days of my life thanks to Lisa Breaden, a yoga instructor (and let me say, really bendy). So all is good.
Sort of.
Elouise is almost five, so she'll start kindergarten next year. I don't like the idea of her being away from me. I raised her since she was a baby, she's always been with me, and I know that her experience with schools will be like ours. No friends, always the new kid, no time to adjust to a school before we're be moving out of town. I don't want that for her. I didn't want that for Sammy either, but at the time I was too young for arguing with my father about the importance of stability for the well-being of a child. Ok, I'm starting talking like a mother. But she is my little Giggles.
Sammy agrees with me, so we're making a united front against dad. It's like being in one of those TV programs about lawyers 24\7. Dad's never had a second of peace. We're aiming for a yield because of exhaustion. This idea came up to Sam. He is a good strategist, and he has years of experience in making Dad lose his temper and make him surrender.
So now we're planning our future steps, while dad's on an hunting trip with Bobby. It's like a war council. We have snacks, beers, a notebook with a lot of arguments that'll make us win the "civil war", and we have also Elouise. She is smart for a kid her age. She comes up with the silliest things we've ever listened to, but sometimes she's really helpful. Like now.
Sammy and me are a little stuck. We've used up a lot of our arguments to make dad think about this thing. But he is a stubborn man, and he isn't listening to us.
"Why don't you talk with Uncle Bobby?" Elouise suggests.
Elouise is a genius. We need to use the Uncle Bobby card.
Sammy has a grin on his face. Sometimes he scare me, he seems so innocent, but he is a little devil in disguise.
"Elouise, I think you have just solved all our problems. Dean, why didn't we think about that earlier?"
"Probably because she's smarter than us, and we were having a lot of fun with dad lately."
Elouise look satisfied and proud of herself. She looks like a peacock showing its tail.
"I'm smart and pretty. "
"Yes, you are"
I kiss her head and go take the mobile phone. Elouise is few step behind me. Sammy turns off the TV and comes near me too.
"Okay, Sammy, Elouise. Are we sure?"
"Yes, Dean," They say in unison.
"If we do this, Dad will probably skin us alive. Are we really, really sure? There will be no turning back, no afterthought. We'll be dead kids walking. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Dean. We're aware of the risk. But the end justifies the means. And we're getting desperate here. I mean, at least one of us deserve to have some sort of normalcy. And she is our last chance. We spend a lot of time on raising her right, she'll be a great student and a wonderful girl"
"She'll be a huntress too, you know that Sammy, right?"
"Yeah, whatever"
I know that Sam don't agree with Elouise being an huntress, but it is the family business, and there is no escaping it.
"Ok let's call Bobby."
I make the call. I'm a little anxious, I know that dad will tear me a new one, but the well being of Elouise is worth it. Bobby answers after few seconds.
"I'm busy, Idjits, this better be important"
"Hey, Bobby. How're you doing?"
"What have you done this time kids? Do you need help hiding someone corpse? This time I'm too far away to help you with that."
"No we don't need that kind of help. We need you to talk to dad."
"Okay, what have you done? Did you burn the motel room down again?"
"THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT AND IT HAPPENS JUST ONCE!"
"Okay, Do you knocked up someone?"
"No, of course no, I always use... C'mon Bobby, stop laughing, let me explain, you are our last chance!"
"Okay, kiddo. Talk."
"Do you know that Elouise is going to start Kindergarten next year, right?"
"Yes, so?"
"Well, we think that Giggles needs some kind of stability and we want her to stay in the same school for a year at time. We don't mind moving, but we want to stay in the same place for a year, so Elouise can have some sort of normal life. The problem is that dad disagrees, and he don't want to change things. We tried with every arguments that came to our mind, but he didn't listen. So can you help us?"
Bobby is silent for a while.
"I think I can help you Idjits out. I can't promise anything, but I'll try. Are you aware of the fact that John won't be pleased, right?"
"We're aware"
"Okay, kiddo, hear you later. Say hello to your siblings."
"Will do. Thanks Bobby"
I put the phone down and look at the other two.
"The die is cast"

THE DAY AFTER

We're still waiting. Dad hadn't called us. We are a little worried. It's like the calm before the storm. Sammy is a little jumpy. I'm on edge. And Elouise doesn't give a s***. She generally doesn't give a s*** about anything. Specially about what dad will do. She saw him drunk, angry, yelling at me or Sam, sometimes at her. But she never cries or gets sad or upset. She just shakes it off.
"De, can you sit down with me? Dad will be angry but he's always angry so don't worry."
She takes my hand and she drags me to the couch. She sit between Sam and me.
"Now we wait. do you want me to sing? I can sing you better. Hey Jude...Nah nah nah nana nah nana nah...Hey Jude, hey Jude."
She sing off key, but it is her way to take care of us so we let her sing. She's still singing when there's a knock at the door. I jump up and take my gun. I open the door. Dad is in front of me and he seems a little angry, maybe. He shoves me and gets in the motel room. He puts his bag on the table with a loud thund. Then he turns around. Okay, he is definitely angry.
"Dad..."
"Shut up, Dean."
"Yes, Sir."
Dad goes in the bathroom without saying a word. When the door slams behind him, I go sit on the sofa, and wait with Sammy and Giggles. The air in the room is tense. I hate waiting.
Half an hour after Dad emerges from the bathroom. He seems calmer. He goes to the fridge and takes a beer. He takes a sip and walks to us.
We look at him. It's like being in the same room with a bear. If you don't run away or move too fast he'll probably won't kill you.
"Kids, I had some thinking these day and...Okay."
With that he takes his coat and get out of the motel room.
We're a little dumbstruck. The entire situation is a little surreal. We're frozen in our seat. We win. We can give Giggles a stable life.
"We win. WE WIN!" Sam is jumping and is making his victory dance. Elouise is dancing too.
"De, I tell you everything was going to be good."
Elouise hugs me and Sam squeezes my shoulder, then they go back to their stupid dance.
I put my head on the back of the couch. We made it.
We. F***. Win.