Chapter 4

Chris pulled into his driveway at 2 o'clock A. M. He opened the door carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was wake up Claire. He crept through the living room on his way to the stairway, but before he got to the first step the room illuminated. Chris turned to see an angry Claire sitting on the couch. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Hey watch your language."

"Don't give me that crap. Where have you been? You get off at seven on Fridays."

"Oh crap. Sorry, I never came back to tell you. I got a promotion."

"What?" said Claire.

"A promotion," repeated Chris. You know: better job, more money. I would go out and buy you some new clothes, but my team spent my starting bonus on drinks."

"You were out drinking?" yelled Claire. "I was waiting here for hours thinking you had been shot or stabbed and you were drinking. Why didn't you call?"

"I'm sorry. I forgot. But tomorrow, you and I are going to spend the whole day together. Well, after three anyway. I got to help Barry review someone else for S. T. A. R. S."

"You're on S. T. A. R. S.? Oh my, God. Why the hell did you join S. T. A. R. S.?"

"Come on Claire," said Chris. "You know we need the money. You're going to college in a month. We inherited some money but not enough to keep going like this."

"I know we need it, but that's not why you joined and you know it. You just want to work with Barry again. You want to relive the old days. You want to pretend things are like they were before Dad and Mom died.

"That's not true," Chris lied.

Claire began to cry. "You know it is. Ever since you heard Barry joined S. T. A. R. S., all you have talked about was the Air Force days. How everything was great. But have you stopped to think about what happens if you die. I don't want to have to get another phone call from the police."

The blow hit its mark. "I'm sorry. You're right," Chris admitted. I wasn't thinking about you or the money. All I've thought about was myself." Chris sat down on the couch beside her. She placed her head on his shoulder. "I love you Clair: more than anyone else in the whole wide world. I would never hurt you on purpose."

There was a long silence.

"Do you remember when we watched Dumbo?" Claire finally asked.

"Yes," Chris laughed quietly. "You cried during the Pink Elephant scene. Dad had to turn it off. Then he made us go to bed."

"He read to us," said Claire.

"Yeah. I can't remember what though."

"The Charlie Brown Christmas story."

Another laugh. "Oh yeah! I remember now. You always loved Snoopy and that tiny Christmas tree."

Claire wrapped her arms around Chris. "Do you believe in Heaven?"

"Of course."

"Do you really believe there in Heaven, Chris?"

There was a small pause. "Yes," Chris decided. And I know that's where Mom and Dad are."

There was another pause.

"Would you like me to read Charlie Brown?"

Claire gave her first laugh of the night. "It's June and I'm starting college next month. Don't you think it's an odd time for Charlie Brown's Christmas?"

"There's never an inappropriate time for Charlie Brown."

Claire gave another laugh. "I love you Chris. You're just like Dad."