In the morning it was raining so hard that when hit with rain drops hit you felt like they were bullets. Dan knew that the Construction Company would probably call his house trying to tell him that construction for the day was cancelled so he dialed Chuck's number.
Anne Marie answered cheerfully. "Hi Dan."
"Hi, Anne Marie. Did the company call you guys?"
"They did. They said that construction was cancelled. Do you want to talk to Chucky?" Anne Marie asked.
"Uh no. I'm sure he's asleep."
"You're right he is."
"Okay I'll talk to you later, bye."
"Bye." Dan and Anne Marie hung up.
Dan checked on all of the boys. Jerry and Andy were asleep, but Dan woke up DJ who was stretched out on the pallet on the floor. "DJ its 7:30." Dan shook DJ but DJ didn't seem to notice. "Wake up, son." Dan watched, as DJ's eyes moved despite being closed. "DJ I can see your eyes moving. I know you're awake."
DJ sat up. "Dad. You could be the best dad ever if you let me stay home today." Dan stared at DJ.
"You're going to school." DJ frowned.
Jackie came into the living room just then. "Good morning." She said grumpily and tired.
"Really good morning. Work called. I don't have to show up today." Dan bragged.
Jackie mumbled something and made her way to the coffee maker in the kitchen. DJ looked at his dad. "It's raining. Can you at least drive me to school today?"
Dan looked at the clock. "If you get dressed quickly so I can be back by the time your brother wakes up."
Five minutes later Dan and DJ were in the truck. Dan put the truck in reverse and put his hands on the wheel. He felt instantly nervous, as he remembered how Roseanne died….
NO! Dan. You have to take DJ to school. Dan sighed and put his foot on the gas and carefully backed out of the driveway. Once he pulled out he put his truck in drive and carefully navigated the streets. Dan decided that today he actually felt like he wanted to eat so he went through the drive thru at McDonalds. "What do you want Deej?"
"Egg McMuffin and hash browns."
Dan ordered six egg McMuffin's and four hash browns plus three sodas. They got their food quickly and Dan dropped DJ off at schools, and then went back to Jackie's.
She was on the phone when he came in through the door. He dropped the bag and the drink carrier on the table and then checked on the boys. They were still asleep. Dan wondered why Jerry was sleeping so much this morning since he went to bed earlier than usual last night.
When Dan walked back into the living room he found Jackie pulling a breakfast sandwich from the bag. "Thank you Dan."
"You're welcome Jackie. Saw three accidents on Route 9 today."
"Ooh, that sucks. Leon called and said that we're shorthanded today."
"What about Nancy?" Dan's facial expressions showed that he was still not a fan of Nancy's.
"Down with flu. He was actually wondering if you wouldn't mind coming in today."
Dan's jaw dropped. "ME? Well as long as it's not drywall."
Jackie patted Dan on the back. "I knew I could count in you."
Dan looked at the kids and then at Jackie. "I think that we should probably take the kids to your mother's today."
Dan and Jackie stared at each other. In unison they pointed at each other and said "You call her."
Dan shook his head. "She's your mom!"
Jackie pulled the phone off the receiver and handed it to Dan. The off the hook tone sounded but Dan refused to take it. "Dan, are you telling me that a big strong man like is afraid of a 66 year old woman?"
Dan shook his head in agreement. "Yes I am." He said in the most weak cowardly voice he could muster.
Jackie took a quarter from her purse. "Call it."
Dan watched the coin flip in the air. "Heads."
Jackie caught the quarter in the air and peeked at it on her wrist. Dan smiled. "Tails. Ha-ha Sucker." Jackie rolled her eyes and punched him gently on the stomach.
Seeing as how both Dan and Jackie were going to the Diner, they decided to carpool in the atrocious weather. Although Dan's truck only seated three so he wound up driving Jackie's old Plymouth.
Once Dan parked, each got out of the car and opened the back seat doors and rushed to get their kids inside before they froze to death or got pneumonia. Dan didn't take Jerry's car seat so he held Jerry over his shoulder, while Andy stood on his own and held Jackie's hand. The four stood in the elevator dripping onto the nice clean carpet. Three separate old people glared at them as they made their way to Bev's apartment.
Be answered the door with a scowl. "I told you that I would have been perfectly fine braving the weather today, if only to prevent my grandkids from getting pneumonia…." Dan brushed this off but held Jackie back. She was more irritated by Bev these days than Dan.
Both parents put their kids down and the kids made their way to the toy bin that Bev kept in the living room. Dan took the diaper bag from his arm and placed it on Bev's counter.
Jackie spoke. "Now mom, we've started potty training Andy so it's important you ask him if he needs to go." Bev listened but zeroed in on one key word.
"What do you mean 'We'?"
Jackie and Dan both sighed. Jackie spoke first. "Mom Dan is helping me potty train Andy. After all he is more qualified." Dan secretly laughed at this. That was a good comeback.
Bev's attention fell on Dan. "Did you ever hear back from the insurance company, Dan?"
Dan forced himself to look happy and cheerful. "Yeah, I did. They said that they need to hear from the police department before they can pay me."
Jackie looked at the clock. "Oh look Dan and I are going to be late for work. Bye mom."
Before they could escape, Bev continued her interrogation. "Dan is going to work with you?"
Dan shook his head yes. "The diner is shorthanded today so I said I'd help out. Bye, Miss Harris…" The two grown adults left the apartment like little school children.
When they got to the diner, they found Leon in a frantic panic as he rushed to serve the morning's breakfast crowd.
"Where's Stacey?" Jackie asked as her and Dan took off their coats and hung them on the hooks by the door.
"She never showed up. What took you so long?"
Dan and Jackie walked behind the counter. Dan felt butterflies being hatched in his stomach as he realized that this was the first time since Roseanne's death that he's been at the Lunchbox. Just the smell of the place was making him miss Roseanne more than ever. Jackie went to work immediately manning the loose meat, Leon disappeared into the back room and Dan picked up a note book and started rounding the tables taking orders. Jackie realized that she didn't tell Dan how to work here but Dan seemed to not need any instruction on what to do.
Because of the weather once the breakfast crowd was gone, only five to six people showed up and the three workers found themselves with nothing to do.
Jackie broke down and went to work cleaning the women's restroom leaving Dan and Leon alone in an empty restaurant.
"So Dan how's sobriety treating you?" Leon asked in an overly friendly way. Dan studied the man who was a foot and a few inches shorter than he was. He determined that Leon was only trying to make conversation. Both men had little to nothing in common.
Dan looked down at Leon and leaned on the counter. "Better than you it appears."
Leon smiled. "Yeah I jumped off the wagon."
"Well yeah Leon I know that. Roseanne told me she saw you at AA when she took Beverly. When you quit drinking did you start to crave cigarettes?" Dan asked curiously, as he was still being tortured by the wanting of a cigarette.
Leon looked at Dan. "No, then again I never really smoked. And it called Alcoholics Anonymous for a reason!"
Dan looked down at the tiny man. "Actually she told me when I asked her why she was writing your name on a really good bottle of Scotch. I knew she had a double agenda…."
Breaking the silence, Rocko came by. Soaked through his three layers of clothes. "I haven't been this wet since monsoon season in 'Nam." Rocko took off two layers to reveal a collared polo shirt. He swished water all the way to the counter. "I'll have a regular loose meat and BBQ Lays please." He said directly to Dan like Dan was a normal worker. Then he realized that Rocko was playing around.
"Sorry we don't serve to Hardware store owners." Dan said, fighting back a smile.
Rocko laughed, as Jackie put a plate with a loose meat sandwich in front of him. Dan pulled BBQ chips off the chips rack and handed them to Rocko.
Rocko took a bite as he said, "So the company called in a rain day and you hang out with your sister in law at the Lunchbox. Do yourself a favor Dan. Get a life."
Dan laughed, "Well I'll try Rock. You have no idea how many times I've heard that from my kids."
Rocko laughed too. Jackie was running low on meat and she decided that she wasn't going to cook anymore until another customer came by. She joined the men. Dan looked at Leon, "Oh yeah. Rocko this is Leon my business partner and friend. Leon this is Rocko my ex business partner and still friend from when we still owned Four Aces Construction." Leon was not too thrilled about this stranger, but he acted friendly and shook Rocko's hand.
Jackie got tired of being seen and not heard and made herself a part of the conversation. "Are you as busy as we are?"
Rocko looked around and only saw empty tables and chairs. "Pretty much. But I have had a few people come and buy me out of all my salt."
Dan leaned on the counter out of habit. "If you still want me, I'll take that offer."
Rocko held out his hand and the two shook. "Can you start on Monday?"
Dan shook his head. "I'm sure I can."
Rocko soon left and once again the diner sat empty like an eerie ghost town. Dan and Jackie sat at a table trying their hand at a New York Times Crossword puzzle book that Roseanne kept under the counter.
Jackie read a clue. "Hollywood Siblings Hint: Raising Arizona"
Dan smiled. "The Coen Brothers." Jackie counted the squares.
"Hey your right."
Dan fidgeted in his seat. He was now craving a cigarette more than ever so he stood up and went to the hooks where his coat was hung up and put it on. Then he opened the door and made a mad dash to the small corner store. He walked up to the counter, dripping water all over the floor.
"Can I have a pack of Marlboro's please?" Dan took a lighter as he thought if I'm going to smoke again I'm going to get the good stuff. (If Marlboro is the good stuff. I really don't know.)
The clerk nodded and handed him a pack. "That will be 3. 50."
Dan looked at the clerk curiously. "Seriously? Last time I bought a pack it was a two dollars for a carton."
The clerk looked back at Dan curiously. "Going back?"
Dan nodded. "Nicotine craving like you wouldn't believe."
The clerk smiled. "That explains the lighter."
Back at the Lunch Box, Dan walked in to find one lonely customer who was being served by Jackie. He walked past the customer, who was a small and old man, but stopped when he heard, "Mr. Conner?"
The old man had said it so Dan turned his attention to him. "Yes sir?"
The old man stood up yet motioned for Dan to sit down. Dan was perplexed by this. He had never seen the old man but out of respect for the elderly, he sat down.
The old man pulled a check from his back pocket and then sat back down. Dan and Jackie both watched extremely curious. "Mr. Conner, my name is John Arnold and I want to help you out."
Dan was so curious he forgot to speak at the minute. "I don't understand."
The old man leaned back and stretched nonchalantly. "I have no family and I have no friends that are still living so I want to give you my in heritance."
Dan and Jackie both stared brain dead. "Uh sir, I can't take your money."
The man leaned forward and touched Dan on the top of his hand. "I want you too. I'm going to die soon, and I'll die a lot happier knowing that I was able to help out someone in need." The man pushed the check on Dan's hand. Dan immediately pushed it back.
"I'm sorry sir but I can't take this check. I mean you're still alive!"
The man smiled and pushed the check back to Dan. "I kept enough money to live happily during the little time I have left. Please take it." The man pleaded right before standing up and bolting out of the door.
Dan and Jackie stared at each other in disbelief. "Do I take the check?" Dan asked as Jackie sat down in the chair that was left vacant by the old man.
"He wants you to. I think you should." As Jackie spoke Dan peeked at the amount. He held in his hand a check for 40,000 dollars. "Forty thousand? Holy crap!" Jackie yelled.
Dan jumped and then shushed Jackie. "Could you be a little louder? I could get killed with this check!" Dan pocketed the check. Leon came running.
"Did someone say forty thou?" He rushed to the table where Dan and Jackie were sitting.
Dan and Jackie shook their heads. "Uh no."
Leon looked at them both like he knew they were lying but went back to his office. Dan looked at the clock.
"Hey I got to go." Dan stood up and went and got his coat again. Jackie turned around and faced him.
"Where are you going?" Dan's reply was a cold stare. Jackie knew he was going to AA so she didn't push the subject any further.
Before his meeting started, Dan spoke to his sponsor/friend about his newly found moral dilemma.
Benny's answer was, "If the old man wanted you to take the money. You should."
Having two very different people tell him that he should take the money Dan decided he would. So on his way back to the diner he stopped by the bank and cashed it with a big smile on his face and an intent for the first time to spend his money wisely.
Finally the rain let up to where it was only a little drizzle so before entering the diner again. Dan took a cigarette from the pack and lit up. He took a drag and smoked the cigarette like he never stopped.
Once he was done he walked into the still vacant diner. He must of smelled like smoke more than he thought because Jackie asked, "Dan did you start smoking again?"
Dan whined as he said. "I couldn't stand the craving, all right?"
"What will your kids think?"
Dan glared at Jackie. "Nothing if you keep your mouth shut."
