I'd forgotten how fun (and fast) it is to write humorous stories. Here's Chapter 2.

Chapter 2

Dressed in a pair of Don's sweatpants and plain white t-shirt, Larry sat motionless on the family's sofa. Don helped Robin prepare for a dinner (and likely overnight) guest, conspiring with her in hushed tones while keeping an eye on a bewildered Larry.

"You're sure that's really him?" Robin whispered.

"As sure as Charlie's my brother," Don confirmed. "Speaking of which, did you get a hold of him yet?"

"I left a voicemail and sent a text. They must still be out of cell range," Robin cast an uneasy glance at Larry. "You don't think Charlie knew he was still alive, do you?"

"I'd be just as shocked as you! I can't imagine him keeping a secret like this for any length of time, much less six years."

Robin nodded. "You're right, that wouldn't be like him," she paused. "Do you… think it's safe for Larry to stay here?" she ran one hand across her belly and gestured to the kids playing in the other room.

Don hesitated. "I think so. I mean, I've never known Larry to have any aggressive tendencies."

"But what if he's not the same guy you knew? It's been six years, after all. People can change a lot in that time."

"Tell me about it," Don smirked, planting a kiss on her lips. "I'll go sit with him, get him to talk. If anything feels off, we'll put him up in a hotel."

Squeezing his wife's hand reassuringly, Don entered the living room to find Larry transfixed by one of their wedding photos.

"So… you got… married…" Larry said slowly, mesmerized.

"Yeah, about six months after you disappeared," replied Don. "When I realized Robin and I both wanted pretty much all the same things, it was a no-brainer. Didn't see the point in waiting."

"She wanted this?" Larry scanned the room, presumably referring to the quaint suburban lifestyle.

Don cracked a signature smile. "Ah, well, it's funny how 'this' happened. Ollie was a surprise honeymoon baby, and I thought Robin would go back to work after that, but… I guess some women's maternal hormones are just really strong, and she chose to stay home."

"Really? Maternal hormones?"

"That's the only explanation I've ever been able to come up with," Don shrugged, bemused. "And a few months before we had Alice, I was offered a promotion to Administrator. Robin and I both agreed it was a safer position, out of the line of fire."

"Kids do prefer to have both parents alive and kicking," Larry sagely remarked.

"That they do," agreed Don. "So now you're all caught up on my life… maybe we could talk about yours?"

Inhaling deeply, Larry shoved both hands into his sweatpant pockets. "Six years," he muttered to himself. "Compared to one's overall lifespan, it's rather short. Yet look at what can happen in such a seemingly short time…" he traced the edges of Ollie and Alice's newborn photos with one finger.

"Yeah, tell me what happened while you were away, Larry. I'm sure your stories are way more interesting than mine."

"Oh, well…"

Before Larry could provide an evasive reply, Robin stepped into the room. "I just heard back from Charlie!" she announced breathlessly. "They just got home, and he wants us all to meet at his place for dinner."

"You told him about…?" Don subtly twitched his head toward Larry.

"Mm-hmm," nodded Robin, pursing her lips. "And he's very excited to have an extra guest tonight."

Larry scrambled awkwardly into Don and Robin's family minivan, cramming himself into the third row behind the kids' car seats. If he had any smart remarks about Don's choice of vehicle, he kept them to himself. The ride was smooth enough, so no need to stir the pot.

Arriving at Charlie's abode for the second time that day, Larry squinted at another minivan now parked in the driveway.

"Whose is that?" he asked Don as they walked past the cherry red Sienna van.

"Whose do you think?" chuckled Don, patting Larry on the back. "C'mon, let's not keep your other fans waiting."

Stepping inside, the house was oddly quiet. Not a single light was on. Don thought he smelled the faint scent of food grilling, but it could've been coming from next door.

"Um, apologies if I should already know the answer to this, but where is everyone?" Larry asked in a hushed tone.

"Good question," Don frowned, looking at Robin. She looked equally puzzled.

"Grandpa?" called Ollie, running toward the kitchen with his sister close behind. "Uncle Charlie?"

"Are they all in the back yard?" Robin wondered aloud. "I thought Charlie still needed to fix the grill…"

"SURPRISE!" shouted five voices suddenly, jumping up from behind a sofa. Lights flicked on, revealing several balloons and a "WELCOME BACK" banner strung from the ceiling. Confetti sprayed from an unseen cannon as Alan, Charlie, and Amita encircled Larry.

"Wow… you did all this for me?" Larry asked.

"Of course we did!" shouted Alan. "I told them about you as soon as they got home, and they insisted we go get decorations."

"Well, we knew before you told us, dad," Charlie grinned, crushing Larry in a back-breaking hug. "Robin's messages came through when we reached town. I had to pull over!"

"I can't believe it's you!" cried Amita, hugging him at an angle. Larry glanced down to see that her stomach was also round with child, though not as advanced as Robin.

"My word," he marveled, "is there something in the water here?"

It took Amita a moment to realize what he meant, and then everyone laughed as she and Robin blushed.

"And whom do we have here?" Larry asked of a small, curly-haired boy peeking shyly from behind Amita.

"That's… little Larry," answered Charlie with a lopsided smile.

Big Larry's mouth fell open in astonishment. "You… you named him after me?" he said in a small voice.

"We sure did," Charlie led him to the sofa, where the coffee table featured a large cake. "We couldn't think of any better way to remember you – until now, that is!"

"Gosh. When I heard Alan mention you and the 'family' were returning from vacation tonight, I assumed it was a close group of colleagues you called a family," Larry remarked as Alan handed him a slice of cake. "Never could I have imagined all this!"

"That's funny, 'cause never could we have imagined we'd ever see you again!" laughed Don.

"Life is full of funny little surprises, indeed," Larry took a bite of cake.

There was a momentary silence as everyone waited for him to expound. Yet he was oblivious to their expectations, continuing to spear his cake one frosting-coated piece at a time.

"Well?!" Alan blurted at last. "When are we going to hear the whole story, Larry? Huh?"

Larry meticulously licked the last bit of frosting from his fork. Placing his plate on the edge of the table, he sat back and regarded them all with measured interest.

"All right," he said at last. "I'll tell you all about it. But only on one condition."

"What?" they all asked in unison.

"We go camping. All of us, together, at the nearest Yogi Bear Jellystone Park."

Of all the conditions they'd expected to hear, that was likely one of the last. Everyone exchanged uncertain looks with each other, as if asking if they'd heard Larry correctly.

"You want… to go camping at Yogi Bear?" Don clarified.

"Wouldn't your kids all love it?" Larry shrugged.

"Yes, but when were you thinking exactly?" asked Robin. "I'm due in a little over a month."

"How about next weekend, then?"

A quick, collective poll traveled the room, resulting in no schedule conflicts or objections.

"Guess I'll get the old RV out of storage," announced Alan. "Sleeps eight, if I recall. Larry, you okay with your own tent?"

"Oh, no tent for me," Larry insisted. "Just a sleeping bag on a tarp and a nearby citronella candle is all I need."

Alan screwed up his face. "Well, if you change your mind, I'll have a tent packed."

"This better be worth it," Robin whispered to Don. "I want some answers at that campground!"