Firestone by Claudia Hall Christian Page B

asking,
Keenan,” Sandy said. “It’s good to be careful. I don’t think you’re
weird, and I don’t mind.”
    “ She says the answer to
what happened is in that box,” Keenan said. He pointed to the
bottom box in the corner. Ivy ran over to the box. “She says you
will know it when you see it. Seth?”
    Keenan looked confused and then looked at
Sandy.
    “ Your father,” Keenan
said. “He needs to see the box.”
    Keenan nodded. Sandy’s eyes welled with
tears.
    “ I’m sorry if I caused you
distress,” Keenan said. “I know what it’s like not to have a mother
or a father for . . . years, and then to find them
and . . .”
    Sandy impulsively hugged him.
    “ We share this,” Keenan
said.
    “ And the chance to be
loved by those who can love,” Sandy said.
    Keenan gave her a soft smile. Sandy glanced
at Charlie.
    “ Things we have in
common,” Charlie said. “Hey, I’m done with school. So’s Keenan. Is
it okay if we . . .”
    “ Go ahead,” Sandy
said.
    “ Basketball?” Keenan’s
face lit up. “Can we, please?”
    “ Ask Delphie, but I’m sure
she’ll say yes,” Sandy said.
    Keenan ran off to find Delphie.
    “ You gonna be okay?”
Charlie asked. His brow furrowed and he looked so much like their
dad, Mitch, that Sandy hugged him.
    “ Of course,” Sandy
said.
    “ Charlie!” Keenan
yelled.
    Charlie ran down the hallway to him. Ivy
shrugged and followed him. Sandy turned back to the room.
    “ You
know . . .” Valerie said.
    Having forgotten she was there, Sandy gave a
little yelp.
    “ Why don’t I stay with
you?” Valerie asked.
    “ Oh . . . I
couldn’t . . .” Sandy started.
    “ Sure you could,” Valerie
smiled. “Just take the help. You’ve helped me over and over again,
especially with Jackie. You need help, and I can give it. Don’t
fuss.”
    Sandy nodded.
    “ Let me show you around,”
Valerie said.
    Valerie gestured into the room, and Sandy
went inside.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Monday afternoon — 3:35 p.m.
     
    “ That was ridiculous,”
Aden said. He scowled at Jacob and said, “I bet you’re glad you
left Jill and the boys to come down here.”
    Jacob opened the door to the Village Inn for
Aden and Tres. He looked up to see Blane and Sam getting out of a
Lipson truck. Sam waved for them to go inside.
    “ How many?” the hostess
asked.
    “ Five,” Aden
said.
    “ Right this way,” the
hostess said.
    They sat down in a large booth near the back
of the restaurant. The waitress brought water and was taking their
orders for coffee and pie when Sam and Blane reached the table.
Blane ordered sandwiches for everyone, which they grumbled
over.
    “ You need protein,” Blane
said as he sat down. “We skipped lunch
and . . .”
    “ You’re a good man,
Blane,” Jacob said.
    Blane grinned. Tres got out of the booth so
Blane could sit next to Jacob.
    “ I just want pie,” Aden
said. “Do they make a pie sandwich?”
    The men laughed. They fell silent until
after the coffee had been delivered and doctored.
    “ Well?” Sam
asked.
    “ Fucking ridiculous,” Aden
said.
    “ Tres?” Sam
asked.
    “ Is there another word
that means more than fucking ridiculous?” Tres asked. “I can’t
think of one.”
    “ Moronic,” Jacob said.
“But that’s not more .”
    “ Fucking moronic.” Sam
grinned. “Blane?”
    “ I think they’ve said it
all.” Blane shrugged.
    The waitress returned with their pie, and
the men fell into their gloomy thoughts.
    “ What am I going to say to
people?” Jacob asked. “Thanks for risking life and limb on Friday,
but the state is still pissed at us?”
    “ That about covers it,”
Sam said.
    “ Should we file for
compensation?” Aden asked.
    “ No,” Jacob said. “We can
file, but I doubt we’ll get anything from it.”
    “ Good, let’s call that our
cost-benefit analysis.” Aden nodded. “It feels . . .
gross. The whole thing feels gross.”
    “ If we’re going to
survive, we have to focus on what’s