If you say so. I do not relish living the next ten years in Louis or Eva.
“I’d go with the dog.”
Roen raised his hands in surrender. “I don’t have a lot of time and don’t want any trouble. I just came to see Cameron.”
“Hurry please, Lee. The varmint might get away.”
“I’m not having a lot of luck getting through to him.”
You should consider a tactical retreat.
Roen heard a door creak open and then the shuffling of footsteps on the wooden deck. “I don’t know why you keep trying to shoot these rabbits, Louis. You never hit one. Your eyes just aren’t what they used to be. Besides, even if you do, what do you think you’re going to do with… oh. Hi, Roen.”
“Hey, Lee Ann,” Roen said, not taking his eyes off of Louis.
Lee Ann handed the rifle to Louis and shook her finger at them. “Now boys, don’t do anything you’re going to regret. I’m not bailing anyone out of jail today.” She gave Louis a peck on the cheek. “I’ll set another plate for lunch. You good for omelets, Roen?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Lee Ann gave them a boys-will-be-boys look and walked back into the house. Louis upended the box into his palm and picked out a few bullets.
“He won’t shoot.”
There is cover at your three. Louis is left handed and has a bad hip, so if you go in at forty degrees…
“I am not taking out my wife’s father.”
Just giving you options.
“No. Just no.”
Louis loaded a round into the rifle and pointed it at Roen. “You saved me the effort of getting immunization shots. Now, you have ten seconds before I pop a couple holes in you. You better start running, boy.”
Remember, cover at your three.
“He’s not going to shoot.”
“One,” Louis began.
“I don’t want any problems. I just want to see my son.” Roen pleaded, feeling a little nervous.
“Two.”
“I’m still married to Jill,” he said more emphatically.
That was the wrong thing to say.
“Three.”
“Come on, let’s be serious for a second. You’re not going to shoot me. Let’s talk this over.”
I see your negotiation skills are as sharp as ever.
“Seven.”
“Wait, what happened to four?”
“Eight.”
“Fine. I dare you. Give it your best shot.”
“Nine.” Louis uncocked the safety and lifted the rifle to his shoulders.
Roen threw up his hands. “Wait, wait. OK, you’re going to shoot. Hang on!”
“Ten.”
Roen prepared to dive to the right. He could have dived to his left onto the bed of flowers, but crushing Louis’ hydrangeas or whatever they were wouldn’t help the situation.
“Daddiieeee!” a high pitched squeal rang through the air. Standing outside with Lee Ann’s arms around his shoulders, Cameron waddled toward Roen as fast as his three-year-old legs could carry him. Barking enthusiastically, Eva bounded up to Cameron and bowled him over, licking his face as he writhed around on the ground like an overturned roly poly. Cameron didn’t cry though; not his boy. After failing to defend himself against her vicious barrage of dog kisses, Cameron went on the offensive and smacked her lightly on the muzzle. Then it became a game of tag. First Cameron would waddle after her while she barked and pretended to pounce, and then he would book in the other direction while she ran circles around him. Obviously, in all the excitement of playing with a brown and black dog that he saw every day, his father had already become an afterthought.
To Roen, it was the most beautiful scene in the world. He swelled with pride up as his boy ran with reckless abandon, playing with the furry beast twice his size. He caught a lump in his throat in the tender moments when Cameron gently hugged Eva, and saw his son stand up for himself when she tried to maul him. And he looked so joyful, so wonderfully happy. A tear escaped Roen’s eye and trickled down his cheeks. He forgot about the gun still pointed at his head. Frankly, he didn’t care. If Louis shot him dead right now, it would be alright. He would die looking at his son giggling and laughing. What more could a father ask for?
How about a little recognition that he has not seen you in a year. He prioritized the dog over you. Are you just going to stand there or go give him a hug?
“I don’t know. I didn’t think past this. Right now, I just want to watch.”
Probably for the best. Louis still has you in his sights. He might shoot if you make any sudden moves.
Hesitantly, Roen walked toward the two. They were rolling around on the ground; Eva still trying to drown him with licks, and Cameron using her face as a punching bag. Out of the corner of his eye, Roen saw Louis grudgingly lower the rifle. He wasn’t sure how serious Louis really was about shooting him. Knowing the old man and having played poker with him dozens of times, he knew Louis rarely bluffed. Lee Ann gave him a neutral look. She was always a hard one to read. Being a former trial attorney, she kept her emotions close to her vest and rarely rushed to judgment.
Eva, on the other hand, was thrilled for another playmate. She disengaged from Cameron and promptly pounced on Roen, knocking him over and licking his face. This in turn made Cameron jealous, so he joined in on the festivities and leapt on top of Roen as well. For the first time in almost two years, Roen held his son in his arms.
“Last time I saw him, he had to use the wall to stand. Now he’s running around all by himself,” Roen said, his voice cracking.
“We can’t get him to stop running all over the place,” Lee Ann remarked. “Nowadays, we just tie him up to the dog and let them run each other ragged.” She went to Louis and took the rifle away. “Go wash up. It’s time to eat.” She patted him on the cheek. “Be on your best behavior, dear.” She turned to Roen as she walked back into the kitchen. “Clean the slobber off Cam’s face before you put him at the table. Make sure he washes his hands.”
Roen wouldn’t have it any other way. Cam hated having his face washed and fought the towel just as hard as Roen remembered. And when they sat down at the table, he made just as big of a mess as he always did. Roen loved every minute of it. Lunch was much less uncomfortable than he thought it’d be. It was mostly because the three of them focused their attention only on Cameron.
Lee Ann was pleasant as always, and Louis was minimally civil. And though feeding a toddler was time-consuming, it felt like the shortest two hours in his life. He was sad when Lee Ann took the plates away. He looked at his watch: 2pm.
We have to leave soon if you want to catch that flight.
“I don’t want to go.”
There are many reasons why we do not want to fight. Your son is a reason why you do.
“You’re right. If what we think is happening is true, then Cam won’t have one.”
Exactly.
“Roen,” Louis said, standing up. “Walk with me.”
Without looking, he turned and headed out of the house and back to the mound of dirt from this morning. He picked up a shovel and began building new piles of dirt. Roen checked the time again. Should he tell Louis he had to leave now? He thought better of it and picked up the extra shovel. Then he joined in with the digging.
Every once in a while, Louis signaled that the new pile of dirt they were building was large enough, and then he’d point to another spot to build another. Roen would then load the wheelbarrow with dirt, move it to the new spot, and unload. Then Louis would sprinkle the new earth evenly over the ground.
“I wonder if they have to replace the top soil every year. Sounds like a drag. If this was my lawn, I’d pour cement over it and make a tennis court.”
You have seen the reports. The weather patterns are changing. Global temperatures are increasing. Do not think this was natural. The Genjix have been intentionally pushing the temperatures and carbon concentrations up for decades now. If we do not stop them, in a few years, losing top soil will be the least of your concerns.