It
was a dark and stormy night. The wind howled, throwing leaves of red, brown,
and gold through the air as ghosts circled lazily overhead.
Jack was actually rather proud of the effect. The little bundles of cloth seemed to float on air, dangling from the ceiling fan by fine strands of fishing line.
Squeak
And if he could have stopped the damn fan from squeaking it would have been perfect.
Damn arthritis, he thought, rubbing his large gnarled hands. He used to be able to take apart an engine and put it back together. While being shot at. Now he could barely fix a fan.
But he was sure Gus and his friends would like it, nonetheless.
“Jason's mother just called,” Ellie said entering the room.
“And they're not coming,” Jack said.
“They're worried abut the weather, and the TV says it's just going to get worse.”
Jack couldn't fault them for that. This storm was suppose to be the worst in the last twenty years and had caught everyone by suprise . And it was going to break Gus' heart.
His grandson had been so excited when he'd asked to have a Halloween party. He'd spent weeks planning a night of games, snacks, and enough candy to make them all thoroughly sick. Now it was falling apart.
“How many does that make?” Jack asked.
Ellie blew out a heavy sigh. “Four, and I have a feeling it won't be long until the others call too.”
Jack had to agree.
“Have you told Gus yet?” he asked.
“Not yet. I’m still hoping that some of his friends will come, and I won’t have to.”
“Waiting isn’t going to make it hurt any less.”
“Dad, please, just a little longer,” she said, gaze pleading.
A lifetime in the Marines and that look could still melt his heart.
“Okay,” he said, but doubted that a seven year old would be so understanding
Hope though was very fleeting. A little while became a long while. The wind blew harder. Rain started hammering at the roof. And the calls kept coming.
“Yes,” Ellie said tiredly, phone craddled against her ear. “Yes, we understand. Thank you for calling,” she said and hung up.
“I take it the party is off.”
“Yeah, I ... I’d better go tell Gus.”
Jack could only watch as Ellie headed into the living room, her feet dragging. He could sympathize. Every parent wished to spare their child from pain, but somtimes it was simply impossible to avoid. And those times were the hardest. Especially when you yourself were the source of that pain.
But he couldn’t take this burden for her. As much as he might wish to. And, oh, how he wished he could.
Staying in the hall he watched as Ellie sat down on the couch next to Gus. Watched as she quietly spoke to him. Watched as Gus’ face fell and the tears came. Watched as Ellie took him into her arms and her heart broke. And his own broke with her’s.
They needed a moment, he decided. And right now they could all use a pick-me-up. Fortunately his mother had taught him the perfect thing.
Heading to the kitchen he filled a pan with milk and put it on the stove to heat. He gathered dark chocolate, shaved it fine, and whisked it into the hot milk. Adding pinches of salt and sugar he blended the concoction thoroughly before removing the pan from the heat. For the final touch he stirred in a bit of vanilla before pouring it into a trio of mugs. Placing the mugs on a tray, he snagged a plate of the cookies Ellie had made and carted everything into the living room.
Gus’ sat crying against Ellie as she stroked his back and murmured softly in his ear. Hopefully this would do the trick.
“Made some hot chocolate,” Jack said setting down the tray. “Get some of this in you and you’ll feel better.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Ellie said taking two of the mugs. “Gus, what do you say to Grandpa.”
“Thank you,” Gus said, almost too softly to hear.
Little guy was really down in the dumps. This was going to take more than hot chocolate and cookies. It was time for the big guns.
“Be right back,” Jack said.
Going up to his room he went to a shelf and grabbed one of the few DVDs he owned. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. If this didn’t cheer Gus up Jack didn’t know what would.
Back downstairs, he grabbed a bowl of candy from the table by the door.
“Dad, what are you doing?” Ellie asked as he came back into the living room.
“Well, I was thinking that since we have the house to ourselves, we might enjoy a movie and make ourselves thoroughly sick on candy,” he said popping the movie into the player.
“Don’t want to,” Gus said, gaze on his untouched mug.
Dropping onto the couch Jack turned to his grandson with a serious expression.
“Oh, you don’t like candy? Guess I’ll have to eat all of it myself then,” Jack said, earning a wide eyed look from his grandson.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Than is it because you’re too cool to watch a movie with your grandpa?” he asked and Gus shook his head vigorously. “Good, because I think you’ll like this one. I first watched this my dad, I watched it with your mom, and now I get to watch it with you,” he said poking Gus in his tummy, receiving a giggle. “Now let’s see if there are any peanut butter cups in this bowl,” he said, plopping the bowl down between them.
Glancing over Gus’ head, Jack was glad to see the smile blooming of Ellie’s face as she watcher her son dig through the candy.
Jack might not have been as handy as he use to be. But it took a weight off his shoulders to know that he could still fix the things that mattered most.
He was content with that.
Jack was actually rather proud of the effect. The little bundles of cloth seemed to float on air, dangling from the ceiling fan by fine strands of fishing line.
Squeak
And if he could have stopped the damn fan from squeaking it would have been perfect.
Damn arthritis, he thought, rubbing his large gnarled hands. He used to be able to take apart an engine and put it back together. While being shot at. Now he could barely fix a fan.
But he was sure Gus and his friends would like it, nonetheless.
“Jason's mother just called,” Ellie said entering the room.
“And they're not coming,” Jack said.
“They're worried abut the weather, and the TV says it's just going to get worse.”
Jack couldn't fault them for that. This storm was suppose to be the worst in the last twenty years and had caught everyone by suprise . And it was going to break Gus' heart.
His grandson had been so excited when he'd asked to have a Halloween party. He'd spent weeks planning a night of games, snacks, and enough candy to make them all thoroughly sick. Now it was falling apart.
“How many does that make?” Jack asked.
Ellie blew out a heavy sigh. “Four, and I have a feeling it won't be long until the others call too.”
Jack had to agree.
“Have you told Gus yet?” he asked.
“Not yet. I’m still hoping that some of his friends will come, and I won’t have to.”
“Waiting isn’t going to make it hurt any less.”
“Dad, please, just a little longer,” she said, gaze pleading.
A lifetime in the Marines and that look could still melt his heart.
“Okay,” he said, but doubted that a seven year old would be so understanding
Hope though was very fleeting. A little while became a long while. The wind blew harder. Rain started hammering at the roof. And the calls kept coming.
“Yes,” Ellie said tiredly, phone craddled against her ear. “Yes, we understand. Thank you for calling,” she said and hung up.
“I take it the party is off.”
“Yeah, I ... I’d better go tell Gus.”
Jack could only watch as Ellie headed into the living room, her feet dragging. He could sympathize. Every parent wished to spare their child from pain, but somtimes it was simply impossible to avoid. And those times were the hardest. Especially when you yourself were the source of that pain.
But he couldn’t take this burden for her. As much as he might wish to. And, oh, how he wished he could.
Staying in the hall he watched as Ellie sat down on the couch next to Gus. Watched as she quietly spoke to him. Watched as Gus’ face fell and the tears came. Watched as Ellie took him into her arms and her heart broke. And his own broke with her’s.
They needed a moment, he decided. And right now they could all use a pick-me-up. Fortunately his mother had taught him the perfect thing.
Heading to the kitchen he filled a pan with milk and put it on the stove to heat. He gathered dark chocolate, shaved it fine, and whisked it into the hot milk. Adding pinches of salt and sugar he blended the concoction thoroughly before removing the pan from the heat. For the final touch he stirred in a bit of vanilla before pouring it into a trio of mugs. Placing the mugs on a tray, he snagged a plate of the cookies Ellie had made and carted everything into the living room.
Gus’ sat crying against Ellie as she stroked his back and murmured softly in his ear. Hopefully this would do the trick.
“Made some hot chocolate,” Jack said setting down the tray. “Get some of this in you and you’ll feel better.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Ellie said taking two of the mugs. “Gus, what do you say to Grandpa.”
“Thank you,” Gus said, almost too softly to hear.
Little guy was really down in the dumps. This was going to take more than hot chocolate and cookies. It was time for the big guns.
“Be right back,” Jack said.
Going up to his room he went to a shelf and grabbed one of the few DVDs he owned. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. If this didn’t cheer Gus up Jack didn’t know what would.
Back downstairs, he grabbed a bowl of candy from the table by the door.
“Dad, what are you doing?” Ellie asked as he came back into the living room.
“Well, I was thinking that since we have the house to ourselves, we might enjoy a movie and make ourselves thoroughly sick on candy,” he said popping the movie into the player.
“Don’t want to,” Gus said, gaze on his untouched mug.
Dropping onto the couch Jack turned to his grandson with a serious expression.
“Oh, you don’t like candy? Guess I’ll have to eat all of it myself then,” Jack said, earning a wide eyed look from his grandson.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Than is it because you’re too cool to watch a movie with your grandpa?” he asked and Gus shook his head vigorously. “Good, because I think you’ll like this one. I first watched this my dad, I watched it with your mom, and now I get to watch it with you,” he said poking Gus in his tummy, receiving a giggle. “Now let’s see if there are any peanut butter cups in this bowl,” he said, plopping the bowl down between them.
Glancing over Gus’ head, Jack was glad to see the smile blooming of Ellie’s face as she watcher her son dig through the candy.
Jack might not have been as handy as he use to be. But it took a weight off his shoulders to know that he could still fix the things that mattered most.
He was content with that.