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Life or Death- Chapter 1
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Old Stuff "Honey, I'm home,” says Evelyn's father locking the door behind him quietly trying not to wake the children. He looks at the grandfather clock in the living room reading 12:00. A short, stubby woman walks down the stairs.
"Robert, what took you so long?" his wife, Marissa asks. She reaches up to kiss her tall, thin husband. She can feel his rough, unshaven face.
"You know, hard work as usual." Robert works the night shift at an insurance company. Every night he gets home late, but today it seemed later than normally.
"Dinner's in the fridge." He looks in the refrigerator. Sure enough there's a clear container with leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes. He grabs a clean plate from the dishwasher and places the food in the microwave for five minutes. Marissa pours him a glass of Pepsi she just pulled out from the fridge. She puts a placemat on the smooth wood counter.
"Honey, I have to go to Florida for a teacher conference,” says Marissa with a quiet voice hoping he would not get angry with this late notice.
"When do you leave?" he says sighing. He was used to his wife going to meetings so he was not too surprised.
She gives him a concerned look before saying seven o'clock, tomorrow morning."
“For how long?"
"Two weeks."
Very disappointed about the news being it was the longest meeting he could recall she had to go to so far away, Robert barely has a chance to drag out his final question, hoping Marissa says yes.
“Have you told the kids yet?"
"No, but could you tell them for me? Please." She says quickly and gives him a puppylike face forcing him to break down and say he could.
After thinking about it, he agrees with another sigh.
"Good night,” Marissa says with a more excited voice. Robert says good night back. She walks up the dark stairs to their room. The food is done so he takes the hot plate to the counter.
