wedged in its hangers. He would always remove the brace before Corinne got home, as she could not enter the house through the locked garage, or open the heavy rolling door if it were left unlocked.
Seeing that the door handle and deadbolt latch had already been turned into the unlocked position, he pulled the door open. Corinne looked as if she had been crying, and she shakily bumped into the door jamb, almost dropping her keys, as she crossed the threshold.
“Are you alright? What happened?” Daniel stammered, quickly shutting the door behind her and locking it. He did not, however, replace the brace out of fear that it would just piss her off more.
“You won’t believe…I don’t believe!” Corinne managed to get out between sucking breaths.
“What’s going on, Babe?” Daniel asked slowly. Wanting to ease her distress, he placed his hand gently on her shoulder, trying to lead her into the dining room.
‘Maybe just get her to the couch,’ he considered morosely.
Corinne shrugged off his hand, continuing to move forward of her own accord. Crying out, “Ahh! I am so screwed!” as she went.
She stomped right past the hallway and a shocked-looking Rebecca. Daniel paused just long enough to ask their stunned little girl, “Will you go downstairs and play for a bit, Honey?” his tone implying that it was not a request.
“But it’s dark down there…,” Rebecca reasoned, keeping him from turning and following behind Corinne.
Daniel tried to placate her quickly, “I’ll go light your lantern for you, alright?” He then added for Corinne, “I’m sorry, Core…Just give me a second. I’ll be right back. Okay, Babe?”
Corinne waved him off, still heading for the living room.
‘Yep, she’s heading for the couch,’ he thought sullenly.
He reached down and grabbed Rebecca’s hand, because her eyes and attention were following her mother the other way. “C’mon, Bugs,” he said as soothingly as possible. This wasn’t very much given the palpable upheaval of emotions that Corinne radiated. They could both see and sense that something had gone terribly wrong.
Daniel escorted Rebecca downstairs, getting her set-up with the brightest of the oil lamps, which he hung on a rubberized hook screwed into the ceiling above her table. He got all of the paint and brushes out, and three large pieces of paper that only had water damage along one edge. There was no way of telling how long Rebecca was going to be needed to stay down here, so he also got out a bowl of chips and a pickle for her to munch on as well. Daniel headed back up the stairs to the sound of his daughter humming contentedly along to a song in her head which had no discernable melody.
His imagination went into overdrive, working at a pace which threatened to freeze him in a panic.
Why is she even home? What won’t I believe? Did the Council fire her? Is that why she’s all upset?
The questions bombarded him as he made his way through the kitchen and dining room. Once down the step into the living room, he grabbed a colorful fleece blanket from the worn leather recliner. Wrapping the blanket around his near-naked frame, Daniel sat down on the arm of the couch near Corinne’s feet. Laying his hand on top of her stocking covered foot, he waited for her to speak, hoping that she would speak plainly when she did.
Corinne sat up and laid out most everything that she could remember for him. She repeated nearly everything said by Mayor Fouts and Chief Campbell with amazing clarity. However, she did omit the part about skipping the pay line (she didn’t need to hear his crap about it) and she decided to not tell Daniel about Troy Campbell asking for volunteers either. Daniel needed to be here for her, not running around playing cops and looters.
The two sat bound in fear together for a couple of tense hours, talking quietly as to not disturb Rebecca. Each were trying to console the other in their own way. Daniel did his part by telling lies about how everything would most assuredly be alright. Corinne did her part by telling lies that underestimated the problem at hand. Rebecca finally snapped the heavy mood by charging upstairs, hands on hips proclaiming that she was starving to death. Daniel got up to get dressed and make an early lunch.
His mind was reeling with all that needed to be accomplished. If everything that Corrine had said was true, this area was no longer safe to be