empty rooms

Snow was starting to really fall. The wet stuff. The kind that needed to be plowed. It was cold too and night was almost setting in. It had been a couple of days since Chris and Max had moved Bex and Oliver out of her little rental. Still it needed to be cleaned up. And Max had plenty to do at church so Chris told him he'd take care of it. It was the least he could do. He couldn't say he was a professional about the matter, but he didn't think it would take much. Sweep. Mop. Get the bathroom clean. The oven was hardly used so that wasn't a problem.

He had to smile, being thankful that Bex wasn't really into doing much in the kitchen. Most of the messes were in the microwave, and they'd taken that with them. So it was an empty house now. An echo prevailed, but it kept Chris on his toes. He wanted to get this done and back home. Max had promised him a late dinner. Of course, they might not get to that until way after midnight. It was going to be another cold one. Chris was certain once he got in bed, he would not want to get out of it, but it was something to look forward too. So he worked quickly, getting the floors swept, then moped down. He was almost done. All he had to do was mop the livingroom and then he'd be out of there.

But then he heard something. Someone. And he hadn't felt a chill so cold until he saw Dayton standing there in the livingroom. For second, he thought it might be his imagination. But no, he was there.

"What are you doing here?" Chris said point blank.

"What in the hell are you doing? Why is the placed empty?" Dayton winced as if he didn't like it much. As if he'd stopped in because he forgot something.

"They moved." Chris shrugged.

"Oh yeah? This place not good enough for good old Bex?" Dayton mocked.

"Maybe they found some place cheaper," Chris remained even lip hoping he wouldn't give a thing a way.

"I just don't get it." He walked around the empty space looking around as if a memory just might get to him, but it didn't. "What gives?"

"Who knows, but I was just trying to help out, you know." Chris couldn't think of anything better to say.

"So when have you ever been a great friend to Bex?" Dayton gave him a hard stare.

"She's always been nice to me." Chris chewed at the inside his cheek hoping Dayton wouldn't stay long.

"Has she?"

"Oliver, too." Chris nodded.

"Yeah, he can cook." Dayton remembered, he kept staring a Chris as if he were waiting for something else, but Chris wasn't sure just what that would be.