10.8.09

more than a rain shower

The sky was rumbling. Big clouds were rolling in and finally the fat drops of water began to come as Chris was driving home from work. He'd picked up Chloe and was trying his best not to get her wet from the pickup to the front door, but there was Chuck waiting for him on the porch.

"What are you doing here?" Chris struggled with her and the key to get the front door open. He was still a bit nervous when anyone saw him with Chloe as if they'd stop him and say, "Hey, I don't think you're holding the kid right." Of course, no one ever said that to him, but he couldn't help but wonder if people were watching him and Chuck kept staring a Chloe who really wanted a piece of his silky black hair. He took her as if he was used to having kids crawl all over him.

"Ruby left," he said as he followed Chris into the house.

"She left?" Chris took Chloe back and put her down to her box of toys in the livingroom. "Where did she go?"

"Well, we got to talking about how you felt about her giving up her scholarship and you know, we sort of had a fight."

"A fight?" Chris glared at him then, wondering if he'd hurt her.

"A discussion." Chuck shrugged. "I told her she had to do this. I didn't want her missing out, and I didn't want her blaming me one day about it, you know."

"Oh." Chris went to the fridge then to get some drinks out.

"This is your daughter, Ruby was talking about?" Chuck smiled and went over to pick up the picture of the three of them, Max and Chris with Chloe. "Thats the other dad?"

"Yeah, Max is at the hospital right now."

"Something happen to him?" Chuck took the soda Chris offered and sat down on the couch.

"No, no, he's a nurse." Chris smiled. He watched Chloe play with one of the push button toys she played with that said things to her about colors and shapes. She was so studious with her pink pacifier steady in her mouth.

"A nurse? I thought he was a preacher?" Chuck looked at him.

"He does that too."

"How in the world do you two ever find time for her?" Chuck wanted to know.

"Its not like he works everday. And its just Sundays for church these days. Actually, he's looking for someone to help out during the week. You know, someone who can do Wednesday nights. He'd like to have sort of a potluck going for those who might need a meal mid week. You know, its casual." Chris pressed his lips together wondering why he was even telling Chuck this stuff. He doubted Chuck was even religious.

"That's all you'd have to do?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah, I guess." Chris wasn't sure what all the details were. "You interested or something?"

"I might be." He shrugged.

"But you live on an Indian reservation." Chris told him.

"Doesn't mean I have to work there," Chuck said.

"Yeah, but its like a good hour drive from here."

"Aw, its nothing to what I had to drive when I was a kid when I lived in the Black Hills." He smiled.

Chris just shook his head. How on earth did they get on this about being the new pastor at church?

7 comments:

ellie said...

chuck..what could this mean?

taffy. said...

chuck and ruby?
dear lawd.

simon n josh said...

Chuck might be interesting...possibly for Nancy since he broke up with Ruby.

the oaks said...

I wanna know more about chuck.

Natalie said...

Oh phew, for a second I thought that Max was actually in the hospital haha. False alarm!

Hmmmm, I wonder if Chuck will end up getting involved in helping with the church!

Fizah said...

Thanks for the note! Sorry for the late reply; I've been busy these days. I'm going to read up on your stories when I'm free.

Katie [The BleuTrumpet] said...

I actualy really liked this chapter, you wrote it really well and it's really interesting.