CHAPTER Screen Time ‘The day has been pretty good, and it just keeps coming. When I get outside, Mom and Travis ae waiting for mein the cat. “We're going to head over to frends house to use thei computer t Skype with your dad” my mom says "We are all missing him so much {thought i would be ood" “The screen flickers a ist, but then there he is In his tan Facies Daddy!" Lsy not able to hold tin and sounding like a litle kd "Aly Bug! You'e so hig! How are you, sweetheart” "Tm good, Daddy. How are you” Tm good but homesick. I sure miss you guys Teh how there's a word for him missing home but ota word foe us ising him, He holds up some of my pictures “Have the pictures you sent. hang them up around my hunk. The other tuys are jealous" He winks {can el that Mom wants to cy ut she doesn't She says that being a soldiers wife means being strong for him, She doesn't want him to know hovr hard i is with= out him here. He as enough to wory about ave there sometimes wish she would tell him. I sometimes wonder ithe would come home iFhe knew: ‘Good, Daddy. miss you. So mech, "miss you, toa, honey. You kacw 1 do, How are ‘things? More silver dollar days or wooden nickels?” ‘Some of each, I think But more silver dlls lately. My teachers cool. Hes..." And find I can't even ex slain tin words. "Great: “That's terrific, sweetheart” “And 1 have two friends Kesha and Albert. Keisha likes to bake and she's brave. You'd like her, Daddy! And Albert is lke a computer he sso smart He'a ite nas though, He's been telling us how he loves allo the stan Aaeize testing, He actully thinks t's fun” “Pun? Testing? He sounds like a diferent kind of guy.”He is And ther’ a gel named Shay at school who ‘sat very nice to me” I fel rushed ike Ihave to get ev erything in fast. "Well, you'l always run into people ike that: You can hold your own, I bet” ‘Mom pats me on the back. “Have to give Travis some ‘ime honey ‘Okay And I watch a movie of myself being trong 1nd saying good-bye and not crying, But [want tobe able to step through that sccen and wrap my arms around ry daddy, I fels like a part of us all is missing and we won't be whole again until he's home. “Hes;" Dad says. "Remember, Ally Bug, I lve you ‘There is't anything in the world I love more than you, your brothes and your mom nod Tavis its down next “Hes, son! How ae the big plans coming?” ‘Not 9 great. “What's going on?” "Nothing." Tavis says, ‘C'mon, Maybe I can help “Travis glances at Mom and me. “Well this new man ager came in atthe garage The old guy used to let me do ny thing, you know. But this one hangs over me Always asking me to follow the specs in the manuals. I | do something, he wants to know what page I looked s up on. know how to work on differen cars. I don't need to book it up? My dad takes long, slow breath. “Well, that does sound rough. Have you tried talking tothe guy? Or hav ing im talk tothe od boss” “The old boss i out with back surgery for awhile” “Tevis shakes his head. “This new guy set me” His voice cracks My father leans forward, resting his elbows on his Jces. Now he looks like he wants to crawl through the he just doesn't screen "You'll get there know you will And ties tem porary Ist try to work hard and lear everything you ‘Tiavis nods but looks at the floor. [het im mumble, “There are some things just cant learn "Ym provd of you, Taw You know that” He clears his throat" sory I'm not there with you "Yeah."Tavis looks up atthe sercen. "Love you, Dad Love you, t00 son. Hang in there I will et beter “Travis ody but I can tell he isn't buying it. Then he stands. "C'mon, squirt. Let's give Mom and Dad some “Why?He pulls me over: "So they can talk mushy én private that’s why ‘We sit doven at the kitchen table and Mom's fiend ives us sodas. ‘Travis cracks open his and takes a deep breath What? 1 just so frustrated, Al. There's so much I want to T want to help him. “Maybe we could head out to some junkyard like we sed to and see if we can find something worth fixing up” Maybe. love to find another old Cake machine or something in someone's barn. Buy it cheap and fc i up ‘onmy own." He looks at me. "You know I can turn almost anything around for some good money ‘The words ate the sme, but they are heavy. There te no wiggling fingers or tlk of bing a genius And my big brother loks s serious "know you'll have Nickerson Restoration someday, ‘Tavis And i will he part mine because of the name right He tums back and laughs, but i fn rel, He spends the ses of the time looking out the window, and I rack my brain trying to fire out what Ican do Mom calls us back to say good-bye Dad puts his hand onthe screen, All tree of us put our hands on the screen, oo. Just ase lickers away, Mom leans over and leaves lipstick Kis on the glass. Then she rests her forehead there and stays awhile