Chapter 4: Home Sweet Home

Mandy was waiting for me when I get home, and she could tell right off that there was something up.

"Are you OK, Mac?"

I pulled her close as I reached the top step and kissed her forehead softly, then laid my cheek against it and squeezed her against me.

"Everything's fine, hon. Just Dave being Dave. He never thinks, and I had to shoot down another one of his crazy ideas. I think I really might have hurt his feelings in the process, though, and I kinda feel like shit about it."

Mandy put her arms around my waist and squeezed tight. With her face against my chest she spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Mac. He'll come around, though. Even Dave can usually see the logic after a while. Give him a bit, and he'll break out of it and the two of you'll be throwing back beers again."

"God I hope so. I love you, pretty lady."

"You better. Cause I love you."

Mandy shunted into caretaker mode, bringing me into the living room and pulling the ottoman over for me to put my feet up. I was having a really hard time shaking the blues. It was far from the first time that Dave and I had been on the opposite side of an issue, but this time it felt different. Mandy brought me a beer and I thanked her profusely as she cracked the top and handed it to me. She gave me a slight smile and a wink, then turned and headed back to the kitchen to get started on dinner. I took a deep pull on the bottle and settled back into the overstuffed chair, trying to figure out what I was feeling. It bothered me that Dave was so hurt by my rejection, but that wasn't all of it. I pictured my feelings as this strange mixture, and tried to identify the ingredients. As I worked my way through the cold bottle, I felt like I was able to get a good handle on what was going on.

I stood up and brought the empty bottle to the kitchen, where Mandy was busy at the cutting board. She smiled at me as I entered.

"Hey, Handsome. Need another?"

"I think I should resist, but this one went down really easy. Thanks again for getting it."

"No problem, hon. How're you doing?"

I leaned to the side, resting against the doorjamb. One of the things I loved most about Mandy was how great of a listener she was. She worked while I talked.

"Well... I'm a little jumbled in the head... even more than usual, if you can believe that. There's a part of me that feels bad for hurting Dave's feelings, but there's more to it than that. There's a part of me that wants to leap headfirst into his insane idea (remind me to tell you about that sometime... it was pretty out there). And then there's something that just makes me sad... It almost seemed like the spark had gone out of Dave. The guy was always a crazy little puppy, jumping at every little thing, and he just had that energy about him, ya know?"

Mandy nodded, keeping her eye on the zucchini she was slicing.

"There was just none of that in him... and I hated to see it. He's not all that old, despite what he says, but he's got this air about him like he's just giving up. He's grasping at straws, just wanting the excitement and the rush that he used to get out of his everyday life. There was some of it there when he showed up, I guess, but I think it was more forced than usual. By the end, he was way withdrawn, and he didn't even make a crack as we left. He just got in his big-ass truck and drove away."

Mandy scooped the cutting board up and poured the sliced veggies into a boiling pot of water, then went to wash the board off in the sink.

"Maybe Dave's just growing up? Maybe he's realized that there's more to life than just fun and games?"

"Shit, I hope not. Dave's one of those people who was never meant to grow up. His purpose in life is to remind us all how to let it all hang out. You want a hand with the cleanup, hon?"

Mandy flashed a quick grin at me as I chucked the empty bottle into the recycle bin and rolled up my sleeves as I joined her at the sink.

Dinner wasn't terrible that night, though Laney hardly ate a bite. She had spent the better part of the day over at Jessie's house, next door, and Jessie's mom had given her cookies and milk around 3, so she had no appetite. She just chattered while the rest of us ate, though, telling us all about her day over at Jessie's. Mandy caught my eye and rolled her eyes when Laney came clean about the cookies. We had met Jessie's parents on a few occasions, and we were comfortable nodding acquaintances, making small talk in our driveways if we happened to be leaving or arriving at the same time. They were pretty good people, if a bit stuffy. I made a note to ask Jessie's mom not to give Laney cookies so late in the afternoon next time we talked, but I was pretty sure I'd just forget regardless.

After dinner the kids were clamoring to watch their favorite show, and Mandy told them that they could, after they cleared the table and did the dishes. With a minimum of grumbling, the kids did as they were asked, and Mandy and I headed out to the back patio. We each grabbed a lawn chair and carried them poolside, where we reclined side by side and stared up at the stars. The evening was still pleasantly warm, and we just enjoyed the quiet for a bit, watching the stars. My mind was drifting, and I might have been dozing off when Mandy spoke.

"So tell me."

"Hmmmm? Sorry, hon. What'd you say?"

"So tell me. What was Dave's idea?"

I could hear the smile in her voice, but didn't turn my head to look. I didn't even open my eyes, not wanting to disturb my peaceful relaxation.

"He wants us to make our own movie. He said we should write it, cast it, shoot it, edit it, and then bid it out for distribution."

"Like... he wants to make a mainstream movie? Or does he want to do an adult film?"

"Adult film. He thinks we'll make millions on it."

There was a long pause, and I assumed that she was just relaxing back into her chair, grinning at Dave's ignorance.

"I don't understand, Mac... why's that so crazy?"

That got my eyes open, and I looked over at her to see if she was joking. Her eyes were closed, but her brow was a little furrowed. I leaned back and closed my eyes again.

"The risks are just huge. If the movie tanks, then we're screwed. None of the companies who work with us would ever accept a bid again. We'd go from contractors to competitors, and that's the end of everything. As soon as we start making our own films, we'll never work again in this town."

"Oh... and he still wanted to do it?"

"He was rabid about it, actually. He kept on swearing that it'd work out fine, and that we should do it, that we'd set the world on fire. You know how he gets."

"That definitely sounds like Dave. I dunno where he comes up with his ideas some times. This one's better than some have been, though."

I didn't reply, just listened to the sound of the crickets in the distance.

Laney came out in her pajamas a while later, startling me out of a light doze.

"Daddy, I'm tired. Sam's watching a movie but I'm going to bed. I wanted to say goodnight, though."

"Goodnight, sweetie. I'm glad you did."

I pulled Laney in for a hug, and then kissed her forehead before she made her way over to her mom, who was lying watching us. She whispered goodnight in Laney's ear and gave her a hug and a kiss. Laney made her way back to the door, then called back at us, asking if she could have Jessie spend the night tomorrow. We both chorused our agreement, and I smiled at the sweet innocence of our little girl.

"She's growing up, Mac."

"I know, hon. I love her so much."

I dragged myself out of bed the next morning, holding my head and willing my eyes to open. Once they were online, I checked and saw that Mandy was already up, and my nose informed me that there was some bacon cooking downstairs. My stomach rumbled its approval. I stood up slowly and made my way to the mater bath, where I drained my bladder, waved a toothbrush around in front of my face, and gave my hair a lick and a promise before donning my tired brown bathrobe and shuffling to the top of the stairs.