The Holding Station (Rivercreek Crossing Book 2)

Chapter 3

Saturday, November 7, 1981

“Come on you two,” Mr. Caldwell said for the hundredth time. “I have to get to work by noon. At this rate, I’ll be lucky if I make it to work on Monday.”

Reese knew her dad was only joking and it made her smile to herself. She kicked another mound of crunchy leaves, sending them airborne. The wind caught them and she watched as they twirled and scattered into dozens of different directions. Luke zigged and zagged as he tried to grab them before they fell back to the ground.

Suddenly Mr. Caldwell stopped walking and turned back to the twins. With his hands in clenched fists, he dramatically took his customary stance. He put his hands on his hips, spread his feet a foot apart, and erected his back. “Luke, I am your father.” He said in a pretend Darth Vader voice. “And I command you to stop goofing around.”

Chaotic leaves forgotten, the twins stood still, mesmerized by their father’s words. He had that power over them. They adored him and his silliness.

“Darth Vader would never use the word goofing, Dad,” Luke said like a know-it-all.

Still in his superhero stance and mocking deep voice, Mr. Caldwell answered, “If you were his son, he would use the word goofing.”

“Yeah, Luke. Like a lot,” Reese said pleased with her contribution to a conversation she was often left out of.

Without warning, Luke snapped around to his sister and slugged her in the arm.

Reese yelled “asshole!” as she rubbed the pain from her arm. Her brother had a mean punch, even through her coat. She would usually strike back, but not in front of her dad. She knew he would have been horrified to watch his daughter act like a boy. But she made a mental note to get Luke back later when Dad wasn’t looking.

In the same sentence Mr. Caldwell demanded that Luke not hit his sister while also demanding Reese not to use bad words. He wasn’t pretend Darth Vader anymore, just plain old Mr. Caldwell with a stern look on his face. “Now you two, cut it out,” he said, wrapping up the scolding. If their mother had been there, she would have laid out a punishment for each of them. Most likely in the form of no TV for the weekend and extra chores.

“Come on you two,” Mr. Caldwell said again for the hundredth and one time. He turned back toward the direction of their trek and marched forward, all thoughts of misbehaved children apparently gone from his mind.

The twins picked up speed, catching up to their dad.

“How come Mom’s not coming with us?” Luke asked.

Reese was tempted to smack Luke in the back of his head. He was a goof. A dumb goof.

“Because, Luke,” Mr. Caldwell started without turning back, “this is still too new for her. She’s very sad right now and not ready.”

“But she was at the funeral,” Luke said, apparently not understanding the complexity of life and death.

“Hey dummy, she had to go to the funeral,” Reese said.

“Reese, don’t call your brother a dummy,” Mr. Caldwell answered, still forging ahead.

Luke stopped and waited for his sister to catch up with him. “So if she’s already been to the cemetery, why can’t she come again?”

“Because she’s sad,” Reese answered, cutting her tongue on repeating the name calling.

“I don’t get it,” Luke said.