“Hi.  Heard you were back.  You okay?”

“Dad?”

“Who’d you think it was, a monster?”

“What’re you doing?”

“Nothing  Got the house cleaned up?”

“Nope.  Why, you coming home or something?”

“As soon as I can get this orange jumpsuit off me.”

“Really?  You can come home now?”

“That’s what I said, didn’t I?”

“I guess.”

“Okay then the house better be cleaned up by the time I get there.  See you later, buddy.”

“Okay, dad.  Dad?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.  I’m sorry for runnin’ away all the time but you gotta promise me not to hit me anymore.  Promise?”

“Look Brandon, I’ve gone through hell the last few months.  You know I love you, don’t you?”

“Promise me no more hitting.”

“All right, no more hitting.  I promise.  Girl Scouts Honor.”

“You’re no girl scout.”

“How do you know?”

“‘Cause you ain’t no girl.”

“Oh, that.  Well, you’re right.  I ain’t no girl.  OK, then, scouts honor.”

“You weren’t no scout either.  Just say you won’t hit me anymore dad.”

“Okay.  I won’t hit you anymore dad.  I’m coming home, but first I have to check in with a counselor.  Part of the program.  I got six months of parenting classes so I’ll be busy.  And no more booze.  Look, son, I’ll talk to you later.  I love you Brandon.”

“Love you too dad.”

“We’re gonna make it son.  Everything’s going to be all right.  It’ll all turn out for the best.  I have to go now.  I love you Brandon, bye.”

“Bye dad.”

“Brandon?”

“What?”

“I have a present for you.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll see.  Later.”

“OK.  Dad—-”

The Man somehow became Brandon James Crossman again, and he felt excited about his dad coming home and wanting to make things a little better than before.  He noticed the house was quite a mess so he rolled up his sleeves and started cleaning up the place.  There were dirty clothes everywhere, so he gathered them all together into a big pile, and carried them all into the laundry room.  He washed all the towels first.

When he passed by the kitchen he saw all the dirty dishes in the sink he’d left there to gather mold on and although he didn’t really like to do dishes, especially by hand, he started to wash every one, dry it, and put it neatly away into the cupboard.  He worked quickly but carefully.  He kept hearing his dad’s voice in his mind, “I love you Brandon” and “We’re gonna make it son” so many times that he finally put the dish cloth down and sat on the kitchen stool and cried.