out of snuff

"No." No, she wouldn't do it. It didn't matter how many times Kal explained it to her. Bella wasn't going to this dinner.

"If you want Gib for a few hours, then he's all yours." Just like that.

"But," Kal was nervous. Maybe it was all Bella's doing. All this falling in his lap like this. He wasn't ready. Couldn't she have done this last weekend when he could have had some downtime with him. Alone."But he's going to cry. I just know."

"I am not seeing your father." Bella glared at him. "I won't." She was standing her ground in her own livingroom.

"All right." Kal felt he'd had this same conversation with Whitney who was still at Floyd's. Could things go bad to worse. He just wasn't prepaired for this. Was he just showing his true colors? Was this really who he was? Everything had been so normal for the last few months, now it was as if nothing was going right. And now to face his Dad. After all this time, he couldn't help but feel more alone than ever.

"I'll go with you," Fish just said. "No need for Gib to get upset around strangers. I know you'll do fine, but I'll be there in case you need me."

"Won't that look werid?" Bella looked at him.

"So," Fish shrugged. "Everybody is being too hard on Kal here, he's needs a break." Fish gave him a pat on the back. "Maybe we'll play Keno when we're done, and he can win 50 thousand, or is that 500 thousand? We just might go on a vacation then."

He loaded up the diaper bag.

Kal just looked at Bella who he thought might throw a fit, but she crossed her arms and went to find the remote to change the channel to a movie. She was after all officially starting her silent treatment.

Kal supposed Fish would get it when he got home.

He kept asking what they were having for dinner.

"Roast beef, no kidding," Fish smiled. "Home made rolls and real gravy with mashed potatoes? I am there, man."