Free The Birth Of Decay by John E Kelley Jr Page A

two-way radios and we drove back home in silence.
     

Chapter Ten
     
                  I walked into the shop and was in deep thought.  I took a few steps in and suddenly the two girls ran up and hugged me.  “Your back!”  They said excitedly.  It broke me out of my thoughts and I looked down at them.  Claire walked up and joined the hug.  Tears filled my eyes and I embraced them tightly.  “I was worried.”  Claire whispered in my ear.  I started crying and she rubbed the back of my head.  “Are you okay, what happened?”  She whispered.  I shook my head and stepped back; I did not want to think about any of it anymore. 
                  I looked at the girls and I heard Ricky and Dennis start brining in bags.  “I got you guys some presents!”  I said excitedly.  The girls jumped up and down and giggled.  “You guys go in the tent and no peeking.”  I said.  They ran off and jumped into the tent.  I noticed their heads peeking out of the doorway.  I laughed and looked at Claire.  “I got you a few things too.”  I said.  She smiled and hugged me again.  “Just promise me you will be alright.”  I rubbed my lips on her ear.  “I will be alright, just a lot happened.”
                  I went outside and helped Ricky and Dennis unload the car.  We put everything in the office and the room quickly filled up.  I took out all of the toys and divided them into two separate piles.  Claire walked in and started watching me.  “They are going to love this John.”  She said tearfully.  I turned around and looked at her.  “They deserve to have fun.”  I said.
                  I ripped off a price tag on one of the stuffed rabbit ears and looked at Claire.  “I don’t want them too know what I paid.”  I laughed.  Claire laughed and shook her head.  “You didn’t have to pay anything.”  She replied.  I pulled the rest of the prices off their toys and thought to myself.  This trip cost the life of an old man.
                  We all set the toys up outside the office and created two large piles.  I opened a can of cherry cola and looked over at the peeking girls.  “Okay, you can come out now.”  I called.  The girls ran out excitedly and they each picked a pile.  They laughed loudly and started playing with the toys.  I walked over and put batteries in the toys that needed them and the girls giggled and watched the stuffed puppies walk.  I walked over to Claire and stood next to her.  She started crying and looked at me.  “You have saved my kids.”  She cried.  I hugged her and the room filled with the sounds of laughter and toys beeping and music.
                  We let the girls continue to play with their new toys and we all walked into the office.  I walked over to a couple of bags I hid behind the desk and handed it to Claire.  She wiped a tear from her eye and opened the bag.  She pulled out the makeup, perfume and black nose ring I found her and smiled.  “Oh my god, I can be normal now!”  She laughed.  She walked around the desk and grabbed my hand.  “You’re my boyfriend!”  She said with a playful demand in her voice.  I laughed and looked at her.
                  Ricky walked up and handed her a couple of backpacks.  “We got you and the girls some clothes.”  He said.  She smiled and kissed his cheek.  “Thank you guys.”  She said emotionally.  Ricky smiled and walked over to Dennis and started going through the guns.  Claire gathered her stuff and walked out too her girls.  I watched her sit down and show them their new clothes.  Ricky walked over and slowly closed the door.  “Now onto the guns.”  He said not wanting the girls to see all of the weapons. 
    I cleared off the draft table near the large window and we started to lay the guns out with the many boxes of ammo.  We stepped back and stared at the arson.  Ricky took