Later that night Nathan and Kelly ran around the living room like monkeys

escaped from their cages. They chased each other and laughed, bounding over couch cushions and throwing their stuffed animal toys at each other.

Sherry tried to wrangle them in and get them to their bedrooms for bedtime.

She was hardly in the mood after her confrontation with

Brett earlier. Her energy was spent. Come on kids, please, it's time for bad!

The children ignored her and kept on bounding around the room.

Hey! A loud clap filled the room and the children stopped in their tracks.

Brett stood tall at the mouth of the hallway and spoke to the kids in a voice where there was no escaping his intentions.

You heard your mother, Bad, now, let's go!

The children were so unaccustomed to hearing their father tell them to do anything that his

voice shot through them like a sniper's bullet.

They stared at him and could read the seriousness in his face. They didn't

dare defy him. And almost like soldiers they marched right past him toward the

stairs and went up to their rooms.

Daddy will be up in a minute to turn out the light.

A faint giggle from Kelly drifted back in response.

And then the night was at last silent.

Sherry stared at Brett with a silent thank you in her eye.

She shuffled over to him and sheepishly took his hand.

She was shorter than him and she

have

have had she looked up into his face gratefully. Thank you, she have whispered.

...