Bring Me Home for Christmas

door. He closed the door and pushed Frank right up against it. Denny’s face felt purple with rage and Frank had the intelligence to look a little intimidated, if not scared.
    “Listen to me, Frank. Listen! You ever shout at my girl again, I swear to God you’ll be sorry! She is nothing but kindness! I doubt she gives a crap about your sorry ass, but she insisted on coming out here because she loves your little girl.” Frank’s jacket still in his fist, he gave him a little shake and pushed him against the door again. “How can you do something like that in front of that little girl? She loves you! You’d turn your anger on a child of your own, who loves you? Who’s counting on you? What’s she going to think? That it would be wrong for her to eat that food because it makes you so angry? She’s sick!”
    Frank’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. “Mind your own business.”
    “It is my business! When you turn on my woman and a young innocent child I make it my business! Now, we’re going in there. We’re picking up the groceries and I want you to tell your child you’re sorry you shouted. If you don’t want to eat, I don’t care. But you tell that sick child that you want her to eat. And if you don’t, we’re going to come back out here and rehearse it again!” They stared at each other a moment and Denny said, “You hearing me, Frank? Because I am not fooling around with you.”
    “I hear.”
    In a quieter voice, Denny said, “You’re wrong to make the whole world around you suffer because you’re angry. Especially the world your kids live in.”
    Frank just looked down.
    Denny let go of his jacket. “Let’s go inside and make peace. You were wrong. When you’re wrong, you make amends. It’s not complicated.” He opened the door for Frank to enter.
    They went quietly about the business of picking up the scattered food. Denny stored the frozen turkey in the refrigerator, where it would slowly thaw, while Frank picked up canned goods one at a time and tossed them, catching them in between the stump of his missing forearm and his body so he could carry more. This caused Denny to stop and watch; the man had definitely learned some compensating moves! If he’d just get an attitude adjustment, he’d probably make it just fine.
    When the kitchen was straightened again, Frank went the few steps to the couch where Becca huddled next to Megan.
    “Miss, I apologize for my temper. It’s been a hard winter so far. Megan, honey, let’s eat us some of that soup.”
    “It’s okay, Daddy. I don’t need it.” Then she covered her mouth and coughed.
    “Come on, baby, I need some. Will you sit with me?”
    “Okay,” she said meekly. “The little boys went to the hospital, Daddy.”
    “I know, honey. That was smart of the doctor. Mama will be there. She’ll call us tonight.” He looked at Becca. “Will you stay and have some soup with us?”
    “I would,” she said, getting up and positioning her crutches. “But I’m going to do a little cooking at the bar because Paige and Preacher are running all over the mountain trying to be sure everyone has what they need before another big storm hits. I’m not much of a cook, but I’m doing what I can. I brought enough soup so even if you don’t feel like messing around in the kitchen too much tonight, you and the kids will have that.”
    “I’d gladly pay for the soup,” he said.
    She smiled warmly. “No need, Mr. Thickson. It’s all good.” She bent and kissed Megan’s head, against medical advice. “I want you to get better, little girl!”

    Denny and Becca sat in Jack’s truck in front of the Thickson house, waiting for Preacher and Jack to finish up. “I think it’s best to get out of their hair,” Becca said. “And just hope Mr. Thickson can mend some fences with little Megan, the poor darling.”
    “I was hard on him, Becca, probably too hard. No one understands better than me how overpowering self-pity can be.”
    She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “We’ve both come a long way.”
    “We have to make a decision now. When do you want to leave?”
    “I want to leave right now, but I’m not going to. I’m going to go back to Jack’s and make sure everyone who’s shoveling, plowing, delivering and helping get fed tonight. They’re all throwing themselves into the care of this town and they’ve been awful good to me. The least I can do is return the favor.”
    “We might not get down the mountain