Blink: 7

Rick brought out two cups of decaf and met Claire's Dad on the back porch of the house. He handed him one of the cups and stepped out onto the lawn where he sat down in one of the fading lawn chairs and faced him.

“All you had was the powder stuff.”

He took a sip and winced at Ricky.

“Too hot?”

“Yeah that, and it tastes like shit. That powder stuff is from the 60's. Spaceman coffee.” He tossed the coffee onto this lawn. “Stuff will probably kill my grass.”

Ricky drank just enough to make it look like he wasn't just miming the man he admired possibly more than his own father.

“Ricky, Rick.... Ricky, we have to talk about a few things.”

Clair came down the steps with three beers and passed them out. Rick paused for a moment and gave Clair's Dad a look. “Claire, the kid had a seizure or something today. Underage drinking is one offense I am willing to commit, but negligent death or whatever it would be called is something else.”

Rick put the beer down in the grass and winked a little at Clair, “I am sure my spider senses would keep me from danger.”

“Whats that?” they both said at the same time.

“Nevermind, bad joke... inside joke maybe... maybe not.”

“Oh ho, I get it.” Claire took a pull from her lite and continued. “ Daddy, Ricky can travel back in time.”

Rick and Claire's father both rolled their eyes for different reasons. Then simultaneously spoke.

Dad, “How many did you have before you came out with these?”

Rick, “Claire, I thought we agreed to not talk about it.”

“Wait. What?” He took Claire's beer and poured it onto his lawn muttering it was going to die. “What are you dreaming about?”

Claire moved over to Rick and looked down at him, bouncing her hip against his shoulder. The chair was going to collapse. Rick kept thinking about how many time he would redo this evening if he knew what he was doing.

“Yup, like Dr. Who or HG Wells.”

“Wells didn't travel through time, he just wrote about it.” Rick smirked.

“Where did he get the idea?” Clair retorted.

“ Malcolm McDowell played HG Wells who traveled through time in a movie.” Claire's Dad added in.

“Not like Dr. Who though, no time machine, and he says he can only go back. Then has to go forward in real time like Jack Bauer but lamer.” Clair continued.

“I'm still sitting right here, And it wasn't lame when you wanted me to go... come back from tomorrow with lotto numbers.”

“ And you didn't get me the numbers, so I am not sure if I believe you yet.” She moved to sit in his lap.

“Wait don't! The chair will break.”

“Why, did it already happen?”

“No, your chairs suck.”

“Kids, I am going to bed. Rick we can talk later. Clair... nevermind. Rick you must have hit your head, you should stay up for a while. Claire, don't help him. Rick..”

“Dad! Go to bed.”