BARRY MOVES ON

ALBERT HAD REALLY SIDE-SWIPED HIM. BARRY NEVER EXPECTED TO BE LAID OFF FROM ATCO BUT I GUESS IT MADE SENSE CONSIDERING HOW BAD THINGS HAD GOTTEN FINANCIALLY FOR THE LITTLE STORE.

"ITS THE ECONOMY, BARRY. WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP YOU ON ANY LONGER. MAYBE IF THINGS PICK UP IN THE SPRING WE WILL HAVE SOME HOURS FOR YOU."

"THAT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN." BARRY WOULD NEVER AGAIN WORK FOR ALBERT AND PETER. THEY COULD GO FUCK THEMSELVES.

ALBERT'S WORDS RANG OVER AND OVER IN BARRY'S HEAD. HOW WAS HE GOING TO TELL HIS WIFE THAT HE NO LONGER HAD A JOB? BARRY HAD ABSOLUTELY NO INTEREST IN COMING BACK TO THE STORE....NOT IF HE WOULD BE WORKING FOR ALBERT. HE DIDN'T SEE MUCH OF PETER, THE ACTUALLY OWNER, BUT HE KNEW PETER WAS THE ONE PULLING THE STRINGS. ALBERT WASN'T DOING ANYTHING THAT WASN'T PETER'S IDEA OR , AT LEAST, APPROVED BY PETER.

HOW CAN HE BREAK THE NEWS TO KELLY? IT WAS EXCEPTIONALLY POOR TIMING....NOT THAT IT IS EVER A GOOD TIME TO LOSE YOUR JOB. TYLER HAD JUST TURNED A YEAR OLD AND HIS FATHER WAS JOBLESS. DAMN!

BARRY PULLED HIS PICK-UP OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND UP TO THE INTERSECTION. LEFT AND HE WAS HEADED HOME TO HIS FAMILY AND HIS RESPOSIBLITIES. RIGHT AND HE COULD DISAPPEAR? BARRY TOOK A LEFT. HE SHOULD OF KNOWN IT WOULD ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HE WOULD BE LET GO. CLIFF'S GROCERY HAD CLOSED LESS THAN A MONTH AGO. THINGS WERE NOT GOOD IN ALBIEVILLE OR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY FOR THAT MATTER. BARRY WAS SURE HIS MOTHER, SUSAN, WOULD BE LAID OFF THE NEXT MORNING WHEN SHE SHOWED UP FOR WORK. IT WOULDN'T BE AS BIG A DEAL TO HIS MOM. SHE ONLY WORKED AT ATCO PART TIME, JUST TO SUPPLEMENT HER RETIREMENT. STILL, HE HATED TO SEE HER LOSE HER JOB. SHE LOVED HER JOB BUT SHE ALSO HAD RESERVATIONS CONCERNING THE MANAGEMENT. BARRY'S MOM WAS VERY RELIGIOUS AND THREATENED TO QUIT WHEN PETER AND ALBERT TOOK OVER THE BUSINESS. SUSAN BELIEVED THE RUMORS ABOUT THE TWO MEN AND THEREFORE, FELT THEY WERE IMMORAL. SHE COULD NOT WORK FOR THEM. IN THE END HER ABILITY TO EAR SOME EXTRA CASH OVERRODE HER STRONG RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. NOW NONE OF THIS MATTERED. IN THE END, BOTH BARRY AND HIS MOM WERE GOING TO BE WITHOUT A JOB. HE CONSIDERED CALLING HIS MOM LATER TONIGHT TO PREPARE HER FOR WHAT MAY GO DOWN IN THE MORNING.

BARRY PULLED INTO HIS DRIVEWAY AND SHUT OFF THE MOTOR. HE EXHALED AND TOOK IN THE SIGHT BEFORE HIM. NEW HOUSE......PAID FOR. BARN....PAID FOR. KELLY'S VOLVO....PAID FOR. HIS OWN FORD PICK-UP....PAID FOR. MAYBE THINGS AREN'T AS BAD AS THEY COULD BE. HE AND HIS WIFE HAD LIMITED DEBTS. HE WAS SURE HE COULD PICK UP ENOUGH ODD JOBS TO PROVIDE FOR HIS WIFE AND YOUNG SON. THANK GOD KELLY WAS WORKING AS A PRIVATE DUTY NURSE 3 DAYS EACH WEEK.

AS SOON AS BARRY ENTERED THE HOUSE HE COULD SMELL DINNER. SOMETHING SPICY COOKING ON THE STOVE. MAYBE HIS FAVORITE? SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS?

"GEEBER! GEEBERRRR!" TYLER YELLED THROUGH THE WOODEN SPOON HE HAD IN HIS MOUTH. BARRY PICKED UP HIS SON AND COULD IMMEDIATELY SMELL THAT HE NEEDED CHANGING

"HEY" KELLY WALKED OVER AND KISSED BARRY ON THE CHEEK "I'M MAKING YOUR FAVORITE."

"I SMELL IT. SMELLS GOOD. TYLER ON THE OTHER HAND...."

"I KNOW, I KNOW....I WAS JUST ABOUT TO DO THAT." KELLY REACHED FOR TYLER BUT BARRY RESISTED.

"I'LL TAKE CARE OF HIM. YOU FINISH DINNER" BARRY HEADED UPSTAIRS WITH HIS SON IN HIS ARMS.

"YOU OK?"

"YAH, KEL, I'M FINE....JUST TIRED!" BARRY SOUNDED AGGITATED

"OK! OK! DON'T GET PISSY! GEESH"

"GEEEEBERRRRRR!"

BARRY LAID TYLER ON THE BASINET AND UNDID HIS DIAPER. HIS SON STILL HAD THE LARGE WOODEN SPOON FILLING HIS MOUTH, SOMETHING HE MUST HAVE ACQUIRED FROM HIS MOTHER AT SOME POINT DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE YOUNG FATHER PEELED BACK THE DIAPER TO EXPOSE A LARGE AMOUNT OF BROWN FECES.

BARRY MIMBLED TO HIMSELF "SHIT, SHIT, SHIT"