**Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star - Chapter 3 - Family Matters**&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.nuclearnerds.io/story/1507/">previously</a> in the tale)</p>

*“Art, you and Ginny look terrible.  What the hell is going on?”*  Said her brother after being awakened by the sounds of screeching car tires and loud banging on the front door.

*“Bob, we’re in trouble.  Is that place you’ve been talking about still available?”*  Ginny sobbed, clutching the bump that was protruding from her midriff.  Then before Bob could answer, she fell into a hysterical fit trying to describe all what had happened.

*“Ginny, Ginny,....Ginneeee,”* Bob finally got her attention.  *“Just get some rest right now, it's very late.  We’ll talk in the morning.  Come inside.”*  

Bob grabbed a couple air mattresses, blankets, pillows from the closet and settled them in for the night.  The frightful memory of the night played back through Ginny’s mind until she was finally able to settle down and go to sleep.

The next morning when Art and Ginny finally woke, they found Bob and Markie sitting and playing together in a big pile of what looked like candy wrappers.  Bob’s living room was full of boxes - filled with candy he used to stock his ice cream truck.  Markie was fascinated by the vast assortment of colors, shapes, and sizes her uncle had.  The mini-bar hadn’t contained any of these types!  

Markie had never actually eaten candy before.  She kept picking up all the different ones and asking, “What’s that one taste like Uncle Bob?” 

So Uncle Bob kept opening each of them up and handing them to Markie to try.

*“Too Sweet!”   “Yummy!!!”   “Too Chewy!”   “Too Sour!”   “Even Yummier”   “So Crunchy”*

With Markie content, the three of them went into the dining room where Ginny started explaining the night before.  She started by telling Bob how she had arrived back outside their Fremont apartment after work.  Before paying the cab driver, she noticed two strange men lurking outside their apartment door - and that usually it was only one.  Bob looked confused.  Art sat quietly, hands folded, looking down at the table.  

As Ginny continued about how the two of them had a signal in place in case things got out of hand, Bob looking even more puzzled, quipped *“Wait.  Wait!  Strange men outside, Usually one? A Signal?  What the hell is going on Ginny!?!”*

“Ok, Bob I think it’s time to give you the whole story,” as Ginny proceeded to lay out their whole troubled past: the gambling, the drinking, the loan sharks, Art not working, the emergency escape plan, and on and on.  Each time Ginny added to the list, Bob’s face turned a deeper red and by the end, a pronounced vein was bulging from his forehead.

Bob stood up, turned towards Art and yelled, “How dare you!” as he proceeded to unload a barrage of expletives towards Art.  With Art still looking down, Bob clenched his fist and connected with Art’s jaw, sending Art tumbling from the chair and crashing to the floor.

Art staggered up off the floor barely able to stand.  “I deserved that Bob, I truly did.  We need your help.”  

After several minutes, Bob began to calm down and as much as he wanted to sock Art in the jaw again, he needed to help get their lives turned around the best he could.  He and Ginny began to get breakfast started.

Science Fiction

"In Chapter 3, 'Family Matters,' Art, Ginny, and their daughter Markie seek refuge at Ginny's brother Bob's house after feeling the heat from their troubled past. As they rekindle their relationship, Ginny reluctantly reveals the extent of their problems: gambling, drinking, loan sharks, and a life in disarray. Frustrated and angry, Bob confronts Art about the situation while struggling to find a way to help his sister and her family get back on their feet. Despite the chaos, the family bonds over candy and seeks solace in one another, aware of the long road ahead in turning their lives around."

TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR - FAMILY MATTERS

Nerds in this story