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off the stove, moving it to another burner. Grabbing a bowl full of egg yolks too quickly, he spilled the yellow viscous fluid all over the counter.
    Alex smiled, put down his coffee , and went over to the stove , gently moving his father away from their breakfast. If he had any hopes of eating this morning, he thought, it was probably best that he took over ; his father had a less - than - stellar record in the kitchen. Growing up, Alex had handled most of the cooking, and the both of them had become very thankful for that.
    Ditching the eggs his father had ruined, Alex turned to the refrigerator and removed five eggs from the carton in the back. He placed them each deliberately side by side on the counter. Cracking them each , one at a time , into the bright metal mixing bowl on the kitchen counter, he stirred the eggs and milk together.
    And for a moment, things were normal.
    Ted watched as his son quickly and efficiently finished stirring the mixture together , then turned back to the stove, the pan already hot. Alex dumped the contents of his mixing bowl into it, and was rewarded by the sharp hissing of the eggs curdling on impact with the heat. Mixing the eggs in the pan with a wooden spatula, Alex la id out several cuts of bacon on the griddle that his father had heated up during his prep. Even with the simple, easy - to - cook meals, the calm that overtoo k Alex centered him in a way that no drugs, alcohol or meditation could.
    The Norman Rockwell scene was short lived , however, as his father finally asked the question that Alex had been expecting all morning.
    “ Alex...” the old man said softly, “Where did you go?”
    Alex lowered his head. It wasn’t time to answer that yet . In fact, if he wanted his father to live, it was best that he didn’t know anything else. But, he knew, six years is a long time to think your son a dead man, and Alex owed him something.
    Alex removed the pan of eggs from the heat of the stove and dumped generous portions onto two plates his father had brought out. Placing a few strips of bacon on his plate, Alex turned to his father , who waited patiently for his son to answer.
    “ I’ve been dead , Pops.”
    “ So the Army told me, and yet here you are.” Ted sat back down at the table and attacked his egg. “I know technology is getting pretty good, but I don’t think they can make copies of people just yet, so that just leaves the ' nutjob conspiracy theory ' part of my brain screaming out ideas of where you’ve been for the last six years.” Ted said , lowering his voice . “But whatever reason it was, I don’t much care. I’m just damn glad to have you back , kid.”
    Alex sighed and looked in his father’s eyes. “Pops, I wish I could explain everything right now. There’s no limit to how terrible I feel on what you must have gone through , thinking I was gone all these years. I’m sorry ; it was a decision I made irrationally, and once I was in, I couldn’t get out… I really…” Alex paused, as he struggled with the words . “I honestly wish I could tell you everything, but unfortunately, that’s just not an option I’ve got.” Alex leaned forward to his father as he spoke clearly. “There are…ghosts following me right now, and I don’t want them to find you too.”
    Listening to his son, Ted nodded, “I’ll take what I can get , kiddo. Whatever I can do, I’ll keep you safe for now.”
    “ For now…” Alex agreed.
    Ted heard the pain in his son’s voice and decided to make it easier for him.
    “ You stay as long as you need to. Just…” Ted’s voice broke again at this point, “You have to tell me goodbye when you leave this time. Fair?”
    Alex nodded and clink ed his coffee cup against his father’s. “Fair deal.”
    “ And then with that in mind, do you have any idea how long you can stay?” Ted’s voice was hopeful , and Alex hated to disappoint his father, but safety, speed and inconspicuousness were the keys to his survival