A bit creaky on occasions." Poor old thing. Are you creaking at the moment?" No but I probably will when I get home this afternoon." Me too. Muscles I...haven't used for a year."They smiled easily at each other.They did not linger over their coffee and were soon on their way with three excited and vocal dogs all whining in anticipation. They left them in the car while Jerry paid the guest fee for Emma and they collected Cherry and Nuts.Nuts decided to play up a bit at the dogs but Emma held him. "Come back later, sir, I'll sell you the other half."Stanley watched the black haired man grin and move down the bar and serve a couple of locals with more of the scrumpy cider. He picked up the two open glass bottles of Coke with the glasses inverted over their necks, grabbed his half-pint and walked out to the beer garden."I thought you were going to get a pint daddy," said Caroline as she reached for her bottle of Coke and poured it into the tilted glass she was holding."So did I honey,". “Two little girls can out-drink you, Yankee,” Stephie teased. “That’s not sayin’ much for you!”“Let me guess, you’ve been getting sips of that since you were little,” I said. “Just like my friend Joyce with wine, because she’s Italian.”“Yeah. I think I first tasted it when I was four or so,” Emily said. “One of daddy’s friends thought it would be funny to see my face. I think I looked like you did just now. But I’d get sips all the time growin’ up, so now I’m used to it. I think Stephie had her. "Can I come home tomorrow night?" Sure!" I said "We'd love to have you? But is everything alright?" Yeah . Everything's fine . I'll see you tomorrow ."She hung up but I could tell something was wrong . Call it Father's intuition - you can hear it in their voice .When my wife got home I told her the news - Our daughter Amber would be coming home tomorrow night . The next day - the same as always . A long day at work . A long drive back . It was Quarter to Six when I pulled up in the drive . I.