The Andre Miller Saga

Andre Miller 21 The Return

It had been 5 months since Andre Miller, leader of his family, summoner of celestials, and mortal leader of the celestial army in Pinson, Alabama, had begun talking with his estranged father. It had been 3 months since Conroy Miller, Andre's father and burnt-out summoner, had moved into the Pinson retirement home. And it had been 5 minutes since there was peace in the Miller household.

"The food they serve there is horrible! I wouldn't use some of it as an offering for a rot demon!" yelled Conroy as he sorted through the refrigerator.

"Dad, you can't come over to raid the ice box every time they are serving something you don't like! We bought you the minifridge and stocked it with the food you like just for when that happened!" Andre yelled back.

"I ate everything in the mini-fridge. It's been 2 weeks and that thing only holds a few days' worth of food and a case of my soda."

"Well, if you didn't keep a case of soda in there at a time, you'd have room for a week's worth of food. The door has a holder for 8 cans at once, use that and refill it as you go."

"It's easier just to keep the case in the bottom," Conroy said as he closed the refrigerator, having taken out the makings of a sandwich and the leftover salad from the night before.

"You're like dealing with a voracious toddler, I swear to whichever gods happen to be listening." Andre refilled his coffee and sat at the table while his father fixed a sandwich.

"It's your fault for putting me in the home in the first place. I was just fine staying in the study. The cot was a bit lumpy, but I made it work."

"I told you, if you stayed in the study your arthritis would start acting up as it did. You agreed to move to the home. It has services a man of your age needs, and it's safer than living here. We never know when the infernals will launch an attack and this place is ground zero, you know that."

"Man my age! Just because I'm 92 doesn't mean anything. I've outlived every other summoner either of us has ever heard of by at least 20 years. Caleb, you tell him!"

"Oh, I'm not getting involved in another one of your spats," said Caleb Murry, summoner of elementals and lifelong friend of Andre, "The last one had me in the doghouse with both of you for 2 weeks. However, if you want to go to the grocery store, I've offered anytime you need to."

"Fine!" said Conway in a defeated voice, "After I finish this food, you can take me to the store. I'm out of soda anyways."

"Good grief Pops, I just ran you over a case three days ago." Said Frankie Hernandez, defensive mage, ascendant, and man with a destiny, "You need to slow down, you know what Dr. Silver said about your blood sugar."

"She's a quack. Want's to put me on meds that make me pee too much. I already go to the can 4 times a night as it is!"

"You need those meds for your arthritis. Damn it dad, we talked about this too. Are you stubborn, stupid, or senile?" Andre said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"A little of all three if anyone were to ask you! Fine, I'll take the meds, if you refill the minifridge once a week."

"Only if you switch to diet or limit your soda intake to a case a week, and use the damn door can holder!"

"Diet tastes like donkey piss. Fine, I'll drink a case a week, but I'll have you know you're on the border of elder abuse!"

"Fine, one of us will take you to the store on Mondays to refill the fridge. Good enough?" asked Andre.

"Fine," Conroy said grumpily as he took a bite of his sandwich.

Tilly and Kyle Rodes walked in, Tilly was a master of defensive wards and talismans, and her brother Kyle was a defensive mage and teacher. "The serving tuna hotdish again Pops?" Tilly said as she grabbed a cup of coffee.