The Holo Earth

Chapter 16

Flaking paint and overgrown weeds marred Clara's house, a stark contrast to the manicured gravel yards and pristine facades of her neighbors. Even Liam's place seemed to shine brighter in comparison. Liam approached the front door, his arms laden with colorful packages, each wrapped meticulously in recycled paper adorned with cartoon characters. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the interaction ahead, and knocked.

Clara's blue eyes widened as she took in Liam and the colorful packages he carried. Her gaze darted around the cluttered living room, a blush creeping up her cheeks. A moment of panic flashed across her face before she managed, 'Liam! I wasn't expecting you.' She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Liam offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, Clara. I should have called first. I just wanted to drop off some things for Ethan."

Clara hesitated, her embarrassment palpable. "That's so kind of you, but maybe I could just take them and—"

Before she could finish, a blur of energy burst into view. "Liam!" Ethan exclaimed, his face lighting up at the sight of the presents. "Are those for me?"

"Sure are, buddy," Liam chuckled, relieved by the boy's enthusiasm.

A jumble of toys and discarded clothes covered the living room floor, while a mountain of dirty dishes loomed in the kitchen sink. Clara frantically began tidying up, her apologies lost in the pungent odor of spoiled milk and cold cereal.

"Please, don't fuss on my account," Liam insisted, setting the gifts down on a worn coffee table. His eyes were drawn to a framed photograph on a nearby shelf – a young black man wearing a mustache and a military uniform, his smile bright and confident.

Ethan noticed Liam's gaze. "That's my dad," he said softly. "He died in the war."

Liam's eyes went back to the picture. The man in the photo was his doppelganger, the same striking features, the same intensity in the eyes. Only the uniform and mustache marked the difference between them.

A heavy silence fell over the room. Liam swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. "I'm sorry, Ethan. He looks like he was a brave man."

Clara's lower lip quivered, her eyes brimming with unshed tears before she blinked rapidly, looking away. "Why don't you open your presents, sweetie?" she suggested, her voice slightly strained.

Ethan needed no further encouragement. He tore into the packages with gusto, gasping in delight as each new item was revealed.

Liam took a moment to truly observe Clara. Though about the same age as Liam, she was no Elara, she was a woman worn thin by circumstance, her beauty now shadowed by exhaustion and worry. Her clothes, though clean, were faded and mended in places. Liam squirmed as he realized how much harder life had been for her even than for himself.

Clara caught Liam's gaze and offered a weak smile. "It's not always easy." She gestured vaguely around the room. "But we make do, don't we, Ethan?"

"This is so cool!" he exclaimed, holding up the Holographic History Projector. "Can we try it out?"

"Of course," Liam knelt beside him. "It's solar-powered, so it'll work even if the power goes out. And look, you can ask it questions about any time in history, and everything it produces is a unique work of 3D video art every time."

As Ethan explored the device, nodded absently. "Mom's the best." His eyes never left the shimmering images: miniature dinosaurs fighting, Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon, and Abraham Lincoln giving a speech.

Liam felt a pang of empathy as he returned to Clara. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but... how are you really doing?"

Clara sighed, sinking into the sagging remnants of a what was presumably sofa under a sheet. As she spoke about her difficulties, her eyes kept finding their way back to Liam's, as if drawing strength from his attentive gaze. In turn, Liam found himself drawn to the strength in her voice, the determination in her eyes. He leaned in slightly, listening intently, surprised by how much he wanted to understand her world. Clara's hands moved restlessly as she talked, alternating between gesturing emphatically and smoothing imaginary wrinkles from her clothes, her movements betraying an underlying tension. "It's... it's a struggle, Liam. The survivor benefits help, but they're not enough. I work part-time as a waitress, but between that and taking care of Ethan, finishing my GED feels impossible some days."