Back to Where We Started From (Miracle)

Chapter Forty-Nine

December 6th, 1971

Saint Paul, Minnesota

McClanahan Residence

Robbie walked down the stairs, noticing how particularly cold this December morning was. He walked into the kitchen, slightly surprised to see a lack of hot breakfast foods on the table. Rob tried to hide his disappointment as he opened the cabinet, pulling out a box of cereal. His mother rarely neglected to make breakfast for her family, but perhaps she was having a rough morning. As he sat down with his bowl of cereal, he thought it was odd that his parents were nowhere to be found. He didn't dwell on it long, thinking of the history test he had later that morning. Robbie took his time eating, but he started to get worried. Unlike Robbie, his sister wasn't responsible enough to get up for school on her own. Usually by this time of the morning, his mother would be threatening Kathy to get up. A few seconds later, he heard the sound of the kitchen door swing open, followed by footsteps into the kitchen. A very tired Kathy plopped into the chair beside him, glaring down at his bowl of cereal.

"Cheerios?" Kathy grumbled, clearly missing the plate of eggs and bacon she would usually be greeted with in the morning.

"I don't know where Mom is," Robbie shrugged, his mouth full of Cheerios. Kathy groaned, getting up to get herself a bowl of cereal. "Did you wake up on your own?"

"Yeah.  I felt like I was getting too much sleep. I only got up because Donna is supposed to bring her Barbie collection to recess today, and I am not missing that," Kathy explained. Robbie chuckled at the priorities a fourth-grader had. The siblings sat quietly, eating their breakfast boredly. Right as Robbie was finishing his unsatisfying breakfast, his parents entered the kitchen.

"There you are!" Kathy sighed, before the two kids took in their parents' appearance. They still wore their pajamas, but they looked as if they hadn't slept at all.

"What's going on?" Robbie questioned as his parents sat down at the table with them. "We're going to be late for school."

"You're probably not going to school today, Rob," his father spoke quietly, looking at his son stoically. Paul wasn't sure exactly how to handle this. He hated having to give his children bad news.

"What do you mean?" Robbie questioned. They never missed school unless they were sick. Paul and Beverly exchanged nervous looks, before Beverly reached out and took her son's hand.

"Rob, Julie's dad died," his mother told him, blinking away tears. Robbie only stared blankly at his mother, sure he had misunderstood her.

"What?" He asked, still just as blank faced. "When?"

"Early this morning. It was a fire, Rob. The house is gone," Paul explained quietly.

"Is Julie okay?" Robbie questioned, looking between his parents frantically. His heart pounded in his chest, feeling an overwhelming panic.

"Yes, she made it out fine. It was late last night, well I guess early this morning, when her uncle called us. We didn't want to wake you," Beverly explained.

"Where is she gonna live?" Rob questioned. Concerns for his friend raced through his head faster than he could voice them.

"Right now she's staying with Herb and Patti," Beverly told him. Kathy hadn't said anything, sitting quietly at the table beside her brother.

"Are they gonna make her go live with her mom?" Robbie asked, his face giving away how concerned he was.

"I don't think so, son. That will all get figured out eventually. Right now, however, she could probably use a friend, though. Her uncle said you could come over. Do you want to go see her?" Paul offered. Robbie nodded quickly, getting up from the kitchen table.