Vern came home from her eight-hour workday with the half-hour commute. Tonight she was over an hour late getting home. Exhausted she shuffled through the door with takeout dinner from the Chinese restaurant. She kicked off her black orthopedic shoes into the closet. Her father was sitting in the living room on the new sofa playing video games.

“Hello Sweetheart,” called out her father.

“Daddy, can you give me a hand.”

“No, I’m busy”

“Doing what?”

“I’m on a mission.”

“I’ve got a mission for you. I need your help.” She placed the bag of food on the kitchen counter. She walked into the living room where her father sat. “I’ve told younot to sit on my new sofa.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you sitting here?”

“Because I’ve got to sit in front of the television; otherwise, I’ll miss fire in the game. I barely have any rank. I need to rank up and you won’t buy me a gaming chair.”

“Daddy, enough talk about the game. Come help me, please.”

“No Vern this game is important to me. What could be more important than this?”

“Daddy, I need you to help me carry something inside. It’s too heavy for me.”

“Ahhh..You’re built like an ox. I’ve seen you carry more than your weight and that’s a lot.”

“How rude!”

“It’s true. You weigh about as much as any man. If you can’t carry something, then I won’t be able to either.”

“Fine, if you’re not going to carry it in I’ll just take it back.”

“That’s good thinking Vern. I bet you didn’t need whatever crap you bought.”

Vern hung up her coat. Then she began to fix two dinner plates with the Chinese food. The winds outside were hollowing. Shortly after, raindrops began to pellet against the window. Vern’s father got up to look outside. “Vern what’s that big black thing sitting beside the car?”

“Your gaming chair”

“What?!”

“You heard me old man. It’s your gaming chair.”

“I’m not old! I’m a war veteran. You should’ve told me you left my new chair in the rain.”

“I told you I had a mission, but you were too busy. In addition, it wasn’t raining when I left it.”

“Come on Vern help me get my chair in the house. It’s gonna get mushy.”

“Daddy, I’ve worked all day. I shopped for your chair. I stopped by to get dinner. I’m done.”

“All right, I’m a warrior. I’ll get my own chair.” Her father put on his boots and ran out to get his chair. He struggled trying to carry it through the doorway. Vern sat at the table eating supper. She watched her father as he placed it in front of the television. Then he sat down in the gaming chair. “Look, I did it. I got my chair in the house all by myself. Now I don’t have to sit on your new sofa. What do have to say to that?”

Vern replied with a smirk “mission accomplished.”