THE TOWERS FAMILY SAGA
        Episode 66
The heavy scent of blooming
flowers wafted through the
open screen door.
Minnie was busy at the small
stove, the iron skillet
hissing as she dropped in
strips of seasoned steak.
"It's too hot for the oven,"
she said, wiping her brow
with the back of her hand.
Robert stood in the corner,
carefully centering a new
logo Shirley had printed.
He stepped back to look at
the balance of the design.
"It has to be perfect, Min."
"If the frame is off, the
whole thing looks cheap."
The doorbell rang, and
Virginia burst inside, her
face flushed from the heat.
"The clinic is a madhouse!"
"Everyone is coming in with
allergic reactions to the
storm's dust," she sighed.
She grabbed a cold bottle of
water from the fridge.
"I saw Dave Martinez's truck
over on the north ridge."
"He says the cleanup crews
are finding old canisters
buried near the wash."
Robert's hand froze on the
edge of the logo's frame.
The past had a way of
clawing out of the dirt, no
matter how deep the hole.
"Did he say how many?"
Robert asked, his voice
dropping to a low rasp.
Virginia shook her head and
sat at the kitchen table.
"Just enough to be trouble."
"But he's handling it, Dad."
"He said the Towers name
doesn't need more mud."
Minnie set the steak plate
down with a sharp clack.
"The debt is paid, Robert."
"We don't own those ghosts
anymore," she insisted.
But Robert knew the truth
was a living thing.
It breathed in the canyon
and spoke in the wind.
Just then, Dorothy arrived,
looking worried and pale.
"The school board heard the
rumors about the ridge."
"They are asking questions
about the family fund."
Robert looked at his four
grown daughters and wife.
They had built a fortress of
honesty in the city.
"We tell them the truth,"
Robert said, standing tall.
"We don't hide the canisters
and we don't hide the fall."
Shirley and Barbara walked
in, carrying heavy bags of
printing supplies and ink.
"We heard the news,"
Barbara said, her eyes
blazing with defiance.
"We are ready to fight."
"We are not the people we
were five years ago."
Robert felt the strength
of the family unit.
They were a wall of stone
against the coming tide.
The California night settled
over the quiet condo.
The saga was shifting from
restoration to protection.
The Towers were ready.
The line was drawn.

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