Disclaimer: Copyright 2001, Jamie. All rights reserved. No part
of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without written
permission from the author. Any resemblance to persons living or dead
is purely coincidental.

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His feet dragged slowly and tiredly along the pavement. At least they worked...just one foot in front of the other. You'll be in that house you can't afford soon, he kept thinking. His hands felt empty with the last of his favorite CDs sold. Now his pocket burned with money...money he knew he needed more of.

Things had gotten rough for Colin Mochrie and his wife, Debra...and his new son, Luke. Luke. Colin took a deep breath to keep from bursting into tears in the middle of a street in Los Angeles. Poor little Luke...Luke who loved pulling on Colin's thumb, Luke who stared at the ceiling for hours on end for entertainment, Luke whose smile could melt the Man of Steel's heart.

They already gave everything they could to the rapidly growing newborn. Frequently, Colin and Debra went without. But as long as they knew their baby was fed, changed and content, they were content as well.

But Colin didn't know how much longer they could survive in a house that would have to be given up, in a car that badly needed repairs. He knew they'd be kicked out if he couldn't find work soon enough. And then where would his son be?

"Deb, I'm back!" Colin said, entering their home and closing the door quietly behind him. He knew it was Luke's naptime...he knew she would be upstairs. And he knew she'd be happy to have money to feed him with that night.

"Deb, look..." Colin began reaching into his pocket as he crossed the threshold in the nursery.

"Colin," Debra whispered, crumpled in a corner by Luke's crib.

"What happened? Is Luke okay?" Colin asked, going into the room, the money temporarily forgotten.

"They fired me," Debra choked. Colin slid to the floor beside her.

"Fired?" he echoed.

Debra nodded, tears dripping onto the floor. "What are we going to do?"

Colin put his arms around her and let her cry until he could think of an answer. As if Luke understood what was going on, he started to wail too. Debra pulled herself away from her husband and picked up him, cuddling him to her as she sat back down beside Colin.

"Nothing's going to change, Colin. Los Angeles is going to get smoggier, unfriendlier and miserable. We can't stay here," Debra choked.


"It'll be hard, Deb, but we can do it. We're together. We've got Luke. It'll be all right. Let's just ride it out," Colin said, touching his son's head.

"No, Colin...." Debra sighed. "I want to go home."

"We are home."

"No...Canada. Where there's snow, our friends and family...more job opportunities than here in LA. Canada is home. We've got so much waiting for us back there. We won't find it here."

Colin studied Debra's weary and tear-stained face. "If that's what you want, honey...we'll go back to Canada."

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"This is more like it," Debra said, breathing in the Canadian air.

Colin studied the snow-covered streets as the airplane taxied to the gate. "Just look around. The sky is actually blue here."

Debra laughed. "It certainly is." She laid her hand on Colin's leg. "Colin, it'll get better. It has to. We've worked so hard. When we're together, no one can stop us."

Colin smiled at her. "That's so true, Deb....that's so true."