Escape Room

"I don't know, Gunner. I mean, I gotta support my kid, but I don't see how I can deploy or even do my job."

"You're gonna have to pay for childcare, Sgt Silvan. That's all there is to it. And you're going to have to submit a deployment plan that shows you have someone to care for your son if you get sent overseas to include a combat zone. Do you have someone who'll do that for you?"

"I don't know, sir. Maybe my mom? But I haven't asked her, so I can't really say."

"I've given you all the latitude I can, and now you're going to have to figure out what to do."

"Sir? What would you do?"

"It's just my opinion, but I'd get out, move back home, and get a job. Our MOS translates well on the outside, and you'll have no trouble getting a decent-paying job working on air conditioning and/or heating units. If you live near your parents, maybe your mom could watch your boy during the day rather than you saddling her with that 24-7 for up to a year if you get deployed."

So for the rest of his time on active duty, Neil found a way to scrape up the money to pay the base childcare center to watch his son while he went to work. His OIC did his part to look out for Sergeant Silvan and made sure he didn't deploy for those remaining months, and wished him well the as he got ready to be discharged and head back home to Nebraska.

Tyler became Neil's priority in life, and he was often amazed at how well his son was doing after having lost the most important person in his life. The little boy was now six years old, very well adjusted, polite, and smart as a whip. He was tested during Kindergarten and did so well that he skipped the 1st grade and was doing better than most of his peers who were a year older in 2nd grade. Neil often joked that his son's intelligence came directly from him, but with him and his late wife being solid 'B' students in high school, he knew that wasn't true. In fact, he had no idea where Tyler's smarts came from, he only knew that he had them.

Keeping him intellectually challenged was a challenge in its own right for both Neil and the boy's teachers. So when a friend at work mentioned something called an escape room later that night that after he agreed to stay late, he was immediately interested.

"I've heard of those. Are they fun?" Neil asked when another HVAC tech said he'd recently been to one.

"Yeah. They're a lot of fun. But they're hard as hell to beat."

Neil asked several questions and found out that anyone going to such a place had to choose one of the various rooms every similar establishment had. His co-worker had gone to a place called Conundrum Home, or something like that, several times, and the most interesting room he'd gone through so far was called The Sherlock Holmes Room.

"Only 9% figure it out. My group came SO close. We were just one clue away when our time ran out, and I'm going back again and next time, I'm gonna escape."

"Do they let kids do it?" Neil asked, now very interested.

"Sure. There's probably a lower limit, but you could definitely take Tyler with you. And that damn kid's so smart, he'll probably figure it out for your team."

Neil laughed, told him he agreed, then asked, "Hold on. What do you mean by 'team'?"

"Well, you sign up online, or you can go in and pay for your time, if there are any spaces left. You don't know who else signed up until you get there. My wife and I ended up going through with six other people, and all but one of them were dumber than dirt."

Neil chuckled again then asked if it was always that busy.

"Not necessarily. It could end up being just you and your boy doing it alone if no one else signs up for that particular room at that exact time. I go on Saturdays and it's usually pretty crowded. And it's $35 a head—maybe less for a kid—so it's not exactly cheap. But I've always loved puzzles, and these things are right up my alley."

"Maybe I'll check it out," Neil told him as he dug into the very old AC unit there were getting ready to tear apart.

That evening he did some checking online and found the place in seconds. It looked like something he might enjoy, and he knew Tyler would love it. But before he booked a room and a time, he grabbed his son and asked him to come take a look.

"That would be awesome!" his son said, his always-present smile in place. "Can we do it, Daddy?"

"Yeah. Sure. I'll sign us up. We'll go after dinner on Wednesday, okay?"

Tyler told him that was very okay and gave his father a huge hug, and that made the $50 he was shelling out worth it before they even went.

Having worked late paid off as Neil wasn't asked to stay late again on Wednesday when his boss said, "Silvan? You can go home unless you want the overtime. You've been willing to do whatever I ask, so tonight I won't bother you."

"I do have plans, so while I can always use the money, I'm taking my boy somewhere tonight, and we're both really looking forward to it."

His boss told him to have fun, and Neil was on his way home by 5 o'clock. He'd been living with his folks since returning to Omaha, and that had allowed him to finally start putting some money away and get a little place of his own. His mom absolutely loved having Tyler around, and he could tell that even his normally-stoic father enjoyed the sunny little boy's presence in the house for the time that they stayed there with them.

"So are you and your dad excited about going to the escape room tonight?" Neil's mother, Cathy, asked as they ate dinner.

"I can't wait! I told everyone at school that we're going, and guess what?"

"I can't guess," his grandmother said with a smile. "So can you just tell me?"

"Uh-huh. Another boy in my class is going tonight, too!"

"That's very exciting. Maybe you'll see him there."

"He's shy," Tyler said.

"Oh, I see. Then he might enjoy having a friend there."

"Yes, but we might not be in the same room, right, Daddy?"

"Right you are, good buddy. There are quite a few different rooms so unless they picked The Sherlock Holmes Room at the same time as us, we won't be together."

"That's okay. I just want to find all the clues and escape!" Tyler said in his always-happy way.

"If anyone can, it's my grandson," his grandma said as she mussed up his hair.

"Can we go now, Daddy?" Tyler asked.

"Finish your food, brush your teeth, and then we can go, okay?"

Tyler still stayed there occasionally, so he had a toothbrush, some pajamas, and other things in his old room.

"Okay! I will!" his son said as he shoveled in the last of his corn and mashed potatoes.

Their reservation was for 7pm, and the two Silvan 'men' arrived 10 minutes early.

"This place is so cool!" Tyler said as they walked inside.

There were depictions of every room on the wall with subtle clues available to those who really looked, and Tyler was one of those people who really looked.

He went straight to the one showing the Sherlock Holmes Room and starting piecing things together.

"I bet the way that bird's beak is pointing is a direction!" he told his father who could only laugh knowing his son was probably right.

He was busy looking for other hints when a quiet voice said, "Hi, Tyler."

The boy spun around and smiled when he saw his friend.

"Hi, Trevor! Which room are you guys doing?"

"Mom? Which one are we going through?" the boy asked his mother who was standing next to him.

"Um...Sherlock Holmes," she said to her son as she looked at Tyler's dad.

"We didn't mean to bother you, but my son said your son is in his class, and he wanted to say 'hi'."

"You're not bothering us," Neil told her with a smile. "Tyler mentioned a friend from school might be here tonight, and if you're doing Sherlock Holmes at seven, we might be going together."

"We are, and that would be wonderful!" the woman said. "I'd love for Trevor to have someone he knows—besides me—going through this with him."

She moved a little closer then said quietly, "He's very shy, and when he saw Tyler his face lit up, so that would be really great. And yes, we are scheduled for 7 o'clock. My brother and his wife were supposed to come with us, but they had a..."

The woman stopped talking when a young woman in her early 20s walked over, smiled, then asked if they were her 7 o'clock people.

"Yes. I believe we are," the woman said for them all.

"Great! My name is Tammy, and if you and your husband and children will follow me, we'll get started."

Both she and Neil were wearing wedding rings which Tammy had noticed, so when the woman politely told her, "Oh. No. We're not...we're here separately."

Tammy apologized sincerely, but both the woman and Neil told her it was no big deal.

As they walked with their guide, the woman leaned over to Neil and said, "My name's Abby, by the way."

"Neil. It's a pleasure to meet you, Abby."

"Same here. It's a shame your wife couldn't join us. I'd love to have another woman in the group."

Remembering to smile, Neil quietly said, "My wife...passed away...a few y..."

Abby stopped, turned toward Neil and spontaneously hugged him.

"I'm so sorry, Neil. I lost my husband, too."

"Mom? Why are you hugging Tyler's dad?" Trevor asked.

She let go of her fellow widowed friend and bent down and said, "He just really needed a hug."

"Is he sad?" the boy asked.

"No. Well, maybe. Can we talk about it later?" his mother asked, a smile on her pretty face to help make the question go away.

"Okay," he said before moving back next to Tyler.

Tammy turned around unaware that anything had happened then said, "Okay. I'll be giving you the introduction to your room. I'll explain the rules, provide you with a general scenario of what you can expect, how many hints you get, and so forth. So if you'll follow me, we'll go on down to see Mr. Holmes and get you started."

As they walked, Abby glanced at Neil who was looking at her. She wanted to get a better look at a fellow traveler on life's highway who'd been through what she had unaware that Neil was trying to get a better look at her to confirm what he'd thinking. Abby was a very attractive woman, and he was now interested in seeing just how attractive she was.

The answer was simple: very. She was obviously older than him, but she was as attractive as any woman he'd met in quite some time.

"Sorry," he said when she turned to look.

"For?" Abby asked having no idea what he meant.

"I guess you didn't notice me staring," Neil told her, a sheepish grin on his face.

"Oh, okay," Abby replied. "I understand. I was looking at you for the same reason."

"Wait. You think I'm attractive, too?" a confused Neil asked.

Abby stopped again, shook her head a bit then said, "I'm confused. I was looking at you because, well, we...we have this very...unusual connection. I just assumed that's why you were looking at me."

Neil kind of winced then smiled.

"Am I wrong?" she asked, sensing there was something she was missing.

"That's true, but I guess I was just surprised to bump into someone as beautiful as you, and here, in an escape room, of all places."

Neil paused then said, "Sorry. That probably sounded...odd. Or worse."

Abby smiled then told him it was fine.

"I don't hear that a lot anymore, so it was very nice of you to say, Neil," she told him as they continued walking.

She smiled at him then quietly said, "And you're a very nice looking young man yourself."

Neil wanted to get acquainted but knew this wasn't the right time or place. In fact, there might not be a right time or a right place as she could well have no interest in getting acquainted with him at all, or even worse, she could be seeing someone. But if the opportunity presented itself he intended on at least trying.

"Okay. So this is The Sherlock Holmes Room," Tammy said in a very upbeat voice before explaining how things worked.

They would have 60 minutes that would be counted down on a timer which would be visible to them at all times. They were to look everywhere, even in the most unlikely of places, for clues that would help them escape, and they could ask for help three times.

"Unlike most escape rooms, we're a family owned business, so we're a little more lenient than the big chains. I'll be able to see you at all times, and if you're in a need of a little extra help, I'm happy to point you in the right direction," Tammy explained.

"No! We don't want extra help!" Tyler told her. "We can figure it out by ourselves!"

Tammy's look of surprise made the adults laugh.

"Well, in that case, you can go in and get started!"

She wished them luck, locked the door behind them then started the timer.

Trevor stayed with Tyler who was already sleuthing.

"Look! See those three hats? That's a clue!" he said as the adults looked at one another and shrugged.

"Didn't your son skip a grade?" Abby asked.

"He did. And he just might be able to figure this out."

Abby laughed then told him they should probably help or at least make it look like they were.

Tyler's intuition was correct, and his solution led to being able to open a lock on a cabinet drawer. From there Neil realized that the number of items inside it corresponded to some markings on one of the walls. Abby picked up on that and figured out that those markings were the first number in the next lock on a chest.

Only Trevor seemed lost, but just as they were down to their last three minutes with one clue to go, he said something that no one else heard.

"Listen to the boy!" they heard Tammy say.

"What?" Everyone else called out in unison.

"Listen to the boy," she repeated.

"I didn't say anything," Tyler told the grownups who then turned to Trevor who repeated what he'd said.

"That's it! That's the last number!" Neil hollered.

"What is it?" Abby yelled as she took the lock in her hand.

"Four! It's a four!"

She spun the dial and pulled, and the lock opened. Inside the chest was a large key on top of a note that said, "Congratulations!"

Tyler reached in and grabbed it, but just before he opened the final door he called Trevor over and said, "Here! You turn it!"

His quiet friend did just that, a loud lock clicked, and the last door opened to reveal Tammy standing there with a big smile on her face.

Abby couldn't believe they'd done it and turned to Neil who, just like she'd done earlier, threw his arms around her. She did the same back to him and once he had her in a bear hug, Neil picked her up and spun her around as Abby nearly shrieked with laughter.

When Neil put her down they briefly looked at one another before quickly looking away.

"That was close! Good work guys!" she said to the boys.

"Trevor figured it out the hardest clue," Tyler said, making his quiet classmate feel good.

"But you got most of them," Trevor told him.

"I was just lucky," Tyler replied.

Neither boy saw it, but Abby teared up at the way Tyler was being so nice to her son, something that didn't happen all that often at school.

As they got ready to leave, Abby mentioned it to Neal and thanked him for raising such a sweet boy.

"He really is a good kid. I just wish his mom could see how well he's turning out."

"I feel the same way about my husband. He was a great dad, and he'd be so proud."

She paused then said, "And maybe Trevor wouldn't be so reserved."

"It's not easy being a mom and a dad, is it?" Neil offered.

"No. Not at all. But what other choice do we have, right?" Abby replied a look of understanding and resignation on her face.

"Good point," Neil told her.

He was seriously considering asking her out when Abby said something that sounded even better in that it offered no risk of rejection.

"Neil? Why don't we let the boys spend some time together one of these days? Tyler would be welcome to spend the night if that's okay with you."

"You know what? That sounds like a great idea. But maybe we could start off with something more along the lines of the four of us hanging out and doing something fun."

"Oh. That's even better! I like that idea a lot," Abby told him with a warm smile.

"Great. Could we maybe exchange phone numbers so we can set something up?"

"Sure. Yes. That's kind of essential since we don't even know where the other lives, right?" Abby replied with a little laugh as she got out her phone.

"Let's trade," Neil said once he had his contacts page open.

Abby did the same and handed him her phone.

"IPhone XR. Nice," Neil commented as he entered his name, number, and address. "I'm still using the 7s."

"I had one of those, and it's funny, but I miss it. I could zoom in on a photo, but with my newer, more expensive upgrade, I can't."

Neil laughed at the irony and told her he understood, and mentioned that the iPhone X could. Abby quickly reminded him that it was $250-$300 more, and that ended their very brief discussion.

"Here you go. That's us," he told her as he handed her back his phone.

"And we're now in yours, too, and I'll look forward to hearing from you. I can't remember the last time I saw Trevor this happy."

She looked over at the boys who were back in front of another room's poster out in the main lobby area. Tyler was pointing out potential clues and Trevor was saying things like, "Cool!" or "How do you know that?"

"You said Trevor's shy and mentioned something about my boy being smart. It's true. He is smart. Really smart. But he has trouble getting close to people. He's not autistic or anything, he just seems to kind of live in his own world."

"He's very sweet, and Trevor obviously likes him."

She turned to Neil then said, "Maybe they'll kind of, you know, balance each other out or something."

Neil heard the words she spoke, but he wasn't really listening. He was staring at Abby while trying not to stare and taking in how incredibly beautiful he found her. She had dark, almost raven hair that was halfway between her chin and shoulders; hair that seemed to...sparkle or something. Her eyes were a bright green and her smile was amazing. And as amazing as everything was above the neck, everything Neil could see told him she was just as incredible from there on down.

"Don't you agree?" Neil heard, causing him to shake his head then apologize for not paying attention.

Abby laughed then repeated what she'd just said.

"Oh, sure. Yes, that might very well happen. Tyler's a kind of social butterfly that flits from person to person. Having an actual friend might be very helpful."

And to prove he really had heard her this time he added, "And you're right. It could be a way to give Trevor some more confidence."

"You're a good dad, Neil," Abby told him very sincerely as they walked over to their boys.

"Oh, I don't know about that. I mean, I do try, but I'm at work a lot, and when I get home I'm exhausted. I feel guilty all the time about not spending enough time with Tyler, but that was nice of you to say."

"Well, as someone I know recently said, 'It's hard being both a mom and a dad', right?"

Abby's smile made him feel weak in the knees this time, but he managed to smile back and tell her he agreed.

"Okay, Trevor. You ready to go home?" Abby asked her son.

"What? Already? Do we have to?" the little boy said as he looked up at his mom.

"It's after 8 o'clock and we need to get home, take a bath, and get ready for bed."

Abby's heart sank when her son's eyes welled up with tears. Normally, she was adamant about whatever she said, but he was having such a good time and for once she felt guilty.

"Well, maybe we could stop somewhere on the way home," she said.

"Can Tyler come?" Trevor asked, his face now very different.

"Oh, I don't know, honey. They may need to..."

"If you wouldn't mind, we'd be happy to join you," Neil said before Abby could finish.

The look on Trevor's face convinced her, but she still asked Neil if he was sure.