A somewhat touching moment that suddenly turns to oh shit as we realize that Julie really, really does not like what’s been going on and she’s not above bullying her own dad with the knowledge that it’s a secret.
I don’t think I’m a great innovator on this front or anything, but it seemed to be kind of weird to me that I was the only person writing fiction with a protagonist’s kid featured prominently in which the kid wasn’t a freakin’ angel. Julie’s traumatized — her dad’s back from the dead and rambling around the family room, for Pete’s sake — but she’s not a particularly nice kid, either. Definitely not about to leap up and give John a big hug and say “I sowwy I was mean to you, Daddy.”
This is also important for the later set-up that will see the sad end of Henry in the next few pages.
Ambiance – later that night. Introducing an element of menace to the relationship... but is the note of menace from John, or is it from Julie? Artist makes the call!
PANEL ONE
Cute little Felix the Cat clock shows it's 8:30. It's dark.
PANEL TWO
JOHN is leaning in a door, into a dark room, backlit by the light from the hall. The Felix clock is on the wall of the room he's entering.
JOHN
Knock knock. Julie? Sweetie?
PANEL THREE
JOHN is standing over JULIE's bed. Moonlight makes him kind of eerie in the half-light.
JOHN
Julie, we haven't talked since I ... uh ... got better...
JULIE
I'm gonna tell.
PANEL FOUR (small panel)
JOHN is shocked...
JOHN
What?
PANEL FIVE
Julie is small, defiant, and more than a little malicious.
JULIE
At school tomorrow. I'm gonna tell everybody.
