desk. He looked at the picture of his wife, Helen, and son Jamie, taken last Christmas at the Botanical Gardens. They were sitting on the benches, and everything was perfect. It had been one year since that photo had been taken.

They had been so happy. And, lastly, Jim looked at his law certificate on the wall. He had been a lawyer for nine years now, working on many cases, winning and losing them. He was a criminal attorney currently working on a drug case, Lawyer puts job first illegal drugs. Now, after three months, the case was coming to a close and the jury would come to a verdict in a matter of days. He was confident that he would win. Jim couldn't concentrate any longer. It had been two hours since he had called his wife to tell her that he wouldn't be home for dinner -- the third night in a row. Extremely tired as he was, he finally decided to venture out into the pouring rain and make his way home. When he got there, he found his wife reading in bed. They hadn't been getting along like they used to. She inquired about his day, but seemed preoccupied with her reading. "How's Jamie?'' Jim asked as he got out of his rain suit. "You wouldn't need to ask that question if you had come home earlier.'' "Helen you know how hard I've been working on this case. It will all be over in a couple of days.'' "Good.

Then maybe, you'll stop neglecting your son!'' Jim couldn't argue with that.

He had been neglecting his son and he knew it deep down inside. He had made all the promises any good father would, and broken them all in the past months because of his cases. Fishing, swimming, camping on the front lawn near the moongate -- there was always a voice inside his head that told him he could do them all as soon as his work load eased up. "You have all the time in the world,'' the voice said. And he believed it. "Don' forget Jamie's Christmas play tomorrow. It's at eleven in the morning. Jamie's very excited about playing Santa's main elf. You're not bust at that time are you?'' "Good. Then you'll have time to come to the doctor's with me. Jamie's having trouble breathing and he's got these bruises everywhere. I'm a bit worried. Please don't forget! He loves you. So do I.'' "Ditto. I won't forget. Good night Helen,'' whispered Jim as he kissed his wife on the cheek and turned off the light. The next morning Jim left his office just as his wife and son were getting ready. He briefly said `hello' and `goodbye' to Helen and Jamie and was out of the house before seven thirty. He immediately got absorbed in his work, accepting no phone calls that were not important. He continuously had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something but it was only when he raised his head to look at his clock and caught a glimpse of the same picture, that the nagging feeling turned into a memory. He put on his helmet and raced out of the office. He drove his bike through Hamilton city and raced to Saltus Cavendish School, checking his watch at each stoplight and praying for time to rewind. The little voice in his head kept saying, `You have all the time in the world.' Jim was convinced of this. As Jim pulled into the car park, he heard nothing but the sound of the voice in his head. He rushed into the auditorium only to find himself face to face with empty chairs, an empty stage and guilt. He jumped onto his bike and raced to the family doctor's office. He inquired about his wife, only to find out that she had left fifteen minutes before. Jim looked at his watch; if he didn't head to the court room now, he would miss the trial. At six in the evening, Jim finished his journey from Hamilton to Devonshire. He walked in the door of his two-storey house to find Helen and Jamie eating dinner already. "No work to do at the office?'' Helen asked venomously. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I-I...'' "You forgot!'' Helen finished off for him. "Hey Daddy,'' squeaked Jamie still in his elf costume. "Hey Jamie.'' Jim hugged his son but was distracted. "Look at my band-aid! Isn't it pretty?'' said Jamie. "It is.'' "Jamie you can go play now, put your dish in the sink,'' commanded Helen. "Will you come play with me Daddy?'' "Daddy's got to go back to work Jamie, but when I get back I will.'' "Okay Daddy,'' squeaked Jamie again as he ran off into the living room. "What did the doctor say?'' asked Jim. "You care? I'm shocked,'' retorted Helen. "Helen, please.'' "She took some blood tests, though she didn't say what they would show. The results will be in tomorrow.'' "I see.

Call me when they get in,'' said Jim. "Jamie and I are going to Botanical Gardens at half past four. Meet us there if you don't forget. Where are you going now?'' "Back to the office. Only for a little while though, I need to get my files.'' On hearing this, Helen turned around and walked into the Lawyer fails client, but makes good with his son Number Two. Jim wrung his hands together, drummed his fingers on the table, and tapped his foot. He was quite nervous. Last night, he had arrived just in time to kiss Jamie good night. But Helen wasn't pleased. The past few days' events contributed to his uneasiness. He whispered to his client from time to time, but his client was quite aloof. The jury walked in; an equal number of males and females. They avoided eye contact with the defendant. Jim knew that was not a good sign. "Have you reached a verdict?'' asked the judge. "Yes we have,'' confirmed the foreperson of the jury. "How do you find the defendant?'' asked the judge. "We, the jury, find the defendant, Raymond Smith, guilty on both accounts of possession and distribution of illegal substances.'' At the word `guilty', Jim felt like he had failed. All the effort he had put into this case was for nothing. All the time he had spent was for nothing. Even though Jim felt defeated, his client was still calm as he was hand-cuffed and led off. "Thanks for nothing,'' said Raymond bitterly.

Jim, not forgetting, arrived at the Botanical Gardens at half past four. He found Helen and Jamie on the benches. He immediately started talking about the jury and the verdict, rambling on and not letting Helen get a word in. "Stop! Just stop talking about work!'' Helen cried. Jim was silent. Then, remembering Jamie's appointment, he asked, "What were the results of the tests?'' "Helen looked up with tears in her eyes, and could barely speak. Jim moved from across the bench and sat down beside her. Jamie jumped onto his lap. "What do you care?'' asked Helen. "Helen, please, I want to know. What were the results?'' "The doctor...said they would have to do more tests. She thinks...she thinks that Jamie might...might have Leu-Leukemia.'' At this point Helen's tears started to fall slowly, and so did the tears fall from the sky. At those words, Jim put his arm around his wife and an arm around Jamie.

He finally realised what was important. He would make up for lost time, including the fishing and camping trips. He would be more of a father to Jamie and more of a husband to Helen. He had given so much of his life to work that in doing so, he had neglected his family. There would have to be changes in his life, and especially in his work. They would have to make choices and decisions as a family now. Christmas would have a new meaning and so would the new year. Life would have a new meaning. Not only each of their individual lives, but their life as a family. The Botanical Garden picture wasn't quite so perfect. The little voice inside Jim's head still nagged him, but now it whispered, "Make the most of the time you have.'' SHORT STORY CONTEST CPN