Caliber Fletcher woke up with a jolt, his heart pounding. He instinctively pointed his right index finger at the bedroom door, only to remember—for the thousandth time—that nothing would happen. Not yet, anyway. He lowered his hand, a mixture of excitement and nervousness coursing through his veins.

"Three more days," he whispered to himself, wiggling his fingers in anticipation.

In just seventy-two hours, Caliber would turn six years old. But in Bullet World, a child's sixth birthday meant more than just cake and presents. It was Bullet Day—the day when the dormant finger-gun ability would finally activate.

Caliber slid out of bed and padded to the calendar hanging on his wall. With a blue marker, he crossed off another day, leaving only three empty squares until the big red circle marked "BULLET DAY!" He could almost feel the phantom tingle in his fingertips.

Downstairs, he could hear his parents, Trigger and Velocity Fletcher, talking in hushed but tense tones. Caliber crept to the top of the stairs, careful to avoid the creaky third step from the top.

"...can't believe they scheduled the presentation for that day," his father was saying, frustration evident in his voice. "This promotion could change everything for us, Vel."

"I know, Trig, but it's Caliber's Bullet Day," his mother replied. "You can't miss that. Remember how it felt when your dad couldn't make it to yours?"

Caliber's heart sank. He'd been looking forward to going to the shooting range with both his parents, just like they'd promised. The image of his father showing him how to aim, how to control the recoil, had been playing in his mind for months.

"Maybe I could go in for just a couple of hours," Trigger mused. "The presentation shouldn't take more than—"

"No," Velocity cut him off firmly. "Your son needs you there. The whole time."

Caliber retreated to his room, his earlier excitement now tinged with worry. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, pointing his finger at himself.

"Bang," he whispered, but no bullet appeared.

As he lowered his hand, Caliber made a decision. He was going to make sure his father would be there for his Bullet Day, no matter what. But how?

The young boy's mind raced with possibilities as he got dressed for school, all the while conscious of the ticking clock. Three days until Bullet Day. 

Trigger Fletcher settled into his ergonomic chair at Precision Dynamics, the marketing firm where he'd been working since leaving the police force five years ago. The office buzzed with activity, but Trigger's mind was elsewhere, consumed by his impending dilemma.

"Morning, Trig!" called out his colleague and friend, Magnum Colt, from the adjacent desk. "You look like you're about to misfire. What's eating at you?"

Trigger sighed, absently adjusting his formal finger-holster - a habit he'd kept from his law enforcement days. "Bullet Day dilemma," he muttered.

Magnum's eyes widened in understanding. He rolled his chair closer, lowering his voice. "Ah, the classic Bullet Day dilemma."

Trigger nodded glumly. "It's scheduled for the same day as Caliber's Bullet Day. I'm torn, Mag. This promotion could change everything for us, but..."

"But it's Bullet Day," Magnum finished, understanding in his eyes. "You know, this reminds me of something my old man went through. Remember I told you he was on the force too?"

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Trigger looked up, intrigued. "Yeah, Revolver Colt, right? Bit of a legend in the department, if I recall."

Magnum nodded, a mix of pride and something more complex flashing in his eyes. "The very same. Well, on his Bullet Day, there was this big case. The Triggerman, they called the perp. Been terrorizing Bullet World for months."

"I remember learning about that case in the academy," Trigger said, leaning forward. "Didn't know your dad was involved."

"Oh yeah," Magnum continued. "It was make-or-break. The chief asked for volunteers to work that day, even though it was my dad's Bullet Day. He chose the job over being there for me."

Trigger's brow furrowed. "That must have been tough for you. How'd you handle it?"

Magnum's finger twitched near his holster - a tell-tale sign of discomfort in their world. "I was angry at first. Didn't understand why catching some bad guy was more important than being there for his kid's big day."

"But?" Trigger prompted, sensing there was more to the story.

Magnum sighed. "But then they caught him. The Triggerman. My dad was the one who made the arrest. Turned out, the guy was planning a big hit that day. If Dad hadn't been there..." He trailed off, the implication clear.

Trigger absorbed this, the weight of his own decision feeling heavier than ever. "So, what are you saying, Mag? That I should go to the presentation?"

Magnum leaned back, his expression thoughtful. "I'm saying that sometimes, our jobs ask more of us than we want to give. My dad's choice that day? It saved lives. But it also meant I spent my Bullet Day at the range with my mom instead of him."

"How do you feel about it now?" Trigger asked softly.

"Proud," Magnum said after a moment. "But also... I don't know. There's still this little part of me that wishes he'd been there. It's complicated, you know?"

As if on cue, Trigger's phone buzzed with a message from Velocity: "Caliber's so excited about Bullet Day. He can't stop talking about going to the range with you."

Trigger stared at the message, then looked up at Magnum. "I've got some serious thinking to do," he said, standing up. "Thanks for sharing that, Mag. It's... given me a lot to consider.

Trigger Fletcher stepped into the empty conference room, his finger hovering over the call button on his phone. Taking a deep breath, he pressed it, and the line began to ring.

"Hey, Trig," Velocity's voice came through, a mix of warmth and concern. "How's it going? Have you made a decision yet?"

Trigger sank into a chair, running a hand through his hair. "I'm still torn, Vel. This promotion... it could change everything for us. Better pay, better hours eventually. We could finally afford that house in the good school district."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "I understand, Trig. I do. But... it's Caliber's Bullet Day. You know how much this means to him. Remember how you felt when your father missed yours?"

Trigger's finger twitched involuntarily, a memory surfacing that he'd long tried to suppress. "That... that was different, Vel."

"Different how?" Velocity pressed gently.

Trigger sighed, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper. "My father... he wasn't at work that day. He was... he was with another woman. Someone who wasn't my mother."

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. Finally, Velocity spoke, her voice soft. "Oh, Trig. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's not something I like to talk about," Trigger admitted. "But this is different. I'd be missing Caliber's Bullet Day for our family's future, not... not for selfish reasons."

"I know, honey," Velocity said. "And I'm not trying to compare the two. But think about it from Caliber's perspective. All he'll know is that his dad wasn't there on one of the most important days of his life."

Trigger leaned back in his chair, conflict evident in every line of his face. "So what are you saying, Vel? That I should go to Bullet Day and potentially miss out on this opportunity?"

"I'm saying," Velocity replied carefully, "that maybe it wouldn't hurt to be there for Caliber. The company knows you're valuable, Trig. If they want you for this position, they'll understand. And if they don't... well, maybe that says something about them."

Trigger sat in silence for a moment, processing his wife's words. The memory of his own Bullet Day, waiting at the range for a father who never showed, mingled with the image of Caliber's excited face when they talked about going to the range together.

"You might be right," Trigger said finally. "Maybe... maybe it is okay for me to go. Caliber only gets one Bullet Day, after all."

"That's true," Velocity agreed, relief evident in her voice. "And Trig? Thank you for sharing that about your father. I know it couldn't have been easy."

Trigger nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Yeah, well... I guess it's important to remember where we come from, to make sure we don't repeat the same mistakes."

As he ended the call, Trigger felt a weight lift from his shoulders. The decision wasn't final yet, but for the first time since this dilemma began, he felt like he was pointing in the right direction.

He stood up, ready to head back to his desk, but paused at the door. The memory of his own Bullet Day still lingered, a phantom pain he'd carried for years.