Chet had been changing a flat tire on his truck near Coulee City. A Freightliner hauling logs had swerved to miss a deer while coming out of a curve. The load shifted, the driver lost control, veered into the oncoming lane, then onto the shoulder where Chet was working on his truck.

He never had a chance.

-Chapter 24-

Ice Lake, Washington

Ren could remember only pieces of the aftermath.

Lee had rushed home from Seattle and took charge of arrangements. In keeping with Chet’s wishes they buried him in the cemetery near the church where he and Ren were married.

It was a hard time for Lee.

He’d seen a lot of death in Afghanistan but losing his father so suddenly was a crushing blow.

For Ren, much of that time was a blur. She really couldn’t believe it had happened. She kept telling herself Chet was not dead. It was a bad dream.

She’d get up in the middle of the night to keep a vigil at the window, expecting to see his truck roll up the driveway.

He’s just late, she whispered over and over while holding one of his shirts, burying her face in the flannel, absorbing it, smelling his cologne[PI2].

-Chapter 25-

Seattle, Washington

At that moment, while Ren reflected on her life in Ice Lake, her son Lee Carter, in Seattle, thought about his life and when he’d lost his father.

He remembered how he’d raced home to be with his mother, to take care of things.

Lee was twenty-five when it happened.

After the funeral he’d spend much of the day in his room dealing with the loss of his dad and the things that still haunted him from his duty in Afghanistan.

Sometimes he’d spend hours sitting up all night in the kitchen staring into the darkness with his mother, comforting her. Other times, if he was up to it, he’d meet a friend to watch the game or have a beer.

But his mind was never on the game or the conversation.

Then there were days Lee would go off alone in the mountains, hiking or hunting.

Lee had mourned for months before he’d reached a difficult decision, one of the hardest decisions in his life.

He would quit his job as a mechanic in Jade Falls and move out of his family home. It was time he got out on his own. One of his Marine buddies was running the service bays at a large truck dealership in Seattle. It was a big operation and he’d offered Lee a high-paying job with good benefits.

“I hate to leave you, Mom. It hurts so much; I hate this, I really do, but I can’t stay here, I’ve gotta go. I think it’s what dad would want me to do.”

Ren understood.

She didn’t like it, either, but she understood.