Page 14 of Echoes of Eternity

“Seriously, Emily. What is wrong with your life here in California that you need to leave? You have friends, family, a job. Everything. And now you’re just going to throw it all away for what? Some dumpy business that Frank left to your husband.”

Again, she was quiet.

“Say something!” Richard stood up, his hands planted on his desk as he leaned forward.

“I don’t know what to say, Dad . . .” Eyes welling with tears, she lifted her gaze to meet his angry expression.

“Then just leave me alone. Have a nice time. But let me warn you now, you’ll be back. That town doesn’t have anything to offer you or your family. Small towns are full of small minds.”

Exiting his study, Emily paused in the hallway as her heart broke. As if losing Frank wasn’t hard enough, her father’s calloused attitude made the grief that much harder to bare.

That evening, after getting the kids to bed, Ryan sat with her on the couch. He didn’t say much, but she could tell he was concerned about her.

“I’m so sorry about your dad, Em.”

She shook her head. “Don’t be sorry. That’s just the way he is. Always has been, always will be . . . He’s nothing like what your dad was, Ryan.”

His voice was soft as he responded. “Right. Listen, if you don’t want to go?—”

“Stop. I want to go, Ryan.”

“Okay.”

Walking into Jack and Conner’s room, Ryan found his son Jack loading his Dog Man books into a box. He was crying.

“You okay, buddy?” Ryan inquired as he sat down on Jack’s bed.

Shaking his head, he walked over to his dad and hugged him. “I miss grandpa.”

“Me too.” Holding him a little tighter, Ryan kissed the top of his son’s head. “He’s in Heaven now though. We didn’t lose him, he just relocated.”

“And I, I am going to miss my friends here. I lost grandpa and now I’m losing my friends too. I’m so sad, Daddy.”

Rubbing his son’s back in a circular motion, Ryan did his best to fight back the tears. He wanted to be strong for Jack, for his whole family, but he didn’t know how to combat the waves of grief that seemed to be a constant presence in his life.

“Do you want to come help me with something, bud?”

Lifting his moist eyes from his father’s chest, Jack nodded. “What do you need help with, Dad?”

“I need to throw a bunch of stuff away in the dumpster out back.”

“Okay.” He wiped his eyes and they journeyed together to the back yard. Spotting his brother Conner playing on the swing set, he called out to him. “I’m going to help Dad throw stuff away.”

Conner jumped off the swing and scampered over. “I want to help.”

Smiling, Ryan appreciated the moment. His boys were young and their willful desire to help wasn’t in their normal repertoire of behavior.

“Conner, you start with the shed. Throw everything away that looks like garbage. You can ask me if you’re not sure. Jack, I need you to dig in the toy boxes out here and throw away any broken toys you come across. I’m going to work on the garage.”

After a half hour or so, Conner walked into the garage as Ryan swept.

“Dad?”

Turning, he saw Conner with his hands in his jean pockets.

“Yeah, bud?”

“Do we have to move?”

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