Page 2 of Revived

Chapter 1

Luke

Present Day

“Daddy?”

“What’s up, bud?”

“Did you know that the human head weighs eight pounds?”

I cast my eyes at my son in the rearview mirror and can’t help the appreciative laugh that passes through my lips. “Yes, I did, bud,” I answer, thinking back fondly over the movie Jerry Maguire where I learned that information for the first time. Of course, now the constant reminder of that fun fact comes from my four-year-old son almost daily.

“And did you know that thumbs have their own pulse?” Grayson kicks his feet in his seat as we cruise along the road to my parent’s house, the shadows of the trees lining the road bouncing over his face.

“Yup. Hey, did you know that belly buttons grow special hairs to catch lint?”

The smile Grayson flashes me makes my heart swell. He always likes that fun fact. “Yeah, I do, Daddy. You say that one every time!”

I roll my eyes dramatically, even though this is part of the game. “Silly me. What else do I need to know, bud?”

“Hmmm,” Grayson hums as he places a single finger on his chin in thought. “Humans are the only animals with chins!” He shouts in the tiny cab of my SUV.

“No need to yell, bud. But hey, that’s pretty cool.”

“I know,” he acknowledges confidently, looking out the window again as we close in on my parent’s house.

It’s been the same routine for weeks now since I started teaching at the community college. Just a few short months ago, I worked for the Emerson Falls Sheriff’s Department, serving my community for seven years. I had been contemplating how to continue to provide for my child in a way that didn’t run the risk of him losing his father every day, especially since he’d already lost his mom. When a buddy of mine from college told me about a position opening up to teach English and Criminal Justice at the community college in Ashland, I took it as a sign—an opportunity I couldn’t ignore. The weight of jeopardizing my life and his wellbeing diminished substantially when I took the leap of faith of a career change this late in life. And the amount of relief knowing I wouldn’t have to answer calls that change other people’s lives anymore had granted me a sense of peace I needed desperately.

When I was younger, I knew I wanted to be a deputy like my dad, but earned a college degree as a back-up. Grateful I made that choice, now I actually get to put it to use. Teaching was the only other job I could ever see myself doing, ironic since my mother was also a teacher. They say you follow what you know, and I’ve now experienced both of my parents’ careers in my lifetime.

“We’re here,” I declare as I pull into the driveway of my parent’s house, the same house I was raised in on the border of Emerson Falls and Ashland, Oregon. The porch swing I remember spending evenings on with my mom still sits under the eaves, the potted flowers sit in front of each post anchoring up the patio, and the giant mulberry tree I remember climbing and falling out of too many times to count rustles in the breeze of this cold winter day.

“Daddy, can you press my red button?” Grayson starts to panic in his car seat the second we stop, anxious to run inside to my parents.

“Yeah, hold on bud. And hey, how about some manners?”

“Please! Please, Daddy!” I laugh as I exit the car and open his door, releasing him from the confines of his version of a prison, then help him down before he takes off for the door. “Grandma!” Grayson yells as he jumps into my mother’s arms.

“How’s my favorite little man this morning?” She smiles down at him, but I can see the exhaustion on her face. My mom has been taking care of Grayson for almost five years now, ever since Hannah died and I had to return to work. She’s in her late sixties and insists she still has the energy to keep up with him, but she literally retired from teaching and then became a caregiver to my son in just a few months’ time. I’ll never be able to truly express how grateful I am to my parents because I never would have gotten through the past five years without them. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and my village stepped up when Hannah died unexpectedly.

I never planned on raising my son alone. Hell, I never imagined that Hannah would die just months after Grayson was born. It’s ironic that the night we got engaged she was so worried about something happening to me because of the nature of my job. But I don’t think we ever could have anticipated her being the one to die before her time.

“He’s loaded with information and ready to talk your ear off,” I answer, handing her Grayson’s backpack full of extra clothes and toys, and of course his book on the human body. The kid can’t read yet, but he still has the thing memorized.

“I expect nothing less. Are you ready for breakfast?” She asks, depositing him on the ground as we make our way further inside. I stop momentarily to deposit his coat, beanie, and gloves in the closet by the door, then follow the two of them towards the smell of food.

“Yes. I’m super hungry!” Grayson races for his chair at the table, jumping up and positioning himself, waiting with his fork in hand.

“Be careful. He seemed to like waffles yesterday, but today he may not.”

“Oh, believe me. I know how wishy-washy kids can be. When you were little, you loved bacon one day, and couldn’t stand it the next.”

“Who doesn’t like bacon?” My dad inquires boisterously as he rounds the corner and steps into the kitchen, kissing my mother on the cheek.

“Your son. Remember when he wouldn’t touch bacon for the longest time?”

My dad eyes me suspiciously and then laughs. “Yeah, I seriously questioned if we were related for a while.”

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