Chapter 84

“I don’t want to leave your father,” she said, her voice breaking up at the mention of Dad

“You’ll always have memories of him, wherever you are,” I said.

Another car horn blared.

I shut the passenger door and leaned into the window. “Let me know if you change your mind.”

I was about to turn and head into the terminal when my mother’s hand reached out of the car door, her fingers brushing my arm. “Promise me something, Chris.”

“Anything.”

“Keep strong for me.” 38

I never told my mother that I had scattered Dad’s ashes in the depths of the Grand Canyon. It had only been a week since we arrived back home from Arizona. I was sitting at the kitchen table, paying bills and taking care of other correspondence, working my way through a third cup of coffee

Darth snored in a ball at my feet.