Author's Note:

Thank you so much to everyone who read the prologue and a special thanks to those who left reviews! I really appreciate the kind words! I know that the prologue was very emotional and there is more to come on that front. Elizabeth K. Joan brought up the time frame that I chose for this story. It's mainly to try something new but there is an even bigger reason that I chose the time. I think this chapter might answer that and if not, I can reveal it in the next chapter. I forgot to mention the timing of each chapter release. I will do my best to get at least one chapter out per week (if not more) and I would like to get this finished by the end of June (hopefully). We're counting down the days till school is out so the timing might change here and there at times due to what's going on. I know this is a rather short chapter but I wanted it to end on a particular note so whatever came out is what came out! Again, thank you for reading and continuing on with this story. I hope you that you enjoy the chapter and, if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Have a great week and God bless!

Chapter One

Frank adjusted his tie, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He nervously fidgeted with his suit, pulling at the cuffs and collar. The tie even looked wrong and Frank pulled it off his neck to try again. At least shaving his face didn't produce any nicks or cuts. With the tie finally in place, Frank stopped to take in his appearance and he felt that it was the best he could do.

Although the nervousness of graduation was over, the real test was about to begin for Frank: finding a job. Eight years before, he had the intention of working with his father and brother. He knew then that it was what he wanted to do. But when his mother died, his heart wasn't in it anymore. Frank wanted to move in a different direction, even if it meant for him to leave home, which is what he did.

Staring at himself in the mirror, Frank wondered what it would be like if his family were there, knowing what he accomplished. From his boxing days to pay for school to his graduation from law school, what would they think? Frank knew his mother would be proud, that was a given. But what about his father or brother?

He thought about them a lot lately, especially with the anniversary coming and his dreams getting more and more vivid. Frank even thought about calling his dad but the moment he picked up the phone to call, he'd remember the argument from years before that drove him away from Bayport.

Eight years earlier…

Frank stood next to Joe, the two looking solemn in dark suits and their hands tightly clasped in front of them. Their heads were bowed as a steady rain pelted them, drenching their clothes and hair. The brothers had no umbrella to protect them from the elements as they were two of the pallbearers for the funeral. Neither of them cared either that they were wet.

Fenton was nearby, watching the casket of his beloved wife being lowered into the ground. He held an umbrella while his other hand was clenched at his side. His sister, Gertrude, was next to him, the black, fishnet veil failing to conceal her tear-stricken face. She touched her brother's arm in consolation before stepping away from the grave. As she passed the brothers, Gertrude looked at them briefly before walking away toward the line of cars waiting for their passengers. Other mourners passed the Hardys, some giving condolences while others nodded before moving away in silence. Soon, the only ones at the graves were the three Hardy men.

"Why did you leave her, Frank?" Joe growled, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the rain. He stared straight ahead, trying his best not to glance at his brother.

"Now is not the time to ask that question, Joe," Frank muttered though he wondered himself why he left his mother. His heart pounded in his chest, the guilt rising again. "We can discuss this later."

"No," his brother stated, turning to him. "I need to get something off my chest now. I asked you a question, Frank. Why did you leave her?"

"I told you already!" he cried, looking at him. Frank was shocked to see the anger blazing in Joe's eyes. He was always close to his younger brother but he had never seen him so angry before. "She told me to go! We were going to meet at Stern's."

"You did this, Frank!" Joe yelled pointing a finger at him. "You're the reason why she's not here!"

"This is not my fault, Joe! I didn't know anything was going to happen and you know that! If I did, I would never have left her!"

"You shouldn't have left her in the first place! All because of a girl!" The younger Hardy pushed him though it didn't knock Frank down. "You were supposed to protect Mom!"

"I already blame myself, Joe!" Frank cried, glaring at him. He pushed back at Joe to get away from him. "I don't need you to do the same!"

"You should be blaming yourself!"

"Enough!" Fenton yelled, his voice booming over the rain. He stepped toward them, the umbrella still in his hand. The two brothers glared at each other, neither of them wanting to back down. "Like Frank said, this isn't the time, Joe!"

"It should have been you, Frank!" Joe screamed, ignoring his father. He threw a punch, knocking Frank to the ground. "You don't deserve to be here! Mom was the reason I went to school every day, the reason why I got up every morning! It was to make her proud from all the crap I put her through over the years! But your own damn selfishness destroyed everything! Now she won't be here to watch either of us graduate high school! She won't be here to talk to anymore! All because of you!"

Frank wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. He could see the hurt in Joe's face, the pain of losing the one person who kept him going. Frank slowly got off the ground, mud streaming off his now ruined suit. His eyes never left Joe. "There was nothing I could do, Joe," he softly said, the fight gone from him.

"You could have done something!"

"That's enough, Joe," Fenton ordered again, his voice stern but calm. He moved to stop his youngest son from going after Frank again. "I told you we need to wait and do this privately."

"No, Dad!" the youngest Hardy seethed, his anger still high. "I'm not going to wait any longer. He needs to know what he did! He was supposed to stay with Mom, remember? You said so last night! You know it's true!"

"Dad?" Frank replied, confused. Fenton turned to him, his eyes full of pain. "What's he talking about?"

"He's not wrong, Frank," his father admitted. Frank's heart dropped in shock. "You were supposed to remain with your mother while you were out. That's what we always did in the past just in case anything were to happen. But…"

"Stop," his son held up his hand. "Just stop. Now I know where I stand. I already blame myself for what happened but the one person who I thought would be the most supportive is blaming me too!"

"Frank, that's not what I…"

"No, Dad," Frank interrupted. He glanced over at his brother. "You want me gone so badly then fine. I'm gone."

With that Frank turned and walked away ignoring his father's attempts to bring him back. It was Joe's voice that sealed the deal though.

"It should have been you, Frank! And you know it!"

Frank sighed, still hearing his brother's harsh last words to him in his mind. He wondered if either his father or brother still felt the same. The thing was, he still felt betrayed by the two people he loved and trusted most. It was what was holding him back from making the call the most.

He remembered leaving home not long afterward. Frank never left a note behind and didn't care if anyone came looking. All he cared about was getting out of town and fast. The only thing Frank brought with him was a bag filled with clothes and family portrait taken the year before. He took his mother's car and left, heading west and away from the pain and grief.

It took a few months for him to figure out what he wanted to do and ended up at the school Laura once suggested to him. Frank wanted to follow the path his mother wanted him to go down. It was the only thing he could think of that would honor her.

When he finally entered law school, it wasn't what he expected. Even with the scholarship from boxing, Frank still struggled. His grades were mediocre, to say the least, but good enough to keep the boxing scholarship. But once graduation rolled around, he knew he was going to have trouble finding a law firm that would take him due to his grades. What surprised Frank though was the phone call he received the day before from a secretary representing a lawyer who wanted to interview him. It was a small firm in downtown Iowa City not far from where he went to law school at the University of Iowa. It wasn't much but it was a start. With graduation behind him, Frank was ready for a job and he was willing to do anything at that moment to get one.

Twenty minutes later, Frank walked into the building where the interview was to take place. The law firm was on the second floor and he made his way up the stairs to find the office. Coming to a door reading Johnson & Associates, Frank went into the small reception area where a young woman sat at the receptionist desk. She raised her head the moment the door closed and smiled.

"May I help you?" the woman pleasantly replied.

"My name is Frank Hardy," he announced. "I'm here for an interview."

"Oh, yes!" she cried, rising up quickly. "Mr. Johnson is expecting you. This way please."

Frank followed the woman, who was dressed in a conservative two-piece suit dress the color of mauve. They made their way through desks and other associates before coming to a door. She gestured to a hard-backed chair next to the door and Frank took it while the woman knocked before entering.

While waiting, Frank fidgeted with his satchel that held his resume and papers from school. When preparing for the interview, he wondered what he needed to take with him and ended up taking half of his portfolio with him. He wanted to impress, even if it turned into a moot point.

"Mr. Hardy?" the woman replied, startling him out of his thoughts. She gave him a kind smile as she held open the door. "He's ready for you."

"Thank you," he stammered, rising from his seat.

The room turned out to be a large corner office with dark wood paneling throughout and windows that overlooked the street below. A man of about fifty years sat at the desk, perusing a file lying in front of him. He looked up as Frank entered then rose, with his hand held out to shake. The nervous young man shook the man's hand then took a chair in front of the desk.

Mr. Johnson studied him for a few minutes making Frank even more nervous than before. He wondered if he should say anything but thought against it, waiting as patiently as possible for the lawyer to say something.

"You're not what I expected," Mr. Johnson finally said.

"Excuse me?"

"I thought you'd be less…intimidating," the man explained, "not so rugged looking. Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"I'm sorry for my appearance," Frank apologized, fidgeting with his collar. He already felt the beads of sweat soaking through his shirt due to the nerves but there was nothing he could do at that moment. "I…I boxed to pay my way through college."

"Impressive," Johnson nodded, leaning back in his chair. "I didn't mean to offend if I did. Someone with your physique and features, one would expect you to be construction worker or something like it. It could make you a very successful lawyer though. Tell me, why did you go to law school?"

The young man bit his lip nervously. It was the one question Frank wasn't sure on how to explain. He went to law school in memory of his mother, not so much for himself. "I guess it's what I wanted."

"Are you sure about that? Because it doesn't sound like it."

"I think so. It's what my mom wanted before she died. I guess I'm doing it for her."

"But that's not what you wanted to do, is it?"

Frank took a deep breath and looked directly at him. "Yes, it is," he lied.

Johnson nodded in thought. He glanced behind Frank then back at him. "Tell me more about yourself, Frank. It seems as if there are things missing from your past that doesn't really tell me who you are."

"With all due respect, sir, I would rather not talk about my past."

"Did you do something bad? Get arrested? Commit a crime?"

"No, nothing like that. It's just a...touchy subject."

"I understand," Johnson replied. He looked behind Frank again. "I'm intrigued by you, Mr. Hardy, and I would love to hire you. Unfortunately, that's not up to me."

"Huh? I'm confused. Why am I here then?"

"Good question, young man," he smiled sympathetically. "A friend of mine asked for this interview. He is the one who would like to hire you. I was just the means to get you here because he didn't think you'd want to see him."

"I…I don't understand."

"You're a hard man to find, Frank," replied a familiar voice behind him. Frank whirled around, his mouth dropping open in surprise when he saw Carson Drew leaning against the wall behind him.