"That looks like everything." Laura walked from barren room to barren room, checking to make sure nothing had been left behind. Seeing that every room appeared to be completely vacant, she gave a deep sigh and returned to the door, where her parents stood waiting. Elizabeth put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and led her to the car.
Right before getting into the back seat, Laura took one last long look at the house she'd shared with Stephen for the past year - the house she'd entered with such joy in her heart right after her marriage.
Unable to continue to make house payments, she'd had to cede the house back to the bank and move back in with her parents.
As the car came to a stop in front of the Brimmer house, she saw Jakob running to meet her.
"Mama's making fried chicken for dinner and peach cobbler for dessert," he told her as she got out of the car.
"That's nice," she replied as she hugged him.
The rest of the day was spent moving the crib and her other personal belongings into her old bedroom. The furniture and kitchen ware would go into storage.
She fed the twins and put them down for a nap right before dinner, then joined the family at the table.
Welcome back, Amon signed.
Thank you, she signed back.
She bit into a chicken leg, thinking of how much she'd missed her mother's cooking.
"Well, it looks like we'll be landing on the moon soon," Paul remarked. "They're preparing to launch Apollo 11 next month."
"Stephen wanted to see that so bad," Laura put in. "I remember how excited he was when Apollo 10 came back, right before the twins were born."
At the mention of Stephen's name, a somber silence fell over the table.
"I shouldn't have let him change that tire, Mom!" Laura was near tears. "I should have made him wait until the rain eased off some."
"He did what he thought was best." Elizabeth laid a comforting hand on her daughter's arm. "He didn't want the twins to miss their appointment."
"It could have been rescheduled!" The tears burned her eyes, threatening to roll down her cheeks. "We could have called the doctor's office and explained the situation, and I'm sure they would have been happy to reschedule."
"Honey, Stephen might have got sick anyway," said Elizabeth. "You know these things can be unpredictable. The rain might have just been a coincidence."
"He had been sneezing for a couple of days," Laura replied. "I should have made him stay home and got someone else to go with me."
"They were his children, and he was being responsible for them," Elizabeth reminded her.
Max listened to the conversation without saying a word, and a few days later, he had an announcement for his family. "I've decided to go away," he told them. "I just can't stand to be here anymore. Everything I see reminds me of Stephen. He was my best friend! First I have all these nightmares and memories of the war to deal with, and then this has to happen. It's driving me crazy! I need to go somewhere far away so I can make a fresh start in a new place, and with Laura and the twins here now, you need the extra space anyway."
"Where will you go?" asked Paul.
"New York City," Max told him. "I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I've decided that's where I really want to go. You know how I've always been fascinated by all the things there are to see there, and I figure, now's my chance."
"But that's so far away!" Elizabeth cried. "How will you support yourself?"
"I've been saving up my back military pay," Max replied. "There's a Volkswagen dealership in Manhattan. I'm hoping they'll take me on."
In bed that night, Elizabeth's mind was filled with apprehension as she cuddled with her husband.
"I'm so worried!" she cried. "You know how he still has those nightmares sometimes, and up there, he'll be all alone with nobody to comfort him!"
"You're wrong," Paul replied. "God will be with him. He promised never to leave or forsake us, and I know His hand will be upon Max now, as it was in Vietnam."
Elizabeth sighed. "I wish my faith was a strong as yours."
Paul held his wife tighter. "You're his mother, so of course you're going to worry. It's only natural. God knows we can't be strong all the time. He understands how you feel."
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Elizabeth murmured.
"So I'm to lose another fine salesman," said Matthias.
"I'm sorry," Max replied. "But I just can't stay here any longer. The memories are just to much for me to take. I hope you understand."
Matthias nodded. "The loss of Stephen was hard on all of us, but I can certainly see how it must have been an especially hard blow for you. I'm going to miss you. I'll contact the Volkswagen dealership in Manhattan and put it a good word for you."
"Thanks, Uncle Matthias. I'll miss you, too."
The two men hugged.
On the Saturday before Max's departure, the Brimmers threw a going away party for him and invited all their family and friends. On the morning he was to leave, Paul and Elizabeth hugged him and said goodbye. Tears were in Elizabeth's eyes as she embraced her oldest son. Afterwards, Laura, Amon, and Jakob hugged him, too. He promised to write soon.
At last he picked up his suitcase, boarded the bus, and found a seat.
