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Nick stared out at the sunset for the longest time before he spoke. He prayed for courage to be able to tell his story. He wanted to tell her everything he had experienced. He wanted her to tell him that life would go one and everything would be ok. He needed to hear that from her.

“She’s dead, my wife, Gavin’s mother. She died two years ago,” Nick said softly looking into her eyes,

Kayleigh gasped softly and covered her mouth. She had expected a divorce, possibly just a separation. Death was the one thing that had never crossed her mind. A million thoughts consumed her mind and she didn’t know what to say. Nick continued not giving her a chance to speak.

“We took Gavin to visit her mother, just a few months after he was born. Amanda left us at the house to go drink coffee with an old high school friend. A few hours later the cops were banging on the door, holding my wife’s wallet, telling me that the coffee shop had burned down, and they were doing a search for bodies. I went with them to the fire scene. It was horrible, Kayleigh.

There were ambulances, and fire trucks everywhere. They whole place was a wreck. I knew just by looking at the damage to the place that no one was walking out of that fire alive. I fell to my knees and cried for the longest time, knowing that I had just lost the love of my life. I didn’t know what I was going to do. Gavin was only a couple months old. I did not know the first thing about raising a baby on my own. All I could think about was my wife, inside that fire. I lay on the concrete and cried for hours on end. No one approached me for a long time. They never found her body.

I looked at every body that came out of the fire. Some were burned way beyond recognition. I knew one of those were her, and it killed me more than anything to know the pain she went through, if her body looked like that. I was a disaster for months. I was completely devastated, I loved her with everything I had in me, and then all of a sudden she was gone, and I couldn’t get her back. I didn’t know how to deal. I was completely messed up. It was just Gavin and I now. I had long since turned my mother away, and I just had the guys to help me get on my feet and figure out how to raise Gavin to the best of my ability. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I learn something new everyday.

I thank God everyday that he gave me Gavin before he took my wife away. He’s all I have left of her, and I love him with my life. That little guy means more to me than anything else. He was my survival. He was the only reason I continued to get up in the morning. He needed me, and I needed him. That thought alone was the only thing that kept me going. If I hadn’t had him I would be scared to think of where I would be now. I like to think I have done pretty well, with everything we’ve been through. I do not know why I felt compelled to tell you that, but I did. I just felt like I could trust you, and it felt good to talk it over with someone else.” Nick stopped and took a deep breath.

He looked at her and saw the tears falling slowly down her cheeks. She placed her hand on op of his and squeezed it gently. He smiled lightly, doing his best to keep his tears at bay. He didn’t want her to see him cry.

“You are a very strong man, Nick.” She choked out as she wiped the falling tears away.

“It wasn’t easy. There were many times I wanted to give up. I just had to take it one day at a time..” He started.

“But you didn’t,” she interrupted “you cared enough about your son to take the responsibility of raising him. Most men would have not done that. I respect you more for doing that. It proves what kind of person you are.”

I breathe in I breathe out
Put one foot in front of the other
Take one day at a time
'Til you find
I'm that someone you can't live without
Until then
I breathe in and breathe out

They sat in silence. Nick’s mind was focused on the woman beside him. What was her story? What had caused her all the pain he had seen. Gavin’s baby monitor broke his attention. He heard his son’s laughter and smiled. He had awoken from his nap. He glanced at Kayleigh and saw the smile that had crossed her beautiful features.

“I’ll be right back,” Nick said going into the house to get his son.

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