papers and immediately sought emergency leave. When he'd arrived home, his mother's frail body could do nothing more than breathe. Helpless, he'd sat by her side and held the hand of someone who had helped so many. Amy Wiseman was nothing more than a shell. Then she died.
The funeral was packed. People from every walk of life wanted to attend and share their memories of this wonderful woman. Cancer patients from the hospital shared how she had encouraged them. Doctors shared her courage and fortitude. Everyone had a fond memory to pass along. Nicholas had listened and filed the testimonies away. Yet, to this day, bitterness and resentment over her death ruled his life.
After the funeral, his father had taken him aside. "Nick, we need to talk." The serious tone of Shane's voice had made Nicholas' heart skip a beat. They'd sat together on the couch with Shane wringing his hands. Nicholas had covered them with his own and listened to his father. "I want you to know I tried everything. I…well…I had to make some tough decisions while your mother was sick."
"I understand." His dad's uneasiness instilled fear of what was to come.
"I mortgaged the house to pay for her treatments and the bank is foreclosing."
Nicholas remembered shouting, "What about the insurance? You paid them for years and–"
His father had placed his arm around Nicholas, offering a reassuring squeeze. "They did pay. They paid a lot. But what they paid for didn't work. I searched the internet and found experimental treatments. The insurance company had a panel review my request for alternative care, but in the end, their answer was no. Your mother insisted it wasn't worth losing the house, our savings, everything, just to try unproven treatments. But I told her I'd risk losing everything to save her." His shoulders sagged. "And I did."
After hearing his father's confession, it had taken Nicholas days to work through his shock. When he could think clearly again, he'd contacted the bank and did everything but beg on his knees for a reprieve, but with no luck.
The house had foreclosed and most of its possessions sold to cover funeral costs and medical bills. When things couldn't look worse, his father had received a letter terminating his employment. In a week's time their whole world had turned upside down.
Although his father encouraged him to go back in the military or start a career with his degree, Nicholas couldn't leave his dad alone in such a situation. The decision to stay and assist was the reason he was now speeding down the highway to a new and unknown destiny.
Chapter Two
The internet software program had calculated the trip from Livingston Parrish, Louisiana, to backwater Tennessee, as being a little over ten hours. The trip's length had increased considerably because of frequent stops to eat and switch drivers.
Nicholas said, "At the risk of sounding like a whiny child, are we almost there?"
Shane laughed, "If the old GPS is working, then we have about thirty minutes to go. Do you think we should stop before we get there? Maybe freshen up?"
Nicholas checked the time. If they kept going they would arrive at exactly five o'clock. Right now, the last thing he wanted was to get out of the truck and get back in. "When are they expecting us?"
Shane scratched his head. "I told Jake he would see us around dinner time."
"I say we push on. Thirty minutes and its over, right?"
"Yep," said his dad, with a huge grin.
Off the Interstate, the four lane road went for twelve miles—twelve long miles—until it narrowed and changed into two lanes that stretched as far as the eye could see. Large flat areas with houses dotted either side of the highway. Cows and horses grazed in pastures. Beyond the houses, pointed mountains rose with trees lining the peaks.
The truck's angle changed when they pulled onto a private driveway and the vehicle bounced along a gravel road in the direction of the mountain range. Wooden fences sprang up on either side
The funeral was packed. People from every walk of life wanted to attend and share their memories of this wonderful woman. Cancer patients from the hospital shared how she had encouraged them. Doctors shared her courage and fortitude. Everyone had a fond memory to pass along. Nicholas had listened and filed the testimonies away. Yet, to this day, bitterness and resentment over her death ruled his life.
After the funeral, his father had taken him aside. "Nick, we need to talk." The serious tone of Shane's voice had made Nicholas' heart skip a beat. They'd sat together on the couch with Shane wringing his hands. Nicholas had covered them with his own and listened to his father. "I want you to know I tried everything. I…well…I had to make some tough decisions while your mother was sick."
"I understand." His dad's uneasiness instilled fear of what was to come.
"I mortgaged the house to pay for her treatments and the bank is foreclosing."
Nicholas remembered shouting, "What about the insurance? You paid them for years and–"
His father had placed his arm around Nicholas, offering a reassuring squeeze. "They did pay. They paid a lot. But what they paid for didn't work. I searched the internet and found experimental treatments. The insurance company had a panel review my request for alternative care, but in the end, their answer was no. Your mother insisted it wasn't worth losing the house, our savings, everything, just to try unproven treatments. But I told her I'd risk losing everything to save her." His shoulders sagged. "And I did."
After hearing his father's confession, it had taken Nicholas days to work through his shock. When he could think clearly again, he'd contacted the bank and did everything but beg on his knees for a reprieve, but with no luck.
The house had foreclosed and most of its possessions sold to cover funeral costs and medical bills. When things couldn't look worse, his father had received a letter terminating his employment. In a week's time their whole world had turned upside down.
Although his father encouraged him to go back in the military or start a career with his degree, Nicholas couldn't leave his dad alone in such a situation. The decision to stay and assist was the reason he was now speeding down the highway to a new and unknown destiny.
Chapter Two
The internet software program had calculated the trip from Livingston Parrish, Louisiana, to backwater Tennessee, as being a little over ten hours. The trip's length had increased considerably because of frequent stops to eat and switch drivers.
Nicholas said, "At the risk of sounding like a whiny child, are we almost there?"
Shane laughed, "If the old GPS is working, then we have about thirty minutes to go. Do you think we should stop before we get there? Maybe freshen up?"
Nicholas checked the time. If they kept going they would arrive at exactly five o'clock. Right now, the last thing he wanted was to get out of the truck and get back in. "When are they expecting us?"
Shane scratched his head. "I told Jake he would see us around dinner time."
"I say we push on. Thirty minutes and its over, right?"
"Yep," said his dad, with a huge grin.
Off the Interstate, the four lane road went for twelve miles—twelve long miles—until it narrowed and changed into two lanes that stretched as far as the eye could see. Large flat areas with houses dotted either side of the highway. Cows and horses grazed in pastures. Beyond the houses, pointed mountains rose with trees lining the peaks.
The truck's angle changed when they pulled onto a private driveway and the vehicle bounced along a gravel road in the direction of the mountain range. Wooden fences sprang up on either side
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