After Ashley left, Andrew sat quietly with the unfinished pink cereal bag in his lap.

He finally understood that fatherhood wasn’t a test he had to pass without assistance.

It was a responsibility he had to share with the people who cared about his daughter.

PART 17

Three weeks after the accident, the police completed their reconstruction.

The evidence suggested that Andrew had encountered rapidly rising water and lost control as he tried to avoid a vehicle on the flooded road.

Investigators could not identify the other driver from the available footage.