*Dad where did you go…*

*Call me right now…*

*The bank officer wants…*

I rested my forearms on the cold metal railing and watched a far-off cargo ship slide past the harbor lights.

Forty miles inland, the six-bedroom house on Lakeview Drive would be lit up from the front porch to the back patio.

Brandon would be pacing the length of the hardwood kitchen floor, rubbing the back of his neck with his yellow legal pad in hand.

Melissa would be at the marble counter with her laptop open, anxiously checking account balances and hunting for news on the loan approval.