Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart -- Summer 1997

"No... they'll tear you apart and put you in a very dark place," I said to her, agreeing completely.  I had gone round and round plenty of times with the what ifs and what could have beens.  I did that quite a bit when Austin died... and then again when my dad was murdered.  I forced myself to look at my dad's gravestone.  "Especially when you are the reason they are gone."  No one would ever convince me otherwise with that one.