CHAPTER FOUR- THE DAY BEFORE THE FIRST THANKSGIVING

The Christmas House

About seven months had passed leading up to the first anniversary of Rick and Carin’s passing. Thanksgiving was but a day away, and the tension was building in the house on Festive Lane.

Harry and Susan had discussed taking the kids away to Hawaii or Florida for the holiday to change the setting as much as possible. Still, a friend of Susan’s who is a therapist advised Susan that running away from the anger and sorrow is not a very effective way of dealing with the situation's reality. They decided to stick it out for Thanksgiving, and if things did not go well, they would take a trip at Christmas to avoid another meltdown.

The holidays are difficult for anyone who has lost a loved one, but it is very challenging when the loss occurs so close to or on a holiday, as in the case of Rick and Carin.

Susan took her last train ride from downtown Chicago to Lake Forest for a week due to taking a few extra days off to recharge. Despite her troubles with juggling the kids' demands with her job demands, her bosses extended her an offer as a partner, and she now works for Milner, Polk, James, and Hill as an Executive Vice President. She couldn’t resist the offer of a partner. She had worked most of her life trying to attain this position, and she couldn’t say no just because of suddenly having three kids.

As the train pulled up to the station, Harry was standing by Susan’s car.

“What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” she asked.

“Yes and no. Let’s sit in my warm car, and I’ll explain,” Harry replied.