Christy

it resulted in a night in jail.  This

prompted a visit from Jack, but it was too late.  She was too far gone.  He made the mistake of pushing her out of the

Community too early which resulted in her just pushing him away.  Christy always regretted the way they had

left things, but there was nothing she could do about it now.  Then again Jennifer saw her own redemption in

acting as confessor and picking up where her father had left off.  Jennifer helped Christy find a little peace

and at the same time found her independence. 

Christy was going to get another chance and Jennifer finally committed

herself to living her life on her own terms.

Life was good on the farm.  Christy had her struggles of course, but

through it all the work, the food, and the lifestyle helped to make her

healthier, stronger, and happier than she had ever been.  That is of course until Christy had her

baby.  The loss of her child proved to be

a dark turning point in her life.  With

Jacks help she was eventually able to accept her daughter's passing, but the

scare never faded.  The next few years

went by in a blur and before anyone knew it she was 18.  After her birthday she did what everyone expected

her to do.  She got a job, an apartment,

and once again with Jack's help she even started classes at a local community

college. This was the first time she had ever lived alone and her old habits

worked well to help her make friends.

Christy's mother had been cremated by the city

and they had disposed of the remains. 

There was absolutely nothing left for her now.  She couldn't even say goodbye.  The only person she had left was Jack, but as

it turned that's all she needed.  He took

her to an agrarian commune they called the Community.  There were rules, limits, and she would have

to go to school, but as long as Christy could abide by this she was welcome to

stay.  The real problem was finding

something that she could do that would motivate her enough to stay on the

straight and narrow.  As they toured the

community the chances that they were going to find something were beginning to

dwindle.  That is until they finally made

it to the barns, and that's when Christy met the love of her life; a Belgian

mare named Molly.

Christy had nowhere to go and out of desperation

she began to hitch hike, and that's how she met Jack.  He always did have a thing for strays and she

definitely looked the part.  He gave her

two days to consider if she wanted him to help her, and then left her alone to

think it over.  She used that time to

rest and when it was over she was ready for him to take her home.  Unfortunately, there wasn't much home for her

to go back to.  Her mom was gone and her

daddy was in the pen for murder.  Her

momma had finally gotten up the courage to leave and there was now way he was

going to let that happen.  Even though

she was now an orphan Jack had a plan. 

He had a place he could take her and they would be willing to help as

long as she was willing to let them.

When they arrived at a Waffle House Christy

doesn't waste any time ordering the biggest meal on the menu.  Jennifer could tell it had been a long time

since she had ate so well and figured she could probably use it.  Christy's biological father died during the

Vietnam War.  Four years later her mother

would marry again, and this time not to someone nearly as loving.  He was great in the beginning of course, they

usually are, but it wasn't long before he quit working and became physically

abusive.  Christy was looking for any

excuse to get out of that place and one day that opportunity rolled up in a

shiny Trans Am.  Those were the good times,

but it all changed when the pregnancy test came back positive.  His response to this news was everything she

had feared and after that she knew she had to get out.

Christy knew that once she saw Jennifer starring

her down the only way to face the situation was head on.  She stepped out from where she had been

standing and heads for the car.  She

plays it cool though and manages to do some fast talking to explain her

intentions.  She convinces Jennifer that

she knew her dad well and for the price of a meal she could tell her some

things about him that no one knows but her. 

Jennifer is intrigued by her offer and decides to take her up on

it.  Christy begins her tale by talking

about her mother and Henry.  Henry was

Christy's biological father.  He was good

at the farm and even better to Christy's mom, but that fairy tell would end

soon enough.

and as they parted Jennifer resolved herself in her own mind to make her peace

with her dad.  However, as she walked

toward his grave curiosity got the better of her.  She walked instead to where she had seen the

woman earlier.  It was obvious by the

signs on the ground that she had been standing there for a while watching

them.  The thought brought a chill down

Jennifer's spine as she speculated about the woman's motivations.  When Jennifer did finally make it down to his

grave all she could think about was how her father had tried to warn her about

her husband, but her rose colored glasses would not allow her to listen.  While driving out of the cemetery she noticed

that same solitary figure lurking half hidden behind a tree.  This time Jennifer would know the truth.  

Jack's funeral is beginning to wind down.  Jennifer, because of her own selfishness

treats her mother as if she had never realized that she has lost someone

too.  Mary Beth, for her part can

understand her daughters self absorption and it worries her that she has become

distant, but she knows it's because of her marital problems.  As they leave the cemetery for lunch Jennifer

notices a woman who appears as if she has been watching the funeral from a

distance.  Jennifer brushes it off as

something too trivial to worry about. 

She in turn confirms her mother's suspicions as she contemplates where to

go with her life from here.  Then what

began with an awkward silence ends in a sudden outpouring of emotion as mother

and daughter reconnect as Jennifer finally begins to deal with her problems as

they both recount a memory of Jack that brought out the best in them.

The story begins with a woman as she walks alone

on her way to attend a funeral.  The man

who died had been important to her, but for her own reasons she had not seen

him in many years.  At the grave the

eulogy for the man, Jack Randall, had begun. 

The pastor quickly fell into his recollections of Jack's life well lived

and as he did so Jack's daughter Jennifer just as quickly zoned out.  She is angry and grieving, but not

necessarily over his passing.  Her mind

drifts as she focuses on a formative event in her childhood.  Her father had not been there to share in one

of her greatest triumphs and the experience had left a scar she relieved in

vivid detail.