Background - Jeff Weaver (free writing)

JEFF WEAVER BACKGROUND STORY
Married for 30 years to Marie, and then widowed. She was gone - the love of his life, and sometimes his arch-nemesis. They had been through it all, and come through so much together. But this emptiness was killing him. He had never imagined what life would look like without her. If it hadn't been for the ice on the road; if it hadn't been for the couple of beers the other driver had had; if it hadn't been that she was in a rush to get out the door - he might still have her. Oh, what he wouldn't give to have her back. But now, as he stood by the side of her coffin and the tears made their way down his face, he made a resolution - to strengthen the ties he had left.

He would never take anyone he loved for granted again - not that he had ever really taken Marie "for granted;" he just never imagined that so much could have gone unsaid over 30 years. So he glanced over at Roland, his only son, and his wife Maggie, and their two children - Russell, now two, and Cody, just a newborn, and resolved: "Things WILL be different." He would be in his son's family's life more - somehow, someway. Maybe he would talk them out of their upcoming move across the ocean. They were dead set on it, but maybe, just maybe, he could change their minds. He would do his best to try. For Marie's sake.

As the biting late-fall winds cut through his thin layers, his thoughts turned back to home - where a lonely, 3-bedroom bungalow awaited him and Roland's family. It was perfect - except that Marie was missing. But there was a room for him, a room for Roland and Maggie, a room for the boys. How long could Roland get off work? There was no time like the present for making good on his resolution to strengthen his family ties. He just hoped Roland and Maggie were as eager to make things work as he was.

As the service came to a close, Jeff closed his eyes and blinked back what tears remained. He breathed a whisper meant only for Marie, and then turned as a pat on his back signaled that it was time for him to face all the sympathizers who had come.