" I called Momma on the two-meter and we QSY'd to a simplex frequency. It wasn't private but there was little likelihood that anyone would be listenin.... I told her what we planned.She said, "Jack and I thought you two would go soon. We can watch your land and house. Leave in the morning. Come over tonight for supper and we'll talk."I agreed and we signed off. I told Bennie and he nodded. We packed for an early start in the morning. The interior was spic and span and would stay that way since we. The attic was a little dusty, so as I cleaned up, Holly opened up a couple of the boxes of decorations and showed Susan some of the ones that had special meaning to us.Shortly before lunchtime, Mom came home from her meeting, and we had the chance to get the tree position fine-tuned. That accomplished, Mom made hot roast beef sandwiches for all of us. While we were eating, Holly said that she had a little more shopping to do, and asked if Susan wanted to go with her. Susan looked at me for. His voice was faint, as it felt like his tongue and throat would crack like clay. “Tin,” he said again, putting all of his strength into it.“Master?”He saw her in his peripheral vision, but he didn’t have the strength to turn to her.“Water.” It was all he could say.She brought him a cup of water, and in his impatience, he tried to pull it from her hands, if only to get it to his mouth a nanosecond sooner. She helped him turn on his back so that he could drink. It was some of the best water he. ‘Give your father time to respond.’ ‘Gotta show Daddy my room!’ he called back, refusing to pause from his mission. Luke just sent Sarah a look that asked her not to interfere. Luke was seated on the floor and shown at least a hundred toys, which all had names he would never be able to remember, while Jack chatted a-mile-a-minute in his barely understandable three-year-old voice. Sarah stood in the doorway the whole time, alternately crying and laughing at the picture they made. Finally, Jack.