Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72126 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 361(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
I laid my head down on my pillow and closed my eyes.
That’s when the quiet crept in, and with it came the memories of my past. One by one, they started clawing their way back, and before I knew it, I was back to the day when my life changed forever.
It was a time when all was right in the world.
I was 28 and serving in Iraq.
I had a beautiful wife and adorable son, and while it was tough to be away from them, I’d made a name for myself and was making my way up the ranks.
And then, I got the call that changed everything.
It was getting late, and our shadows stretched long across the dusty ground as my platoon and I dragged ourselves back to base. We’d been on patrol for hours, and my muscles screamed with every step. But the tension I’d carried in my shoulders started to fade the second I heard the comforting sounds of the base. It was a sign that my day was coming to an end, and I’d survived.
As I headed toward the barracks, I was already thinking about dropping my gear and maybe scrounging up something to eat, but those thoughts quickly vanished when I spotted Captain Harris coming my way. He was moving with purpose, and his expression was a clear indication that something was up. He wasn’t the type to show much on his face, but there was a tightness around his mouth, a furrow in his brow that put me on edge.
The exhaustion of the day was momentarily forgotten when he called out, “Hey, Sutton. You’ve got a call.”
A cold dread settled in my gut.
We didn’t get calls at this time of day, so I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t help but think that something horrific had happened—maybe an awful accident or someone was sick. Maybe something had happened to Tracy or Grady. Or Mom or Dad. It could’ve been anything.
The possibilities hit me one after the other—each one worse than the last. My voice sounded tighter than I intended as I asked, "From home?"
Harris nodded with a flicker of sympathy in his eyes. "They’re patching it through to the comms room."
I nodded, then followed without a word.
The sounds of our boots crunching over the gravel cut through the silence as we made our way across the base. Everything else faded into the background. All I could think about was what was waiting for me on the other end of that call.
When we reached the communications room, a young soldier at the desk glanced up as we walked in, then nodded at Harris before handing me a headset. "It’s on the secure line."
Dread washed over me as I took the headset and slipped it on, feeling the cold press of the earpiece against my skin. I adjusted the mic, and the line crackled slightly as it connected. “Hello?”
There was a moment of static, and then I heard a familiar voice on the other end—shaky, thick with emotion. “Sutton?”
“Mom?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. It’s me.”
“What are you doing calling at this hour? Is something wrong?”
“Yeah, I’m afraid it is.” Her voice trembled as she said, “I have some hard news to share with you.”
“Okay... What’s going on?”
There was a pause, a silence heavy with unspoken words. When she finally spoke, I could tell she was on the brink of tears as she muttered, “It’s Grady.”
“Grady?” My stomach twisted into a knot at the sound of my son’s name. “What about him?”
I never knew it was possible for a heart to truly break until I heard my mother say, “He’s gone, Sutton. He passed in his sleep last night.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He’s gone, son.”
“What?” I gasped. “No! That can’t be right.”
“We’re not sure what happened.” She struggled to keep it together as she told me, “Tracy couldn’t wake him this morning, so she called an ambulance and... Oh, Sutton. I’m so sorry.”
“No, that can’t be right.” My mind was flooded with images of my son, from his scrunched-up little face and furrowed brows when he was born to the moments before I left when he waddled over to me with his arms held up in the air. His blue eyes would light up whenever I picked him up, and his little hands would cling to me. It was all I could do to keep myself from hugging him too tight. “I just talked to them on Sunday, and he was fine.”
“He seemed fine when he went to sleep, but then... He wouldn’t wake up.” Mom was struggling to keep it together as she explained, “The pediatrician is thinking it might’ve been a heart defect.”
“A heart defect? What the hell are you talking about? He was fine! No one ever mentioned anything being wrong with his heart.”
“It might’ve been missed or maybe it was something new. We won’t know for sure until they’ve completed the autopsy.”