"Yes." Emma took a deep breath.

"I've tried talking to you for months and you ignore me or act like such a jerk I give up talking to you."

"Sorry, mom. I just," he shrugged and slumped back into the seat.

“Didn't want to move. I feel like we're trying to forget about dad.”

“I am." Emma put her hands up at the look on his face.

“Not literally, Eric. I'll never forget your father, but I need to not be reminded of him everywhere I look."

“We bought that house a year after we were married. I spent twenty two years in it. Every night of which we spent together in that bedroom. The house, the furniture, the neighborhood. All our friends, all the places we went." She paused to steady her voice.

"All I see is him and I can't move on with life like that. I just can't."

“But here?" Eric spread his hands.

"Illinois? Hoffman Estates? Look at us; we're in the damn sticks."

"My family was from Chicago. I met your father when I went to school in Boston and stayed out there with him. As for the sticks? We're thirty minutes outside of Chicago. Hardly the boonies. Plenty of things to do, people to meet and some good schools." She added the last part hopefully.

"I'm sorry you're pissed I quit college."

"Your dad would be..

“Yeah, well dad's not here. He lost the right to be disappointed."

Eric snapped.

"So okay, you moved here to get rid of ghosts of dad past. I get it." He grunted disgustedly.

“Didn't even take half our furniture."

"I couldn't stay in that bed anymore and this house comes furnished.

All we needed was your bedroom set and a few other things. The movers will be here tomorrow and all our personal things are in the trailer and we'll have that emptied today. We're renting, Eric with a year lease. We don't like it, we move."

"Where next, Idaho?"

"Knock it off," she was getting pissed off at him.

"Seeing your mister no friends with zero ambition why do you care?"

“I care because this was about you, not me."

"Bullshit." She stared into his eyes.

Eric himself was why she would never forget Steven. He looked just like his father when she had met him twenty three years ago. The same dark hair, intense brown eyes and square jawed rugged features.