Chapter 1

Hero: Craig Vermillion
Age: 30
Occupation Sr VP Vermillion Software
Residence: Tiny home in Pleasant Valley Trailer Park
Net Worth: 134 Million Dollars (US)
Major Stats: Hetrosexual, Never Married, Dated One girl in College (she left after accusing him of being lazy), Virgin, Handsome (according to most women), scar behind his right ear from falling out of a tree as a child
Hobbies: weight lifting, computer games, building tiny houses for veterans
Would-Love-Tos: Travel (Italy, Greece, England, Australia, South Africa), Be Married, Be a Father, Go Camping with a son of his own through Boy Scouts
Regrets: Losing contact with his childhood friend Sandy Fitzpatrick

Heroine: Sandra Fitzpatrick
Age: 30
Occupation: Pharmical Sales Rep
Residence: Essex County
Networth: $100,000 in a 401K through work and a several thousand in the bank
Major stats: Hetrosexual (though experimented with college friends twice, though she was drunk when it happened), Never Married, Dated one boy in college (but kicked him in the nuts when he tried to put the move on her), Virgin, Good Looking (36C, 24, 36, 5’10”, blonde hair from a bottle, Green eyes), scar on her left shoulder from a bicycle accident as a child that put her in the hospital
Would-Love-Tos: Travel America and Canada including Alaska and Hawaii, get married, have kids, go on camp outs with girl scouts or boy scouts, run a marathon
Hobbies: Zumba, Jazzercise and Jogging
Regrets: Losing contact with childhood friend Craig Vermillion

Two Years Ago

“No son of mine is going to spend his entire life sitting around the house playing video games and getting fat. You have to clean yourself up and move on with your life.” The old man yelled at his adult son who at 28 years of age still lives under his parent’s roof in spite of having a full time well paying job at his father’s software company. This argument has happened numerous times in the past and it always comes down to the same thing, lose weight, move on with your life, move out; and every time it happens it ends the same way. Dad slamming the door and the son eating a bag of chips while playing games late into the night.

However, the father had gotten some advice from an friend on how to handle this particular situation. Whisper, don’t yell and make sure the child knows he is loved.

So taking the new advice he walks further into the room and takes a knee next to the child and pulls him close and whispers, “I know you can do it. I know that you have it within you to change. I know that moving on is crazy hard, but you can do it. I love you. Your mom loves you and we will still be your parents. You need to want to change and move on with your life.”

The son pulls away slightly and looks at his humble and smiling father. “You still love me?”

“Yes we do.”

“It’s been years since you said that dad.”

“I know. Now that the merger is over with, I can focus on my family instead of spending days at the office trying to make sure that Google isn’t screwing us out of money they owe us in this merger. I’ll be home much more often now.”

The adult child got a little choked up and had to use the back of his hand to wipe away the moisture from his eye. It had been a long time since his father spent any time with him and even longer since a confession of love parted his father’s lips.

“I’m glad to hear that dad. I guess I can do it if my mom and dad are by my side.”

“Yes Craig, we will always be with you. ‘Til the days we die we will always be with you.”

The two men, father and son, hug and slap each other on the back. The father uses the armrest of the chair to stand up groaning as he does. “Geez, I must be getting old.”

The son gets out of the chair as well and also groans while standing. “You may be old, I’m just out of shape.”

Both men laugh at their jokes as the father moves through the bedroom of clutter to the door. He pauses and looks back at his son. “Remember, we love you and support you. Develop a plan for change then start working through that plan. Before you know it, you’re done.”

“Thanks dad.”

The father leaves the room closing the door with a soft click.

Now alone, the son looks around his room and begins to take stock. He has a really nice, LARGE bedroom with every item of relaxation and entertainment available to someone in the USA with income to spare. There are candy wrappers, bags of half eaten chips, empty pizza boxes, clothes (some dirty and some clean though hard to tell the difference), CDs of music and games all scattered on the floor. So much so that the hard wood floors and Italian rugs on the floor are nearly invisible. Craig decides right then and there that his father is right. He needs to change and to change a plan has to be drawn up.

“First thing, I need to clean up around here. Then, shower. Then, we’ll see.”

So it began. First the trash was collected and taken out. Next came the dirty clothes, all the clothes actually, were collected and put down the laundry shoot. Then he found the vacuum and figured out how to use it then ran it around his room several times so that that the rugs and wood floors were on display for everyone to see.