Jenine Bergstrom, Jennie, was the youngest. She was, at 33, unmarried and the one who took care of her Poppa, as he failed. She was also the one who took care of all the details of any family gatherings. They given her the name 'Auntie Maid', and it was how she was treated, until her Poppa Joe, his health failing, had a visit from an old friend, and everything changed for our Auntie Maid.
In a short six month period, Mary Beth Rohan, who had already lost both of her parents, suffered the deaths of her three cousins and then their wonderful father, her Uncle Ned. After the cousins' funeral, Mary Beth stayed with Uncle Ned to take care of him. The only bright light at that time was the handsome detective, Mike Gray, who investigated the road rage incident that killed the cousins. Then Uncle Ned died making an arrangement that stunned Mary Beth. She turned to Mike Gray to help her.
Ryan is looking forward to catching up with his wife in the bedroom when their son goes off to the grandparents' house for a few days. She sweetens the deal when she reveals that she has a plan for him to participate by proxy with their 18-year-old lesbian babysitter.
The meeting itself, the first meeting, was bizarre and fortuitous. Wayne was making a stop at the Grand Canyon, on his traveling trip. Linda was there because she'd promised her son, Arley, who had been recently killed by and IED in Afghanistan, that they'd visit there. It was emotional for Lindy, as she looked out over the canyon and she turned and in her heightened emotional state simply clung to the young man who was standing there. It was a beginning that neither had anticipated.