Because

I had followed her to her apartment then after she had parked, we headed to Outback for their steak and shrimp special. We nibbled on their Blooming Onion well we had a couple of cocktails. We had just finished our meal when John phoned.

Jack had gotten home before Marcy and was waiting for her. The booze he had drunk while waiting for her had only fueled his anger. With his father in the hospital, his brother in jail and having just lost his job. He had come to the conclusion that it was all Marcy's fault. He was waiting for her with the gun in his hand when she came through the door. The neighbor hearing the firing of a gun repeatedly called the police.

Marcy was in bad shape and was being rushed to emergency. John said it did not look good. I informed Maureen who called her mother and father. We met them at the hospital. We learned six hours later that she died on the operation table. There had been just too much internal bleeding.

I called Bill and his Missus to inform them what was going on and that I would be driving out on Friday to return his vehicle and pick up my truck.

It was hard telling the twins about the death of their mother. Klaus and I decided on a closed coffin as we picked it out. It was to think because of the conduct of one eleven lives had been changed forever. No one ever thinks there are consequences for our actions.

We were walking back from the burial site when Klaus took me aside.

"Heath there is no relationship between Jace Redding and the kids," Klaus said softy. "More importantly how long has Maureen been in love with you?"

"According to your wife since the summer before Marcy and I married' I replied.

"Did she also tell you that her sister threw me away over thirty-five years ago?" Klaus said. "I'm still grateful to this day that she did. If you and Maureen work it out, you got my support."

That was the moment I started rebuilding my life.

It's been five years. I watch Linda and Lauren waiting for the bus. Maureen my wife is busy with our two preschoolers both boys. Bill and Betty have become dotting grandparents. The gas station and convenience store have become the center of the village. We now have our own post office. In warm weather I walk from the house we built beside the pond into work.

Jace Redding and his wife come by often. His oldest son's ex-wife lives here with their kids. Jack got ten to twenty-five years for involuntary manslaughter. Jason ended up being pled down to a misdemeanor.

As for the name of our section of the world it came about because Bill painted a sign that said, "we are all here because of Circumstances" and stuck it at the four corners.