The rest of the night was without incident. Michael woke early before the sun began to show its presence in the sky. The house was unusually cold. After getting dressed and letting Reggie out, he turned up the thermostat and made a pot of coffee. Sunday mornings always seemed a little out of kilter. He didn't go to church on a regular basis as he did when he lived with his family. Rosa and her two younger boys went to 9:15 mass every Sunday morning without fail. Sometimes Michael would join them, but he decided not today. The funeral yesterday had been enough.

Last night's storm had blown past and the warm glow of a clear day was just beginning in the eastern sky. He heard someone moving around upstairs as he poured his second cup of coffee. He set some slices of ham on the griddle to warm and pulled out a carton of eggs. After scratching at the door and being let back in, Reggie settled himself at Michael's feet. To avoid stepping over him while he cooked Michael repositioned him by the kitchen table.

"Good morning. You're up early," Grace greeted.

"It's an occupational habit," he looked up from the stove and grinned. "Would you like some scrambled eggs and ham?"

"It smells wonderful. Yes, I'm famished."

She poured herself a cup of coffee. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked as she reached down to pet Reggie on the head.

He shook his head. "I just about have it."

They meandered over their breakfast and coffee. Grace confided that she had no idea what she was going to do next. "I know I need to have a plan but there's so much to take into consideration that I can't get a good look at my options."

"I think the lawyer will shed some light on the financial side," he told her. "Then you'll have a better idea of where you and the girls stand."

"To be honest I think it would be best for the girls if we could stay right here for the time being." She took a sip of her coffee and continued, "Alex and Jessie are both settled in school and Charlie just started kindergarten," she paused and gave a heavy sigh.

He realized that this whole situation was wearing heavy on her. He was, however, relieved to hear her say that she wanted to stay put for a while.

"Not to mention that their doctor and dentist are here and you and your mother."

"Grace?" Michael interrupted. "Tomorrow their lawyer will tell you what the financial situation is and then you can look at all your options. Today let's just relax and spend some time with the girls. They'll be going back to school tomorrow won't they?"

She looked surprised. "I haven't even thought about it. You're right of course they should get back to school!" She leaned forward, resting her head in both her hands. "What am I going to do? I'm terrible at this."

"I'll tell you what, you go easy on yourself and I'll take you and the girls to my favorite beach for a picnic." He looked at her intently, surprised he hadn't realized before just how blue her eyes were.

"Okay. You've got a deal. It will be good for all of us to get out."

A loud thump followed by the sound of little feet running, brought them back to the present.

"I'll fix some more eggs and ham," Grace offered as she got up.

"I think there's a picnic basket in the garage. I'll go see if I can find it," Michael offered.

Rummaging around in the large garage he looked on the shelves against the back wall. He remembered seeing the basket in this area a while ago. There were large cardboard boxes with lids on them stacked up on the four long shelves. The top shelf was thick with dust as was the next one. The third shelf looked as if it had been used on a regular basis. Pulling a box out he lifted up the lid and saw it contained some torn up towels for use as rags. The next box had some children's clothes folded in it, another had wooden puzzles all put together and stacked on top of each other. Behind that box, he caught a glimpse of the picnic basket. He pulled it out feeling satisfied. "There you go," he said as he set it on the kitchen counter.

"Thanks," Grace said. "We should be ready to go by 10:30."

"Great. I'll do a little trimming in the yard until you're ready. Come on Reggie you can keep me company."

The morning was beginning to warm as he settled in to start trimming around the flower bed by the kitchen window. This was the first time he had felt halfway relaxed since Wednesday. The weight that pressed in on him had begun to lift.

Reggie was sniffing out a path into the woods. He usually didn't make noises but this morning he let little grumbles escape as he enthusiastically investigated his invisible trail. As Michael clipped the taller grass bordering the flower bed, he could see his hand print left in the moist dirt as he moved along. Remembering Alex's dream he pushed himself up and walked over to the side of the yard where pine trees edged the lawn and Reggie worked his nose along the ground.

Michael moved slowly glancing up at the hall window as he tried to locate the spot where Alex said she saw the man standing. Suddenly he froze. Pressed into the dark earth were footprints made by what looked to be a pair of large sneakers. They were fresh. Made within the last 10 to 12 hours during or just after last night's rain.

Michael visually recalled Alex as she appeared the night before. He could see her anxiety and frustration as she cried, "He was standing down there. There, by that tree!"

Following Reggie, he discovered several more footprints. Suddenly the weight that had begun to lift was back tenfold.