Chapter 244

• Perfect date
• It was a cold winter morning in January when the State Trooper knocked on Sam Benson’s door; shaking him out of a deep slumber. It was 3:05 A.M. and a light dusting of snow covered the streets. Sam barely heard the words of the Trooper as he explained how the life of his daughter and son-in-law ended on an icy highway early on the first day of the new year. They were on their way home from a company New Year’s party. The Trooper informed Sam that his two small grandchildren had been picked up from the sitter and were in protective custody. Since Sam and his wife, Vera were the only living relatives, the Trooper left Sam with a paper explaining the steps necessary to take charge of the children.
• Two days later, when the children came to live with their grandparents, Logan was nine, almost ten, and Beth was five. The children knew their grandparents but had not been around them enough to feel comfortable. Once the children were informed of their parents’ death, young Beth clung to her big brother and refused to be separated even for a short time. Logan was equally protective of his little sister. It took almost six months for them to sleep in separate bedrooms. Even then during thunderstorms, Beth would rush to her brother’s room to seek his protection from the loud thunder. After about a year she finally adjusted and began to prefer the privacy of her own room.