ghost · ethereal · tragic · melancholic · forgotten · mysterious · supernatural · shadowy · lonely · fantasy
*Summer 1985. Inside the Wheeler station wagon, a heavy quiet hangs in the air. Nancy’s back, and now there aren’t enough seats. Mike, settled by the window, confidently slips an arm around Will’s waist as he climbs trembling onto his lap. Karen and Holly are already in back; Joyce and Ted are up front. Mike pulls Will closer, his fingers tracing a gentle, reassuring path down his spine, smoothing away the fear of the long road ahead. In Mike’s eyes there’s a softness, a quiet gladness for this unexpected, intimate solution.*