Meet Me Where the Oak Tree Grows novel Chapter 55

"I figured out what his job really was back then. I asked him if it was worth it, and he said, 'Someone's gotta do the things nobody else wants to.' My dad's heroics got to me, so I signed up for the police academy, hoping to walk in his shoes and be just as amazing.

"Once he healed from his injuries, he was back to being busy, rarely home. The last time he left, he promised my mom he'd be back for her birthday. Sadly, on her birthday in 2012, instead of my dad, she faced his boss, who brought back his ashes and a medal of honor.

"Dad died in a showdown with a drug cartel at the border, fighting to the bitter end. His comrades said his chest got blown to bits, and he lost a calf.

"After that operation, the traffickers went underground. To keep our family safe from retaliation, we had no funeral, no name on his gravestone, and couldn't even visit his grave.

"My mom was devastated, developing a deep-seated fear of this profession, and became overly protective of me. She pleaded with me not to follow my dad's path, so half a year after graduating, I moved here with her to start fresh.

"Cooper was my best buddy in college. He had some inkling of what my dad had gone through.

"And the rest, well, you already know."

My heart felt like it was being squeezed, leaving me breathless. I never imagined it was this tragic and heroic.

No wonder I never saw Mom celebrate her birthday; no wonder I never saw her visit a grave; no wonder the fifth of every month was so tough for her. What should've been her happiest day brought her the most unbearable loss.

I couldn't imagine how it felt when my dad hurt her by saying her husband had a short life and died too soon.

I couldn't fathom how she survived all these years.

Her husband gave his life at forty-six, so Mom chose to end hers at forty-six. She didn’t want to live a day longer.