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Jodi winced in pain as she pulled her hand sharply from the soapy sink, a small stream of blood on her thumb that dripped down to her wrist. It wasn’t like her to be so distracted while doing dishes but she just couldn’t concentrate. Everything was hazy at 1 Willow Lane since Kent had been drafted just about a week ago.Leaving the sink to clean the cut, Jodi felt lightheaded as she grabbed a paper towel to wrap her thumb. It was so small compared to what she knew was going on out in the rest of the world. She figured the dishes could be finished the next day, pulling the plug with her other hand and let the water drain while she went to sit on the couch.Dinner had been uneventful; both Sam and Vincent had been uncharacteristically quiet but who was she to judge. Both boys were in their respective rooms doing whatever they pleased, most likely Sam was writing some new songs and Vincent playing with his toys. On a normal day she and Kent would have made a bowl of popcorn and the family would have just spent time together in the living room. Chatting about whatever was happening in the town. But now, only the creaking of floorboards made any noise in the suddenly large house.Giving up rather quickly on resting on the couch, Jodi sighed and stood up. Retreating to her own room. It all felt off. The soft sounds of a guitar being plucked confirmed what Sam was up to. Standing awkwardly at the doorway, the small bed had noticeably started to gather dust and Jodi couldn’t bring herself to sleep in it again. Not yet. Closing the door again she decided to check on Vincent before it got too late.A soft knock on the door and not giving enough time for a response, Jodi poked her head into her youngest’s room. “Hey sweetie, are you ready for bed”?“Yeah Mom. I was just reading the book Miss. Penny gave me.” Vincent said, looking up from the small paperback he was clearly not invested in. His toys that littered the floor showed that he had only just cracked open the book. “Could you tuck me in”? He asked, his voice soft as if he expected a ‘no’.Jodi smiled warmly as she opened the door and sat on the foot of his bed while Vincent clambered into his bed, his pajamas well worn having once belonged to Sam. Pulling the vibrant red blanket over the boy and once he was loosely secured under she moved a section of his strawberry blond hair to the side and gave him a ginger kiss on his forehead. “Good night Vincent, I love you.”Staying on his bed until he was for sure asleep, Jodi gave him another kiss before standing up. The light blue walls and fluffy clouds made her chest tighten as she moved around the room, the paint still looked fresh despite all the time that had passed.Not letting herself dwell on the feeling much longer, she left the room. Making sure the door was cracked slightly before going to check on Sam.Sam had his headphones on and was lost in thought as he went back and forth between playing a few notes on his guitar and scribbling notes down in a notebook. Jodi stood in the doorway for a few minutes watching him before knocking on the open door to get his attention. When that didn’t work she instead walked to stand in front of him until he jumped at the sudden appearance of his mom.“Woh, you scared me there.” He laughed nervously as he slipped his headphones off so they hung around his neck. “What’s up”?“What’s up is that it’s getting late and you should be getting to bed soon.” Jodi sat down next to him, her hands in her lap. “You’ve gotten a lot better.” She complimented, looking at the notebook that had been closed. “So you and your band are really going to be a thing huh?”“Well yeah, Abigail and Sebastian are awesome when it comes to this music stuff! And I know we’re going to play somewhere big, somewhere other than Stardrop Saloon.” Sam exclaimed, standing up to put his guitar on its stand. “And when Dad gets back, I’ll be able to perform on stage with him to watch.”His voice quickly lowered as Jodi signaled with her hands for him to lower his volume. “Well he’s going to be just as proud of you as I am.” She promised. “But it’s getting late now. And you’ve got work in the morning.”Sam playfully rolled his eyes. “It’s not like Joja’s going anywhere mom, I’ll be up in time for my shift. And you should go to bed too.” He shooed Jodi out of his room who chuckled, leaving and shutting his door behind her.As the door clicked shut, Jodi suddenly felt alone. The cold hardwood flooring seemed to seep up her legs and into her body as she sat back down on the couch. The familiar fabric brought a sense of comfort as she curled up on it, the memories it held seeming to bring out her own drowsiness as she rested her head against the armrest. Snow could be seen falling out the front window and covering Pelican Town in a clean powder.The too big house loomed over Jodi as she held herself tighter in an attempt to stay warm. Her eyes prickled with tears as she heard the clock tick faintly behind her, the never ending reminders of her husband filled her mind until the tears began to fall freely until she fell asleep.The promise of another day unavoidable as the house on Willow Lane settled with the snow, the uncertainty of the future hanging over all of them and the town.