We took up residence at her mom’s home for a brief time until we were able to secure an apartment of our own. I at that time had managed to find work as a Correctional Officer and Pre-Probation counselor at the local correctional facility. The opportunity for some overtime had risen, as there was always plenty of it, and I began working all the shifts I could handle bordering on exhaustion. We had just relocated and the financial need was great. I would work two, three, sometimes four double shifts in a row as the money was great. Well, this just fueled the fires for Leanne. At one point I had come home from a double shift and was outright accused of having an affair. There was no basis for such an accusation but she in her mind believed it so. One thing led to another, words exchanged, and so forth, and we were finally facing a judge with irreconcilable differences. That was it… divorce had entered our world.

  I had now seemingly again managed to cross the family boundaries as to values and beliefs. With the birth of our son, came moderate acceptance of our union with other family members. My mother seemed to have always had resentment and ill feeling regarding the whole situation in regards to Leanne and me from early on. Though she would not outright say, her actions and hidden words said volumes. I think mostly out of respect and the way she raised me, this was a lesson she felt I would have to undergo on my own and kept her feelings somewhat private. She would gladly and openly express her thoughts and feelings if prompted by me though, but would not offer any encouragement, comments, or otherwise derogatory remarks of her own free will until the “proverbial can of worms” had been opened.

Dad on the other hand, was always a flirt. I think this was his way of trying to make others comfortable and at ease in most situations. No matter the subject or circumstance, he would always try to lighten the moment with some quick witted and usually ignorant comment, just to break the ice. He in general was a quiet man, small in stature, a workaholic, always provided for the family, and an alcoholic. Though he still to this day refuses to admit the addiction, it is ever present and has taken its toll throughout the years.  This was a source for many silently heated moments in the family.

When it came to the relationship of Leanne and me, I believe dad had his own opinions and tried to smooth things over with mom when necessary. Again being the type of personality he was and had, one could never really pinpoint his complete intentions, and emotions. I believe he had a soft spot for Leanne. They always seemed to click in each other’s presence, and I believe this just irritated my mother.

When the day came to end the marriage and to begin anew, my father’s last words to me were “Don’t give up on Nathan, never give up on Nate”. I thought it odd, how he dropped that comment to me in the manner in which he did. I didn’t put much stock into it until years later. It had dawned on me that my dad had a streak of pride I had never seen before that time. Don’t misunderstand; both my parents loved Nathan as a child and in their own ways. It was the circumstances in which he came to be that they seemed to have despised over those years. At this point in my life, I was due for a major decision and change was on the horizon. Career wise, I was tossed between remaining in Human Service,  or other security type work as I had gained experience in both. I had decided there was nothing to keep me in the area any longer, and had moved to an adjacent town approximately twenty-five miles away.

I had taken a position as a residential counselor and case manager for a county mental health agency in Johnson, Vermont. I seldom saw Nathan or Leanne at that point. I did however hear tell she had also relocated to Waterbury Ctr. a short eight miles or so from my then current location in Johnson.