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The only people left in this world who knew what was done to  Tina when her  parents were killed by a semi-truck in head on collision were Alice and Tasha. Alice had seen the effects first hand, and what they’d done to Tina when she was a little girl. The young child was withdrawn and would often shy away from new people. Until Rick came along and was the first person to make her laugh since her parents deaths. Being from a small town in Montana, the families all knew each other, and their parents were friends with her parents so they’d all known how much Tina had lost since birth. At one time she felt as though she was cursed to live alone that was until Rick befriended her and became so infatuated with her that she felt unbelievably special. He showered her with attention and kept her grounded whenever she felt invisible. They’d taken care of one another through the years and this was no different.

Tina needed her family and they needed her just as much. Alice had gone with Tina back to Montana to tell Rick’s parents about the baby. Trish had broken down so much that Tina and Alice could barely hold her up as she sobbed on both of their shoulders. Aaron being the stoic figure of the family no one ever got to see his tears. Like any other news good or bad he’d reserved that for the solitude of his workbench in the basement. They constantly called Tina just to make sure that she was alright, and that the baby was doing well. Alice decided to forgo the fact that Tina wanted to get rid of the baby. It wouldn’t do them any good to know that at first Tina wanted rid her life of all things Rick.

While back home Trish had walked with Alice and Tina to Rick’s favorite part of the river. Alice being the only other one the three to know that Rick found himself in this river. That he’d been calmed and often unsettled by this  river, sometimes all at once. This river carried him so well. Just a little ways up the river they would camp out and Tina and Rick would make love and watch how the sun painted their backdrop in brilliant colors that showed it’s magnificence. Fishing, Swimming, Laughing and Running each other wild. Tina sat down and buried her face into her knees. This place would always be Rick for her.