“You know his favorite football team?” she said. Her faced shriveled into a sad prune. Afterwards, he stood outside the funeral home, chatting with his parents and his sister Irene. They looked down at C.J., whose face was pale with a slight trace of a smile. And whenever I reach a low point, a time when I feel bad, or overwhelmed, and want to quit or give up or feel sorry for myself, I think of C.J. Now you rest a bit, big thinker. Dillon became the next-door-neighbor-all-around helper to Katy and Cliff. He looked down for a moment, then up at me. He knew every player, knew their numbers and their stats and their heights and weights and where they went to college. He would be home for three months, and would start his summer job in a few days.
