I had not even been in my parent’s house long enough to look for an apartment in Atlanta, when my dad found out he was being transferred back to Florida, but this time to Orlando. I didn’t realize how much I missed Florida until we got back. I thought of Ben often but knew that he was married with a daughter. I kept my contact with him to a minimum, even though almost every memory I had of living in Florida had him in it. Even years later, I missed him but was mad at him. I loved our life in Miami and was not ready for it to change. I can’t say we would have worked if I had stayed in Miami, but we would have had a shot.

My son and I were so happy living in Florida. I became a Cub Scout leader, and we camped every weekend at a different state park. I LOVED being a Scout leader. I made so many memories and life-long friends. He had 14 boys in his scout troop, but 2 best friends, James and David. They were in the same class, scout troop, and religious studies and drama class at our church. I went on a few dates while we lived there and liked it that way, until I started drinking again. I could not tell you why I started again, but the last year we were there, I was drinking and smoking cigarettes and pot again. I found a house just down the street from my girlfriend, Linda, James’ mother, but never got to move into it because my dad got transferred out to Phoenex, AZ.