Summer 2009

Rhody Leyman had just recently graduated from high school and was about to head to college and study mechanical engineering. He was dealing with all kinds of depression due to having issues with his biological mother.

He needed to have some time to himself, so he walked over to a nearby church and found his way in. The door was unlocked, so he made his way into the quiet sanctuary and sat on the pew. He stared straight ahead and couldn’t calm his mind. He had way too many thoughts running through his head.

He wanted to know why his biological mom left him, his older sister Jayne, and their dad. Although he has always loved his stepmom, he could never figure out why his biological mom couldn’t stand her when she was rarely in the picture. He had also done some things in the past that he regretted, and he was starting to feel sorry for himself.

Rhody kept quiet and tried to calm himself down. He tried to fight back tears as much as he could, and he managed very well.

He sat on the pew for a good hour and tried to be in tune with himself.

Suddenly, he heard the door open, and there were some people coming into the church, very likely for afternoon mass. And a few people noticed him, even though they didn’t know who he was.

“May I help you?” One of the churchgoers asked him.

Rhody tried to respond but couldn’t figure out what to say. His throat was very dry.

“We have mass starting soon,” she responded. He took this as a sign that he needed to leave, as he was starting to feel pretty unwelcome there.

Rhody headed toward the door, his face beet red. When he came home, he went up to his room and closed his door. He still needed time to himself.

Christmas 2015

Jayne and Rhody Leyman were back home in Valparaiso, Indiana for the holidays. They were celebrating with their dad and their stepmom, Estrella.

Rhody was living in Wicker Park, Chicago at the time with a couple friends. Jayne, his older sister by two years, was living in Grayslake, Illinois with her girlfriend, who was currently in LA area visiting her parents.

Rhody fell asleep on the couch in the living room while watching TV. He was so sound asleep, that when Jayne tried to wake him up, he wouldn’t budge. His head was turned to the right, into his pillow, and his breathing was very steady. Jayne lay on the couch next to him, and, out of curiosity, placed her ear against her younger brother’s chest so that she could listen to his heart beating.

Summer 2011

Kevin Maggliardi was going into his senior year of high school in Rhode Island, and he had just escaped from what could have been a bad car accident. After some tests, including a CT scan and MRI of his head, he was told he had a concussion and needed to recover for a few weeks.

He spent the following day in his bed with an ice pack against his head, since he had a pounding headache. He also had a black eye and was feeling dizzy.

In his subconscience, he heard their cat purring, but otherwise he was sound asleep.

January 2022

It was around New Year’s Day, and Levi Cranston and his friends had spent the holidays in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they live. His good friend and old neighbor, Rhody Leyman, was going to visit them for New Year’s Eve, but his trip to Valparaiso, Indiana was extended to another week because he was hit very hard with the flu.

“Hello?” Rhody answered the phone on his end.
“Hi Rhody,” Levi responded.
“Hey. How are you doing?”
“Not bad, sad you’re not here. How are you feeling?”
“Well, I could be better. I’ve been throwing up pretty much the whole day for about two days. My flight to Boston has been pushed back to next Monday. Hopefully I feel better by then,” Rhody said.
“Better late than never,” Levi remarked. “You’d drive from Boston back to your place in Brooklyn, right?”
“Right now, that’s the plan.”
“How are your dad and your stepmom, Estrella?”
“They’re fine. Jayneley and her wife stopped by. You know they live in Grayslake, Illinois now. Right?”
“Yep. I guess they live right by my older half-sister, Louise. My other half-sister, Elizabeth, and younger sister, Evelyn Maeve, live in Boston as well. Olivia lives by you in Brooklyn. And Victoria and her little family live in Plymouth, Indiana.”

May 2021

It was Friday night, and Levi Cranston’s old neighbor and good friend, Rhody Leyman, was driving to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where Levi and his friends live, from Brooklyn, New York, to spend a weekend with everyone. Levi, Rhody, Jack Andrews, Asad Prejesh, Kevin Maggliardi, Jing Hao, and Mike Wong had all planned to take a week off and hang out.

“Hey, Cranston,” Rhody replied to Levi calling him.
“Yo. Just wanted to see what you wanted for dinner. We were trying to decide what we wanted delivered,” Levi said.
“Oh shit. Anything fish is fine.”
“That’s exactly what we were thinking. Is Graham, Kevin’s brother, coming as well?”
“Actually, he’s not. He and his boyfriend are staying in New York,” Rhody remarked.
“Oh, that’s right. Kevin told me that,” Levi stated.
“I should be there in about an hour, I’ll drop all of my things off at your place, and then drop off the car.”
“Okay, then I’ll place the order when you arrive. What sounds good?”
“Anything fish and chips is fine.”
“Got it.”