Chance was puttering around in the garage when his phone alerted him of a text message.

         Southwest Flight should arrive at 11am, gate 12. See ya then, Tim.

He acknowledged and gave him a quick heads up about the get together to which Tim responded with a thumbs up.

Just as he's putting his phone away his Mom comes through the side door with two ice cold glasses of sweet tea.

"What ya doing", she asks as she hands him a glass.

"Just looking through some of Dad's tools and such. Seems, like everything is right where he always kept it".

"It's all there. Just like he always kept it. I just couldn't bring myself to box it up " she replies as her voice quivers slightly.

Chance walks over to her and puts his arm around her shoulder, "I'm sorry Momma, I didn't mean to upset you. I shouldn't have come out here."

"No sweetie, don't be sorry. He wanted you to have it all and his truck", she told him.

"Really?" he responded with confusion.

"He really did love you Chance. I know you think he was mean and didn't understand the pain you were going through. He hated to see you like that, but he reacted the only way he knew how. By trying to teach you not to give in or give up, to build strength so that you could handle anything that came your way. Sure he had a hard time expressing himself or showing emotion but he truly loved you"

"I tried to be just like him Momma. I tried so hard but I always felt I wasn't good enough. That I failed, that I didn't Man Up like he always told me to. I learned a lot about hard work just by watching him but farming wasn't what I felt was right for me".

"He knew that Chance. Was he a little bit disappointed you didn't follow in his footsteps and work the land like he did and his father before him...Maybe...but he knew you had a gift, a gift that would bring happiness to others and especially to yourself".

Tears were welling up in his eyes as she continued to tell him about how proud he was when he went off to college, something his father never had the opportunity to do. Times when he would catch him singing in the barn while he was doing chores. Times when he would come across different writings he had done for school. How proud he was when he started signing with Street Corner Symphony and when they were contestants on the Sing Off. And how proud he would have been when he joined Home Free.

He couldn't hold the tears back any longer. As they streamed down his face, his voice cracking with emotion, he hugged his mother tightly and said "oh Momma what have I done. I waisted so much time, I didn't understand. I hurt him so bad and now I can't ask for his forgiveness. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" he sobbed.

"Shhh, it's ok baby, it's okay. " she said softly as she tried to console him.