Disclaimer: The characters of Dead Poets Society do not belong to me. The original character of Amelia Lynn Dalton does.

CHAPTER ONE

The wind blew into the small, lone car on the highway that night, but to Amelia Lynn Dalton, it felt magical. She was driving from her small country home in New England to a cabin she and her husband owned in the mountains. She made the trip twice a year, once with Charlie and the children and once by herself. As much as Lynn loved and cared for her family, she relished the four day weekend she spent on the road, with nothing but the sights and sounds around her to keep her company.

Well, almost nothing.

Lynn took a glance at the photo taped to her dashboard and felt a twinge of guilt. Part of her hated to be away from her three beautiful children, all of whom were turning into bright, intelligent minds who made both their mother and father's hearts swell with pride.

Fifteen year old Neil, nicknamed 'Junior' was a thin lanky high schooler who was growing even taller than his father. He was an exceptional student, especially when it came to literature. He had read books in elementary school some students didn't read until middle or high school. Lynn loved all her children equally, but felt a particular attachment to Neil. Charlie had traveled a lot when Neil was a small child, so for the first five years of Neil's life, it had mostly been the two of them.

Eight year old Danielle was another story entirely. She was fiercely independent, constantly wanting to learn and explore on her own. She could be willful, but usually listened to her mom and dad. Danielle was the child who had taught Lynn and Charlie the true value of patience. At 4' with brown hair and brown eyes, Danielle was the spitting image of her mother.

Four year old Mollie was a daddy's girl, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She was, as Charlie described her, "the definition of cute". With tight, curly, light brown hair, Mollie was the cuddle but of the family. She was always seeking an extra hug or kiss from Charlie. Rather than be jealous of their relationship, it was a source of pride for Lynn. Watching Mollie in Charlie's arms proved to Lynn that she had given her children something she'd never had herself. A loving, caring father.

Charlie. Thinking of him now, her pride turned to regret. She had been in a terrible fight with him right before she left that had never been resolved. Even though she'd made this trip every year since they'd been married, Charlie's curiosity had finally gotten the better of him. He'd insisted on knowing what she did during her four, five, six, sometimes seven to ten days on the road. Lynn had tried to get away with an answer of "just relaxing", but Charlie didn't buy it. When she'd refused to answer any more, Charlie had left for the night. When he'd come back the following morning to take the kids to school, Lynn had taken her packed suitcase and hit the road.

That had been earlier that morning, and Lynn had spent the day lost in her own thoughts. Thoughts of the only guy other than Charlie Lynn had ever really loved. Tomorrow would be twenty years to the day that Neil Sr. had killed himself. Even though it had been that long, Lynn still felt the same hurt, the same grief, the same everything she'd felt when she'd been told of Neil's death.

Lynn checked the clock, fighting back tears as she thought of Neil. 8:00 PM. Junior would be doing his homework while Charlie got Danielle and Mollie ready for bed. Lynn saw the payphone she always called home from. She parked the car and took a deep breath, trying to decide what to say to Charlie.

"Hey, sis."

Lynn nearly screamed. She had been in the car alone all day. But she relaxed when she saw who her company was. Heart still beating fast, Lynn looked at her passenger with aggravation.

"You scared me."

Neil was in the car with her.