One Sunday afternoon, the Wesenbergs experienced every parent’s worst nightmare: their young son Ted tragically drowned in their own backyard swimming pool. Despite his father Paul’s desperate attempts to revive him and the swift arrival of paramedics, Ted could not be saved. His lifeless body was found floating in the water, a haunting image that would forever change the family.
The funeral was a blur of grief for Linda, who sat motionless and pale, unable to comprehend the loss of her child. In the days that followed, the home became a battleground of sorrow and blame. Paul and Linda, each consumed by their own grief, began to argue incessantly. Their nightly quarrels echoed through the house, leaving young Clark, Ted’s twin brother, feeling abandoned and unloved.
Once a lively and cherished part of the family, Clark now found himself in a home filled with tension and sadness. His mother, once his source of comfort, had withdrawn, often staying in bed and claiming illness. His father, though present, was distant and preoccupied. The warmth and love that had characterized their home were replaced by coldness and conflict.
Unable to bear the constant fighting and feeling neglected, Clark decided to leave. He grabbed a handful of dahlias—the flowers he and Ted had planted together—and ran to the cemetery where his brother was buried. There, he knelt by Ted’s grave, pouring out his heart. He spoke of the arguments, the loneliness, and his longing for his brother. As the night grew darker and the cemetery emptier, Clark felt a strange sense of peace.