Steven and Jessica (Part Four)

In late April of this year Steven, Jessica, and their two sons entered Samaritan House. It was the conclusion of an unintended journey that had whisked them across the United States. After Steven's job in Kalispell proved to be a rouse, the family was forced to acclimate to an existence no one ever thinks will happen; they were homeless.

There can be no emptier feeling for a mother and father in regards to taking care of a family.

Like thousands of people in this position, Steven and Jessica would now have to respond. The path of least resistance would be to succumb to the difficulties and sink into an atmosphere of despair. Nearly everything they had back in Massachusetts was gone. South Dakota provided only a temporary respite before they were forced to head further west to Big Sky country, where, once more, things did not pan out.

And the damnable misery of their situation was not a result of laziness or addiction or a desire to not participate in society. Rather, they had endured a series of unfortunate events. They wanted to work. They wanted to contribute to their surroundings as viable citizens. And finally they were faced with a decision that would resonate and help define their family legacy.

Would they quit or persevere?

As an epileptic, Jessica needed money for medicine. They needed to provide for their children. Steven had extensive experience in auto body work and construction. But he was also an artist. Living in one of the family units at Samaritan House provided them with a platform to get back onto their feet. What they needed was an opportunity to catch their breath and refocus. The events of the past year swirled together and would revisit them every night as they closed their eyes and tried to sleep.

As spring slowly made its appearance in Flathead County, Steven and Jessica pledged they, too, would reemerge as a family. In spite of all the trauma and deception and heartbreak they traversed, they understood their position. Would they slip into the sea of demographics and statistics of homelessness, or would they persevere and write a legacy contradictory to their surroundings?

Summer was approaching and everything would change with one simple inquiry.