*******
Their parents weren't exactly sure what to do next. They knew they had to tell the rest of the family, especially since they'd already told their daughter about their financial troubles. The problem was that the rest of their families lived far apart, and neither one wanted to call the other one. So, they decided to wait until they could all meet together later on.
While Scott and Mark grew up, their abusive stepfather continued to drink heavily every night, spending most of his time alone with his beer bottle. When he wasn't drinking, he spent most of his days lying around the house, watching TV. Occasionally, he took Mark and Scott for rides in his truck, pointing out intriguing landmarks as they passed them. Most of the time, however, he stayed inside the cabin. His only real interaction with other humans came when he met friends at bars and taverns after work, where he drank away his sorrows.
