Ben pulls his car into the parking area adjacent to Rudy's, a popular take-out restaurant right on the rocky shore of Lake Ontario, a short distance west of Oswego.
Ben tells Rita that, "Their hot dogs are better than at Yankee Stadium." He orders four of them plus two beers to go. Ben and Rita carry their food and drinks past the picnic tables where many Rudy's customers are enjoying themselves. They continue further down the beach until they are alone and can enjoy the beautiful view of the lake while eating and drinking.
After a while, Ben stares out at the seemingly endless body of water. Finally, he starts talking.
"I want to tell you something, Rita, something I haven't talked about with anyone."
"You can tell me anything, Ben."
"I want to tell you about my son...my son, Frank."
Rita is very surprised, never having heard about a child. She stays quiet, mesmerized.
"It really starts with my wife...my ex-wife, Paula. We were childhood sweethearts, grew up in the same neighborhood, fell in love in college and married after graduation. We didn't have a child right away. But, when Frank was born, we adored him. He was a good boy. He loved his mom, but he and I were special. He wanted to be just like me. I didn't push it...it was just the way he was. He loved baseball like me. Captain of his high school team...and he followed the Yankees, too. We listened to their games on the radio and once every year we'd go see them in New York City."
Tears start to well-up in Ben's eyes. Rita puts her arm around his shoulder.
"I had two passions in my life, baseball and hunting. I got hunting from my father. It brought us closer together. He taught me everything. We used to go after small game, like pheasants and rabbits mostly. And he taught me how to be safe. Frank wanted to hunt as well. I didn't let him touch a gun until I thought he was old enough. The first lesson was safety. He was a good learner. It was great walking through woods...spending time...just the two of us."
"Then one day, after Thanksgiving, when Frank was seventeen, I was down with a bad cold. We were to go hunting with his best friend, Andy, and his father, Doc. Frank had never gone hunting without me. Paula was always nervous about hunting, but felt I would protect him. She didn't want him to go that day, but he begged me, and I told her it'd be OK. He was an experienced hunter and Doc could look out for the two boys. Frank said, 'Thanks, Dad. I love you.' He was out the door and I never saw him again."
Ben's voice cracks. Tears pour out of his eyes. Rita puts both her arms around him.
"They were deep in the woods, close to a pheasant. Frank was in the lead with his 12-gauge shotgun. He turned his head back as far as he could to his left to get Andy's attention and signal with his hand. He took a step forward, slipped on some ice and fell. The gun went off and killed him instantly."
"I'm so sorry," said Rita, crying as well.
"Later, Doc called. He said it real quick. There had been an accident. Frank was dead. I went numb. I hung up the phone and looked for Paula. She was right there behind me. I repeated what Doc said. There had been an accident. Frank was dead. She fell to the floor screaming for her son...her face distorted in agony."
"I tried to comfort her, but I was in great pain myself. It was almost impossible to cope with Frank's loss. After the funeral, my wife and I mourned, but it was different for each of us. I tried to understand why such a great boy had to die. But, Paula wanted to blame somebody, to focus her anger somewhere, on whomever was responsible and I was convenient. I had encouraged his interest in hunting. I taught him to hunt. I taught him about gun safety, but I failed him. When he needed me most, that day, I wasn't there. It wasn't fair for her to blame me, but she did and it ate away our relationship. I started pulling away from her until there was nothing left. She said when she looked at me, she saw Frank and she couldn't bear it anymore. She filed for divorce and I didn't fight it."
"You see, Rita, in one split second, I lost the two most important people in my life. I was alone."
"You're not alone anymore, Ben. I love you."
She leans over and kisses him on his lips.
Then, she adds, "I want to make love to you, Ben...right now. What are those buildings across the road?"
Stunned, Ben replies, "Sunshine Cabins. They rent them to tourists, by the day or the week."
"Let's spend the night there, Ben. I love you very much."
"I love you, too, Rita."
The two stand up and cross the road, holding each other close.
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