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Trent was the new guy at the plant.  He was to ride with Deacon for his first week.  All he knew was he needed to be there early to meet him.  Three o’clock to be exact.  It was early but wanting to make a good impression he was sure to arrive about ten minutes before he was supposed to.

The warehouse crew was still busy loading trucks.  Trent watches what seems to be organized chaos.  He hears a gruff voice coming from behind him.

“You riding with Deacon today?” 

Trent turns around to see a man in his fifties walking towards him with his hand extended in greeting. 

“I’m Will, I’m glad to meet you.”                                                                                         

“I’m Trent the new driver, Is Deacon here yet?”   

Will informs Trent that Deacon has not arrived yet, and invites him to come to his office with him to wait for Deacon there.  They cross the loading dock to Will’s office.  Will making it an easy task of avoiding being ran over in the scramble to get all off the semi-trucks loaded.

Trent sits down in a chair adjacent to Will’s desk.  Will straightens piles of paper work on his desk, sits down and begins going through his emails.  When he looks up from his computer, over the rims of his glasses at Trent, he finds Trent nervously looking out the window overlooking the loading dock.   Will clears his throat and asks Trent if he knew anything about Deacon.  Trent shakes his head no.  Will informs him that he had better give him some pointers about working with Deacon.  Trent looks back at him very puzzled.

“First thing and most importantly, don’t ask about his wife or girlfriend.  He has neither.” 

“Ok.”  Trent says with a little hesitation in his voice. 

Will goes on to tell him that Deacon’s fiancé Katelyn was killed in an accident driving home from her mom’s house.   Earlier that day she and her mother had picked up her wedding dress. 

“I’m not sure if he believes that she is dead or not, he counts every day since her death.”

“Second, don’t scratch his semi, he might leave you in Shoreline,” he explains smiling.   

He goes on to inform Trent that before Katelyn died, Deacon was the plant jokester.  Now he pretty much keeps to himself, does his job and goes home.