Above is the artwork I painted for the cover to We’re Not Down. Rocky is in the doorway waiting for Brock. The window to the right, with the blue light from the TV glowing behind the window, is where Ted is also waiting for his son to come home. You can view the actual book cover here.

I have more to explain about this book, and especially where the seed for it came from.

Here's a short excerpt from the first chapter:

They drove the next couple of miles in silence, until Ted turned down Nick’s street. An airplane flew over them, and Ted leaned forward to look at it flying so low he could read Eastern Airlines on the plane’s tail. With the wheels down, the plane was going in for a landing at TF Green Airport, a stone’s throw from Smitty’s house.

Ted remembered Smitty buying the place like it was yesterday. And at the time he’d kept his mouth shut about what it would be like living next to an airport. But back then, Green was nothing more than a regional airfield. 

Smitty was excited to buy a place of his own. And his wife wouldn’t stop talking about what a good deal they’d gotten on the house.

It wasn’t even ten years later when the big jets started flying in and out of the airport. After a few beers Smitty admitted to Ted they’d made a mistake buying a house so close to the airport.

Ted pulled the Dodge Dart up to the front of the ranch home with the green siding. The grass in front was tall and needed a cut. He leaned over the steering wheel and looked up toward the sky when another passenger jet flew over them so low the car shook. 

He hadn’t even noticed the blue Volkswagen Beetle parked in the driveway with the gold lettering on the dark blue license plate. 

A California plate. 

“Lucy’s home?” he said.

Smitty stepped out and closed the door, looking in at Ted through the open passenger window. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded. “You sure you don’t want to go grab a beer? I’ll buy.”

But Ted kept his eyes on the Volkswagen. “What happened?”

“With what?” 

“Lucy?”

Smitty shrugged. “I don’t know. She just got back.”

“For good?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you come inside and ask her yourself? I got some beers in the garage.”

The Dart was still idling, in drive, but Ted shifted into park, thinking about it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Lucy, or had even spoken to her.

“I’d better just get going,” he said, shifting the car back into drive with his foot pressed on the brake pedal. He looked toward the house and peered at each window, wondering if Lucy might be looking out.

“All right,” Smitty said. “I’m going to go drink by myself then, before the wife gets home.” He started to walk away, but turned back to Ted. “You sure?”

Ted always appreciated Smitty’s persistence when it came to drinking.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Ted said, nodding at the tall grass with a crooked grin. “Maybe after Maryann makes you cut the lawn, we can grab a couple.”

Smitty rolled his eyes and gave Ted the thumbs-up as he turned and walked to his garage. He lifted the door and disappeared into the shadows inside.