Traditional Gravity
by Stephen Armstrong
Evan Chambers struggles to answer one question: does life have any meaning? Will he find his life's purpose as he navigates the maze of his religious family, the return of a high school love interest and the death of his grandfather? Or is he stuck in an endless cycle of disappointment?Some questions, once asked, can’t be shaken. When Evan Chambers dares to ask if life has any purpose, he finds the answer is elusive. After a random memory from his youth obscures the answer even more, Evan counts the steps from his bed to his balcony, and wonders if the only solution lies over the ledge.As Evan contemplates this, he receives a call from his brother Jordan. Evan’s grandfather is dying. This revelation draws him to his hometown in rural, upstate New York. While there, Evan navigates his grandfather’s last days, his disintegrating bonds with his religious mother and brother, and a surprising connection to the girl he admired in high school, Samantha. Initially hesitant to allow Evan to pursue her, Samantha begins to open up to him. Evan wonders if he is on the cusp of resolving the question that has disturbed him for so long. However, Samantha harbors her own secrets which threaten to derail their newly found relationship.Set against the backdrop of Easter week, Evan navigates through a maze of family, faith, love and death, searching for the meaning of life. Will he find the sense of purpose he desires? Or is he merely trapped in an endless cycle of disappointment?