About Grace

Winkler’s plane lands in Miami. The woman beside him accuses him of noticing the bin wasn’t latched and allowing her companion’s shot glasses to be broken. Winkler makes his connection for Ohio and watches the states move past below him. Once he reaches Ohio, he gets a hotel room at the airport. He buys a car through the classified ads even though he doesn’t have a driver’s license and hasn’t driven in 25 years. It’s August 2002.

Winkler buys roses and drives to Shadow Hills, where he and Sandy once lived. He looks around the neighborhood, surprised to see no evidence of the flooding. In addition, he discovers that most of his neighbors are no longer living in their homes, and new homes have been built in the area. He approaches his old home and imagines Grace living inside. However, when he knocks, he learns that the home is now owned by a family named Lee. He gives the woman who opened the door the roses and leaves.

Winkler goes to the Chagrin Falls Library and is told that a man named Gene can help him. Winkler explains that he’s trying to find his wife and daughter. Winkler offers to pay Gene to use the internet to find them.