Beginning of Unlikely Disciple

I'm going to be writing a book about my husband Nick, called Unlikely Disciple. This is the start of this book:

It was around noon on December 2, 2015. I was in the middle of reading a book about rocks to my second grade class when I must’ve felt the vibration from my pocket. I took out my phone and saw a message that there had been a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California near Waterman Ave and that there had been at least 2 causalties. As soon as I saw the message, from a local tv station, I knew that my husband, Nicholas Thalasinos had been killed. After I finished the chapter I was reading I gave them a math assignment they could do on their own. I began trying to reach my husband first by text on his iphone and then by text on his work phone. I kept waiting for the asterisks indicating he was responding to my message, but nothing. It was silent. I tried calling both phones as well with no answer. In the middle of this more information was coming in both by KTLA 5 and by FoxNews. The incident occured at the Inland Regional Center. I wasn’t sure where Nick was that day, but I knew he was attending the annual GEM meeting. The big end of the year meeting for his department, environmental health for San Bernardino County.

I called my principal all the while fielding various questions by my students and trying not to have them notice that something was unusual while I was hanging out the door of our classroom. I had called my mom to tell her what was going on and that Nick was not answering his phone.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” she had said reassuringly.

“He’s not answering his phone, he knows how much I hate that. He would do anything to answer his phone. I think he is gone.”

“Don’t say that,” my mom said again. “He will be fine.”

“We are aware of the situation and are in contact with the Colton PD,” Lisa explained.

“Nick was in San Bernardino today for a meeting. Usually he is in Rancho Cucamonga. He’s not answering his phone. I think something is wrong.”

“Well where do you think he’s at?” She asked trying to comfort me. “I think he might be going to lunch.” “Well he’s probably stuck in traffic and can’t get to his phone. It’ll be fine.” Lisa said cheerfully. I knew she was trying to cheer me up, but I also knew something was seriously wrong. I decided to call Nick’s office. I found a number on the EHS website. The lady who answered explained that I had reached a different department, that the phone number had changed. “My husband works for EHS and I’m trying to reach him. Have you heard about what is going on in San Bernardino? I’m trying to find out where the GEM meeting is.” “I’m trying to reach someone from there too. The GEM meeting has been at the Inland Regional Center the past 4 years.” “It has? Thank you.” I hung up the phone dejected. This phone call sealed my belief. Nick was gone. I still didn’t know what had happened, who was involved, or even where Inland Regional Center was, but I knew Nick was no longer in this world. I called my principal and got one of the office assistants. I explained that Nick was in the building and that I needed to leave right away. They sent me the RSP (resource specialist, works with students in special education who are mainstreamed) to cover my class. I called my aunt to come and pick me up and I went to wait outside. Leaving that classroom I knew my life would never be the same again.