They gathered, these friends and family of little Grayson Hill, to remember a life that ended too soon.
His grandfathers were in the crowd, putting aside their profound grief for a moment, to show the community how much the candlelight vigil means to them.
"Supporting our family in this time," Pete Sheff, the toddler's maternal grandfather. "You can never expect what you will feel. And the chaplains and the first responders who were there for us yesterday."
Sheff was asked how they are doing during this difficult time.
"I'll say what the chaplain said," said Sheff. "And I think it describes it perfect. 'If you put all your emotions in a blender and you turn it on, you don't know what you're going to get.' And so it depends. It depends on the moment on how you feel."
Two-year-old Grayson Hill was playing in his wooded back yard, out of his parents' sight for just a moment, we were told, when he disappeared.
Chopper 7 was overhead as Snohomish County search and rescue looked for him from the air and on the ground. They found the little boy's body, in the creek about a half mile from home.
"He was an amazing child," said Sheff. "He was your typical boy."
He remembered a rambunctious toddler, who brought joy to a lot of lives.
"He was into a lot of stuff," Sheff said. "And he loved life. He was a very happy child. Much like his folks, his parents. They're amazing."
A sad conclusion to a life, so young.
Cox Media Group
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