path: root/16-AWonderfulGiftPart1.rst

Episode 3.16, A Wonderful Gift, Part 1
--------------------------------------

With Ole Pen

It’s been awhile since I’ve written. So much and so little has
happened. After a week with no trace of Ryan Hunter and his group,
the county lowered the Terrorist Threat Level back down to ‘Yellow’.
I’m still trying to deal with the idea of life without Ryan. Yes, I’m
thrilled, but I still think about him, and I often have to remind
myself that he’s gone.

Grace went home after her mother agreed to admit herself into rehab.
Sarah is in Baltimore. I don’t know why she couldn’t do it here, but
I guess this is a special Jewish center for that purpose. Rabbi
Polonsky left today to join her, so Grace is back as my roommate
until her mother returns.

I told Dad that I knew Ryan was gone, but he said he still had to
complete his investigation. He left this morning to consult with the
FBI about it, and he won’t be back until Tuesday evening. I know it’s
just a few days, but I’m still going to miss him. I like having him
here every day.

The Goetzmann’s finally came over the Saturday before last. Mom made
her leg of lamb. Everyone enjoyed it. Elizabeth was glad that I found
out about Adam taking dance lessons. She felt bad about deceiving me,
but Adam wanted to keep it a secret. She said Adam is doing really
well. We talked and listened to the CD’s she brought with her, and
she showed me a few dances that she had learned. We had a good time.
Yesterday was a struggle, but I feel better now, having said goodbye
once again to Judith. The crocus is still blooming. The Herald had a
story this morning. Visitors to Mercer Creek discovered the crocuses
Adam and I planted. They have bloomed as well! I had Luke look up the
‘Joan of Arc’ crocus for me. They’re not supposed to do that, at
least not until the spring. Strange.

I’m falling back in love with Adam. I guess I never really fell out
of love, but it still scares me. I need to slow down. How do you
control your heart? I should tell him how much I really love him. Not
sharing our true feelings is what caused our breakup in the first
place. Isn’t that what I demanded of him? God, please help me to do
it right this time.

Next week is Thanksgiving and my birthday, both on the same day. That
happens every few years. At least I wasn’t born on April 1st!
Everyone is trying to get hints of what I might like as a present. In
years past, I’ve always given everyone lots of ideas, but this year,
I can’t think of anything I want.

I stopped taking street fighting lessons from Ms. Keady, except for
once a week. She wants me to at least practice that often. She feels
she knows the jitterbug well enough now, and tomorrow, we start
teaching students. We are both amazed that we never got caught with
what we were really doing in the gym. I asked Elizabeth to help with
the teaching, and she agreed. Since I’ll be dancing so much during
school, I’ve decided to skip dance class this week.

Ms. Keady has made only one request, in addition to me helping to
teach the other students. Her daughter wants to meet me. So, after
school tomorrow, she and I will be visiting the Children’s Hospital.
I hate it when anyone is hurting, but children are the worst. I
started to tell my dad, but then I realized I didn’t have to. I told
him anyway.

Well, I have to go to sleep. It’s going to be a stressful next few
days. I have built up my endurance, but jitterbugging is still a
dance that’s quite exhausting, and I’ll be doing a lot of it.

At School

Joan and her army walk to class. Is it still her army, now that Ryan
is gone? Good question. They come upon Alice posting flyers on the
wall.

Alice – “Would you like to come to the ‘Battle of the Bands’ on
December 3rd? There will be five bands, including ours. It’s to raise
money to rebuild St. Paul’s Church.”

Joan – “Yeah, it sounds like fun. Do they need help?”

Alice – “Brother Jimi thought you might ask. He would like you to
accept the donations.”

Adam – “I’ll help with the lighting.” He smiles and continues,
“Because Joan will need someone to catch the loot.”

Joan – “Oh no, we’re not doing that again. I’ll talk to my dad and
see if he can have some police officers there from the beginning.”

Alice – “Brother Jimi has already seen to that. Don’t worry;
everything will be fine this time.”

Joan – “How did you find out about it?”

Alice – “Brother Jimi called and asked me if we would play. He saw us
play at a wedding reception, and he liked our music.”

Joan wonders for a moment, “Friedman, where’s Glynis?”

Friedman – “I don’t know. We went… we studied biology yesterday. I’m
surprised she’s not here today, too.”

Elizabeth walks past, “Hey, you need to get to the gym.” She winks,
“I hope you dance.”

Adam – “What was that about?”

Joan – “Oh, it’s nothing. It’s a song from one of the CD’s she
brought over the other day. But she’s right, I have to go. I’ll see
you later.”

At the Girardi Residence

Richard answers the door, “Will, come in, I’m so glad you decided to
come.”

Will – “Well, I can’t make promises, but I have decided that it’s
time we talked.”

Richard – “Let me introduce you to my family. This is my wife Trenna,
my daughter Emily, and my son Trevor.”

Will initially extends his hand, but each pulls him in for a hug and
responds with an appropriate greeting. Emily continues, “Uncle Will,
tell me about Joan. I was so excited when Dad told me that I had a
cousin. When can I meet her?”

Will – “I don’t know just yet, but we can talk later.”

Will and Richard go into the study alone.Richard begins, “I could
tell you remember my mother’s name. Please don’t hold that against
her. She’s really a sweet kid.”

Will – “It was just the initial surprise. Don’t worry; I would never
take our problems out on Emily or Trevor. In fact, that’s the main
reason why I decided to come. I haven’t been fair to my children.
I’ve been depriving them of knowing their uncle and cousins…”

At the Herald

Rebecca walks up to Kevin’s desk, “Here are some more stories I want
you to edit.”

Kevin – “Why don’t you just make your suggestions online, instead of
hand carrying them?”

Rebecca – “I like to write my notes by hand, but you still get the
original stories.”

Kevin – “Okay, but it seems inefficient.”

Rebecca – “Well, I’ll consider changing. We are going to have to
reduce our operating costs. With the FBI freezing Hunter’s assets,
that puts us in a real bind. I’ll be at a meeting with them today to
discuss it.”

Kevin – “They just don’t want Hunter’s money to go to sponsoring
terrorism.”

Rebecca – “I know, but the government doesn’t have any more right to
his money than we do. We are the victims here. We are going to get
some of it released, while the lawyers fight it out.”

Kevin – “Good luck with that!” Kevin has been enjoying Grace’s
company at home for too long. He continues, “The fascist corporate
state wants it all.”

At School

Joan and Ms. Keady are pleased with the response to the dance
lessons. As expected, more girls join in than boys, but Ms. Keady
decided not to make participation mandatory. All students have the
choice of dancing or running laps. Given that, some of the boys
decide to dance after all.

Joan isn’t as tired as she expected. It must be the endorphins. The
shower was wonderful, but it still didn’t wash off all the sparkle.
It’s like being a little high, but it’s a natural high, and boy is
she hungry. Lunch couldn’t come soon enough.

It’sJoan’s turn in line and the lunch lady asks, “Whatcha want,
sugar?”

Joan leans over the counter and says softly, “I’m really hungry
today. Can I have extra of everything?”

Lunch Lady – “Sure you can, baby.” She fills the tray with extra
large portions, “There you go.” She smiles and continues, “Have a
good day, Joan.”

Joan does a double take. Is she God or does she just somehow know her
name? With Adam and Grace standing there, she can’t pursue it
further, so she thanks her and continues to the table.

Adam – “Wow, I’ve never seen you take so much food! You always eat
like a bird.”

Joan – “Can it! I’m a growing girl. I’m hungry.”

Adam – “No, I didn’t mean it that way, I’m sorry.”

Grace – “Children, please, not at the table.”

Friedman – “I like girls with meat on their bones.” Both Grace and
Joan slap him in the head, “Come on, stop it!”

Joan smiles and looks at Grace, “We haven’t done that in awhile. Life
is good!” The distraction offers an opportunity to change the
subject, so Joan continues by asking, “Adam, are you ready to dance
with me?”

Adam – “That’s something we need to talk about, but later.”

Joan – “What?”

Adam – “Not now.”

Joan – “You mean you don’t want to dance with me? Then what are the
dance lessons about?”

Adam – “I said, later.”

Joan – “No, I want to hear it now.”

Adam gets mad and leaves the table. Joan looks back at the others
with a surprised look on her face. Grace comments, “You’re messing
up.”

Joan gets up to follow, but first says to Grace, “Don’t let anyone
touch my lunch. I’ll be back.” She catches up with Adam in the
hallway, “What’s wrong?”

Adam – “I just didn’t want to talk about it there. It’s private.”

Joan – “Okay, we’re alone now. What is it?”

Adam – “I’ve been working really hard to learn how to dance, but I’m
not that good yet. I want our first real dance to be special, not
something in gym class.”

Joan – “Okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that. But I still have
to help teach the class.”

Adam – “I know, but I was wondering, could you and Elizabeth switch?
I would rather you not see me dance until later.”

Joan – “I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Ms. Keady. But what if I
can’t?”

Adam – “Then I’ll run laps. I know you don’t trust me yet, but I have
my reasons. I promise, I’ll tell you everything soon.”

Joan – “Okay, I’ll see what I can do and I won’t bring it up again.”
She pulls him in for a kiss, “Let’s go back and finish lunch. I’m
still hungry.”

At the Girardi Residence

Trennahas laid out a selection of lunch meats, peanut butter, jelly,
and bread. All have gathered around the table. Emily is rocking side
to side in her seat, enjoying her sandwich, “Uncle Will, can you tell
me about Joan now?”

Will – “You know, Kevin and Luke are also your cousins.”

Emily – “Yeah, but they’re boys. Tell me about Joan. How old is she?”

Will – “Joan is almost eighteen.”

Emily – “Wow! She’s exactly twice my age. I’ll be ten in January.
What does she look like?” Will retrieves pictures of all three
children from his wallet and hands them to her. “Wow! She’s pretty
and she wears her hair long like mine. What does she like to do?”

Trenna– “Emily, you’re asking too many questions. Your Uncle Will
might not want to talk so much yet.”

Will – “It’s okay, Joan likes to dance and she practices yoga. She
likes music and she has a boyfriend named Adam.”

Emily – “What kind of dance?”

Will – “I don’t really know. She’s mentioned waltzes and the
jitterbug. All kinds, I think.”

Emily – “Mom, see? Joan dances. Why can’t I take ballet lessons?”

Trenna– “We’ll talk about this later.”

Will – “I’m sorry.”

Richard – “That’s okay. Emily just has the attention span of a nine
year old. We’ve just been waiting to see if this is what she really
wants.”

Will – “So Emily, tell me about yourself.”

Emily – “Well, I want to be a ballerina.”

Trenna– “Emily.”

Emily – “Okay, and I like to sing. What kind of music does Joan
like?”

Will – “Mostly pop music, but she likes some of the music I have on
records.”

Emily – “I like country western the best. LeAnn Rimes is so hot!”

`How do I live without
you? <http://dc19.4shared.com/download/12889944/c7342f76/Leann_Rimes_-_How_Do_I_Live_Without_You.mp3>`__\ *\
I want to know.
How do I breathe without you?
*If you ever go.*
How do I ever, ever survive?*\ ”

Will – “Wow, you’re really good. Have you ever thought about taking
singing lessons?”

Emily – “Mom, see?”

Will – “So Trevor, tell me about yourself…”

At the Children’s Hospital

Joan is able to switch gym class with Elizabeth. The results are much
the same as the first class. Elizabeth tells her that all of them --
Adam, Luke, Grace, and Friedman -- joined in the jitterbug lessons.
Joan would have loved to be part of that, but it was more important
to avoid a crisis for Adam. She still wants Grace to come to one of
her dance classes. Maybe this will do the trick.

After school, Ms. Keady takes them to the Children’s Hospital. They
talk on the way, “What is your daughter’s name?”

Ms. Keady – “This week, she’s Ultra or Pearl. Her name is actually
Zoe, but she likes nicknames, depending upon what she’s reading at
the time. She’s been reading the ‘Ultra’ comic book series. Pearl
Penalosa is the heroine.”

Joan – “Can I ask why she is in the hospital?”

Ms. Keady – “Zoe has a brain tumor. It’s causing the symptoms of
narcolepsy. Do you know what that is?”

Joan – “Something about falling asleep?”

Ms. Keady – “Yes, but it happens unexpectedly. She may be talking and
then suddenly, she’s asleep. She usually wakes up a few seconds
later, but the periods have been getting longer, sometimes as long as
a few minutes. The doctors haven’t been able to treat the tumor, so
they’re trying a new drug to treat the symptom.”

Joan – “Will she be okay?”

Ms. Keady – “Fortunately, there’s no pain, but my fear is one of
these times, she just won’t wake up. My sister had the same thing.
She died when she was nine.”

Joan – “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

Ms. Keady – “Well, she wants to be treated like a normal girl, so
please try your best to do that. She dreams of becoming a dancer.
That’s why when I told her about our lessons, she wanted to meet
you.”

They arrive and sign in at the security station. The guard looks up
Zoe’s name and responds, “Ms. Keady, they have moved Zoe to a new
room. She’s now on the third floor, in the Harold Lloyd suite, room
21.”

They enter the room and Zoe immediately reaches for her mother with
open arms. Ms. Keady melts into her with a loving hug. This is a side
of Ms. Keady that Joan has never seen. The drill sergeant gym teacher
she has known is now the most loving mother.

Ms. Keady – “How are you feeling today?”

Zoe – “Fine. Look! A doctor came by and gave me this book. He said I
could keep it.”

Ms. Keady – “Let me see.” Zoe holds up the book so they can see the
cover. “\ The World at Ripple Pond, sounds nice. I have to talk to
Dr. Wilson, but I’ll be back soon. You and Joan can talk for awhile.”

Ms. Keady leaves and Joan says, “That was nice of the doctor to give
you the book.”

Zoe – “Yeah, he comes by a lot. I don’t know his name. He’s a real
nice man, but he talks kind of funny. Do you have a pen so I can
write my name in my book?”

Joan retrieves a pen from her purse and Zoe writes her name on the
inside cover, “There, now everyone will know it’s mine.”

Joan – “Can I see?”

Zoe hands her the book and Joan leafs through, “This is really a nice
book.” She returns to the front page and notices where Zoe has
written her name, “Oh, Raphaela is your middle name. That’s a very
pretty name.”

Zoe – “Yeah, sometimes I like to be called Raphie. That was my aunt’s
name, but I never knew her.”

This whole experience is very unnerving for Joan, but she has
promised to act normal for Zoe, so she says nothing. Zoe asks, “Tell
me about dancing. What kind of dances to you like?”

Joan – “Oh, I like all kinds. I guess my favorite would be the waltz,
but all are fun to do. Do you have a favorite?”

Zoe – “I don’t know the names, but mom dances with me. She doesn’t
like me to do it alone, but I do anyway, sometimes. I’m pretty good,
except when I go sailing.”

Joan – “Sailing?”

Zoe – “When I go to sleep. Sometimes, I fall down. Will you show me
the waltz dance?”

Joan gets up and Zoe climbs out of bed. “Are you sure you are allowed
to get out of bed?”

Zoe – “It’s okay. They don’t start the medicine until tomorrow. Come
on, dance with me.”

Joan takes Zoe’s hands and walks her through the steps. Zoe is right,
she is a quick learner. Soon, they are dancing around the room. Ms.
Keady comes back and smiles while watching from the doorway. When
they finish the dance, she comes in and makes a big to-do about how
well Zoe dances. Joan, of course, provides the appropriate
encouragement as well. Zoe climbs back into bed and picks up her
book. She begins to read aloud, “Once upon a time, Princess Juliette
was walking in…” Suddenly, Zoe is asleep.

Joan looks at Ms. Keady, “So, I guess this is sailing?”

Ms. Keady – “Yeah, that’s what she’s decided to call it.”

Joan – “What should I do?”

Ms. Keady – “Nothing, just wait. Soon, she’ll wake up, and if nothing
has changed, she’ll continue reading, and she won’t realize anything
has happened.”

Joan waits for what seems like forever. Then just as suddenly, Zoe
continues, “…the meadow. A handsome prince came by and offered her a
ride on his beautiful horse. They rode all morning, and then…”

At the Girardi Residence

Will is in the basement with Trevor. Richard has built a marvelous
train platform for him, actually for both of them, to play with.
Trevor has two trains racing around the maze of crossings, bridges,
and tunnels. Will is impressed with Richard’s craftsmanship. “You and
your father have done a great job making this train set.”

Trevor – “Yeah, we have a lot of fun with it, but sometimes it gets
boring. Would you like to see something neat?”

Will – “Sure!”

Trevor moves a lever and both trains move onto the same track, “Watch
this.” Trevor increases the speed and each train roars around the
platform on a collision course.”

Will – “Wait, they’re going to crash!”

Trevor – “That’s the idea.” Within seconds, train cars and train car
parts begin flying off the platform.

Richard rushes down stairs to investigate the commotion, “What
happened?”

Trevor – “Uncle Will moved that lever. I told him not to.” A smile
paints across his face.

Will – “I… but I…” Will decides it’s pointless to argue. He gives
Trevor a glare and agrees, “Well, I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting this
to happen.”

Richard is astute enough to know what really happened, but decides to
let if go. “Will, I found some pictures that I think you might want
to see. Let’s go up to the study. Trevor, please clean up this mess.”

Trevor – “But Dad…”

Richard – “And no more trains for a week.”

At the Children’s Hospital

Zoe – “…and they all lived happily ever after.”

Joan – “Or they all moved towards spiritual growth and
enlightenment.”

Zoe – “What?”

Joan – “Oh, never mind. That was a nice story. You read very well for
your age.”

Ms. Keady – “She has a good teacher. Mrs. Olg is retired, but she’s
still the best teacher in Arcadia.”

Zoe – “I like Mrs. Olg too, but I want to go to a real school
someday.”

Ms. Keady – “I know, honey. Maybe this new medicine will allow you to
do that.”

On the way home, Joan is quiet for a while, but she finally decides
to speak, “Zoe is really nice. Would it be all right if I visit her?”

Ms. Keady – “I put you on the visitor’s list, so you can visit
whenever you like.”

Joan – “Thank you.” She pauses before continuing, “I don’t know if I
should ask this, but where is Zoe’s father?”

Ms. Keady doesn’t respond immediately, but then says, “Zoran and I
had planned to marry on Valentine’s Day. He had business in Tokyo, so
we spent Christmas there. On the way back, our plane crashed. There
were 393 passengers on that flight, but he was the only one who was
killed. I will never understand why.”

Joan – “I’m so sorry to hear that. I shouldn’t have asked.”

Ms. Keady – “That’s okay, it was a long time ago. Please don’t tell
any of your friends. At school, I’m still Arcadia’s army drill
sergeant, and I want to keep it that way.”

Joan – “Don’t worry; I’m good at keeping secrets.”

At Home

Grace and Luke are waiting for Joan to arrive. They agree to study
biology and government together so Joan can catch up on the classes
she missed today. While they wait, they play Skip-Bo at the dining
room table.

When Joan arrives, she sits with them and asks to be dealt in, “I
need to do some mindless activity for awhile.”

Grace – “I gather you don’t want to talk about your trip with Ms.
Keady?”

Joan – “Ms. Keady’s daughter is Zoe. She’s very pretty, and someday
she will have all the boys chasing after her, that is, if she lives
that long. It’s really heartbreaking. Why do bad things always seem
to happen to good people?”

Helen overhears Joan’s comment, “That’s a question that only God can
answer. I’ll say a prayer for her.”

Joan – “You know what she wants most?” Joan doesn’t wait for an
answer, “She wants to go to school like a normal kid. That really
makes me feel sad, because I know how much I complain about school,
and that’s all she wants.”

No one responds. They just begin to play the game, giving Joan the
mindless activity she seeks.

At the Girardi Residence

For Will, going through the pictures with Richard is melancholy and
cool, kind of bittersweet. It brings back some of the bad memories
and some of the good times he had forgotten. Will is especially drawn
to an 8X10 photo of his father in uniform. He remembers it from when
he was a child, but he never knew what had happened to it.

Richard – “I was thinking about having copies of this made. Would you
like one?”

Will smiles, “Yes, that would really be nice.”

Richard packs up the photos, all except for one album and the photo
to be copied, “These are some more recent photos I would like to show
you after dinner.”

Trennacomes in, “You forgot to get lettuce. I have dinner on the
stove. Can you run to the store and get some?”

Richard – “Sure.Will, I’ll be back in a little while.”

Will – “I can come with you.”

Richard – “No, you and Trenna haven’t had a chance to talk yet. You
can do that while she watches dinner.”

After Richard leaves, Will and Trenna go into the kitchen. Will
comments, “What smells so good?”

Trenna– “Spiced beef, it’s a recipe passed down through my family. My
ancestry is Irish. My maiden name is Muldoon.”

Will – “Well, it smells delicious.”

Trenna– “I think you’ll like it. I’ve also made peach cobbler for
dessert.”

There’s a lull in the conversation, so Will asks, “How did you and
Richard meet?”

They sit down and Trenna smiles, “I was selling equipment for a
medical manufacturer. We were demonstrating an ultrasound scanner
where Richard was one of the resident doctors. Afterward, I invited
Richard and the other doctors out for dinner. I was surprised when
they all declined, except for Richard. It was intended as a business
courtesy, but I found that I really enjoyed Richard’s company. I
couldn’t stop thinking about him. Then a week later, I called and
asked him out. We dated for a while, and then we fell in love. Well,
I think I actually fell in love with him that first night. It’s not a
Romeo and Juliette story, but it worked for us. I’m very happy.”

Will – “No, it sounds like a nice story.”

Trenna– “Tell me about Helen. How did you two meet?”

Will – “Bailey’s Donut Shop. I was a rookie street cop then, working
on the night shift. My partner and I made a habit of stopping in at
Bailey’s after our shift. I noticed Helen was usually sitting and
quietly reading in a corner booth. I didn’t say anything for weeks,
but then I just had to say hello. She told me to leave her alone and
she got up and walked out.

I left her alone for a few days. Then I got my partner to talk about
her with me, just loud enough for her to hear. She ignored us, but we
kept it up for a few days. Then I caught the tiniest smile. I sat
down with her, but this time, she didn’t leave. She still wouldn’t
talk to me, but she let me talk to her. By the time she finally did
talk to me, I think I had told her everything there was to know about
me. It was still several more weeks before she would go out with me,
and a couple of years before she would marry me. It was a challenge,
but I finally made her fall in love with me.”

Trenna– “That a nice story. I’m looking forward to meeting her. What
else can you tell me?”

Will – “Well, for years she stayed at home raising the children. But
two years ago, she started working at the school office, while the
kids were in school. Last year, she became the school’s art teacher.
She really enjoys it. She also paints. I don’t know the first thing
about art, but I know she’s really good. She’s even had her work
shown at the Franklin Art Gallery in Arcadia.”

Trenna– “That’s really impressive. I don’t paint, but I do love art.”
She gets up, checks the oven, and turns down the burners on the
stove. “I bought a painting a few years ago. Richard says I’m weird
for buying it. Let me show it to you.”

She takes him to the upstairs hallway where it is hanging, “It’s a
reproduction of MC Escher’s ‘\ \ `Ascending and
Descending <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/AscendingandDescending_MCEscher.jpg>`__\ .’
What do you think?”

Will looks at the painting for a while, “I don’t know. There’s
something wrong with that staircase.”

Trenna– “That’s the beauty of it. It’s impossible, yet there it is! I
love it.”

At Home

Joan, Grace, and Luke play cards until dinner, so the studies have to
wait. Between Luke and Grace, Joan catches up. However, the physical
and mental exhaustion of the day causes Joan to have to go to bed
early. She lies quietly trying to make sense of the day, but she’s
just too tired to think. As she falls asleep, she wonders, “Is this
real or am I going crazy?”

At the Girardi Residence

After dinner, Will and Richard retire to the study. Richard shows
Will the pictures in the last photo album. It’s a collection of
photos from their wedding through the present. Richard turns through
the pages, explaining each picture. As he turns the next page, a
photo falls out. Will picks it up. It’s a picture of Richard and
another man. Written on it is, “Thanks for the tip.” Richard can see
Will is curious, so he explains.

“That’s Frank Burns. He was the best man at our wedding. I first met
Trenna when she came to show some equipment at our hospital. She was
the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I knew she had planned to ask
us all to dinner, so I paid the other doctors $50 each to decline.
That’s what he means by ‘Thanks for the tip.’ I got to spend the
evening alone with her. I wanted to ask her out right away, but I was
broke. Then she called me. Trenna is happy believing that she seduced
me. That’s why I’ve never told her what Frank meant by his remark.”

Will smiles, “That’s a nice story.”

At School

Joan and Grace meet up with the others, and they are shocked to see
Adam has a splint on his finger, “What happened!”

Adam – “Elizabeth got mad at me last night. She slammed my finger in
the car door, but it was an accident.”

Grace – “Spill it.”

Adam – “Well, I was trying to be funny and made the mistake of making
fun of Jim Krosier. He’s in our dance class too. It appears Elizabeth
has a crush on him.”

Joan – “She mentioned him the other day. He’s her favorite dance
partner.”

Adam – “Well, he’s more than that. They are going out on a date this
weekend.”

Joan – “Well, you just need to learn to keep your hands out of places
where they don’t belong.” She smiles and gives him a kiss.

Glynis– “Oh, I’m so jealous. Huggy-bear, kissy-face.”

Joan – “What’s your problem?”

Glynis– “The reason I wasn’t at school yesterday. Apparently, I have
mono. I’m not allowed to kiss for a while.”

Luke – “Friedman! Have you had a fever or anything?”

Friedman – “No, apparently, I was just the donor.”

Everyone laughs, except for Glynis and Friedman.

At Johns Hopkins Children’s Center

Richard and Trenna send the children back to school. Trenna works
part time selling pharmaceuticals, while the kids are at school.

Richard decides he wants to show Will where he works. They enter the
pediatric trauma center, and Richard introduces Will to some of the
staff. He then begins to show Will some of the facilities and
equipment that aren’t being used. Will can see that Richard is very
proud of both his family and his work. He thinks to himself that he’s
glad he decided to make the trip. He regrets not having gotten to
know his brother, a good and decent man.

Over the PA comes a message, “Code Yellow. All physicians and staff
report to your stations.” Simultaneously, Richard’s pager goes off.
Richard is initially annoyed, “Now what! I told them I was taking the
day off.” He pulls out a card from his wallet, “I haven’t had this
code before.” He reads the card aloud, “Code Yellow – Disaster.”

Suddenly, the trauma center becomes a flurry of activity. Doctors,
nurses, and other specialists begin arriving from other parts of the
hospital. Richard and Will walk over to the nurses station where
Richard asks, “What do we have?”

Nurse – “A major accident on I-95, just north of the tunnel. Five of
the vehicles were school buses. There are about 20 children on the
way.”

Richard looks sadly at Will, “I’m sorry, I have to go to work.”

Will – “I understand, I’ll call you later.”

Richard goes to work and Will makes himself invisible by standing in
a recess in the wall. Children begin to be brought in and the hallway
quickly becomes a triage area. A gurney with a girl a little younger
than Emily is parked in front of Will. The girl is covered with cuts
and scrapes. She cries while the doctor tends to her wounds. She
reaches out her hand, “I want my mom. They said my mom would be
here.” Will melts and takes her hand, “She’ll be here soon. Don’t
worry.” He holds her hand while the painkiller takes effect. Her
mother does arrive, just before they take her to the OR.

At the Herald

Rebecca returns from her meeting with the FBI. She hasn’t said
anything yet, but the expression on her face indicates that it did
not go well. She sits at her computer for a few minutes, and then
walks to the center of the room, “Listen up, everyone.” She pauses
briefly, and then continues, “I was at the meeting with the FBI to
discuss the freezing of our assets. They want to search our database
to ensure that no one was involved with Ryan Hunter. Although we
would like to cooperate and get this behind us, this is a clear
violation of the First Amendment. We had to refuse.

The battle has gone to the lawyers. I don’t know how long this will
last or how long this newspaper can survive without cash flow. I ask
all of you to hang in there, and hopefully, this will be resolved
soon.”

Rebecca returns to her desk and Kevin notices that she appears to hit
the ‘Enter’ key. A message pops up on his screen. It reads:

*Kevin,*

*That was my official statement. As your friend, I suggest you polish
up your resume.*

*Rebecca*

At School

The jitterbug lessons go pretty much the same as yesterday. Some
students decide to join after watching for awhile. Adam is unusually
quiet during lunch, and Joan wonders if he is still mad about what
happened yesterday. She decides to strike up a conversation, “I
haven’t heard you mention Pax recently. How is she?”

Adam – “She’s fine. In fact, my dad is allowing her in the house now.
We kept the shed heated, but she still got very lonely. She sleeps in
my room now. She has claimed my bed, but begrudgingly lets me have it
when I go to sleep.”

Joan – “That’s good to hear that she can spend time with you in the
house now. She’s such a great dog.”

Adam – “Yeah, and my dad likes her too. He takes her out for walks
and plays with her when I’m not there. He’s not a dog person, so I
never would have believed this could happen, but Pax has won his
heart.”

Joan – “Believing in things that you can see is easy. It’s the things
you can’t see that I sometimes have trouble with.”

Luke – “Well, you can’t see air, but we know it is there, even though
we can’t see it.”

Grace – “You mean like religion, because I know you believe in God,
and you can’t see him?”

Joan thinks to herself, ‘But I can see him!’ She leaves the thought
there and replies, “I guess I mean, what if you discover that
something you never thought could be true, actually might be true?
What would you do?”

Grace – “You’re being too cryptic, but if you know it’s true, then
believe it.”

Glynis– “I once believed that dogs were boys and cats were girls. I
didn’t learn I was wrong until we got another cat.”

Friedman – “Thank you for sharing that. Atem re’item, Exodus 19:4,
You have seen. If you know it to be true, then you must believe it.”

Adam looks at Joan, “I believe in things that I can’t see. When I
told you I talked to angels, it wasn’t completely a metaphor. I
believe in God and angels, and I talk to them all the time. I just
don’t talk to anyone else about it.”

Joan smiles, happy that Adam would share that with her, “Yeah, but
what if this thing is so incredible, that you have only heard of it
happening in legends. Would you still believe it?”

Luke – “You really have only two choices; to believe it is true, or
believe you are insane. I think the jury is still out.”

Joan’s eyes become like daggers. “Thanks Luke, don’t you think I’ve
thought of that?”

Grace – “If you’re not going to tell us what it is, I don’t think we
can help you. Maybe you should talk to a priest, or to Lilly.”

Joan – “Yeah, maybe. I don’t know. I guess I’ll just have to figure
it out on my own. Thanks for the ideas.”

Joan quietly continues eating and thinks to herself, ‘Believing in
God hasn’t been a problem, because I can see God. But I don’t see
this, I just think it might be true. Is that enough?’

On the Way

Will remained at the hospital until the backlog of children were
treated and forwarded elsewhere. He had a similar encounter with a
young boy and tried to comfort him. It was inspiring for him to watch
Richard work.

On the drive home, Will listens to the news. “Joppatowne Elementary
School’s field trip to the National Aquarium turned into tragedy
today. Their school buses were involved in an accident on interstate
95, just north of the Fort McHenry Tunnel. Almost a 150 children were
treated at area hospitals. Fortunately, there were no fatalities…” He
searches the dial, but can’t find anything he likes. He resumes
listening to the CD Lilly loaned him. He thinks about Helen and the
kids, and how wonderful it will be to be\ `back home
again <http://dc19.4shared.com/download/12899598/4f56cdc4/John_Denver_-_Back_Home_Again.mp3>`__\ .

At the Bookstore

Business has been light, so Joan has been able to do the reading
Madam Marx gave her. She takes a tablet and begins writing things
down: The passage from Corinthians; the meaning of Raphaela;
Raphaela, Ms. Keady’s daughter; her being named after her aunt. Was
the Raphaela in her dream Ms. Keady’s sister? *The World at Ripple
Pond*. She checked. That was never a book the store had ever ordered,
and as far as she could find, it has never existed. Yet, now Zoe also
has a copy, given by a mysterious doctor who talks funny. The ‘Joan
of Arc’ crocus. It had no business blooming until the spring. Oh, and
the frog! We had it cut to pieces. How could it have jumped out of
her hand and out of the window?

She wonders for a few minutes, then continues writing. ‘I leave hints
all over the place. I’m all about hints.’ Then she writes, ‘Some
things have to be believed to be seen.’ She slowly begins to circle
this last entry, over and over again. She misses the days when God
would just give her assignments. ‘Sure, whatever you say.’ At least
then, she knew what she was supposed to do, even if she didn’t know
why. ‘God, why won’t you just walk through that door and tell me I’m
right or tell me that I’m nuts?’

The door chimes and she looks up, “Dad! What are you doing here?” She
runs to him, and gives him a big hug.

Will – “I looked at my watch as I was coming into town and realized
it was about time for you to get off work. I decided to give you a
ride home.”

Joan – “I’ve missed you. I know it was only a couple of days, but I
like having you home.”

Will – “Well, I don’t have any more trips planned, so I should be
home for quite a while. Are you ready?”

Joan – “Yeah.”She gathers up her things and sets the alarm as she
leaves. On the way home, she tells him about how much fun she has
been having teaching the jitterbug. Then she continues, “So, how was
your trip?”

Will – “Good, it turned out better than I had expected. I’ll tell you
about it after dinner tomorrow. I know you’ll probably beat me, but
would you like to play a game of chess when we get home?”

Joan – “No, not tonight, I’m too tired. I’m going to get something to
eat and go to bed, but I would like to play again.”

Will – “I’ll be ready.”

They arrive home and everyone is glad to see Will. As they are
getting ready for bed, Helen asks, “How was your trip?”

Will – “Good, good, better than I had expected.”

Helen – “So, does that mean we’ll be having company for
Thanksgiving?”

Will – “Yeah, I invited them last night.”

At Home

School was pretty much the same as the previous days. Elizabeth and
Joan talked for a while and she apologized profusely, “I’m really
sorry for breaking your boyfriend. It really was an accident.” Joan
asks about Jim. “He’s really good looking and he’s a great dancer.
I’ll let you have a dance at the ‘Battle of the Bands’ if you want.”

After school, Joan and Will have their game of chess. Will is
actually playing very good. Joan looks at the board and devises a
strategy for him to win. She’s getting better at this. She only had
to make one subtle mistake to insure her loss.

Will – “Did you let me win again?”

Joan – “No! You won fair and square. You’re getting better each time
we play.”

Will isn’t sure whether to believe her, but he decides that maybe he
actually did win this one.

Dinner is wonderful. Oh, it was just spaghetti and meatballs, but all
of them being together again made it special. After dinner, they all
gather around the table again.

Will – “Earlier this week, I told you I had business with the FBI. I
actually went to visit your Uncle Richard. I…”

Joan interrupts, “That’s great! What made you decide to go see him?”

Will – “Well, you kids almost getting killed reminded me about of how
important you are to me. I got to thinking that I wasn’t being fair
to you.”

While her father is talking, Joan remembers what God told her. She
smiles, pleased as she realizes that her father has decided to play
his missing note.

Will continues, “You should be able to know your uncle and
cousins.So…”

Joan interrupts again, “Uncle Richard has a family?”

Will – “Yes, he’s married and has two children. His wife is named
Trenna, and his children are named Emily and Trevor. Anyway, I
decided to have a talk with him. It’s still going to be difficult for
me, but I think I’ll be okay. It’s more important for you to be able
to know him and his family.”

Kevin – “When will we be able to meet them?”

Will – “Next week. I have invited them for Thanksgiving.”

Joan – “I remember that uncle Richard is a doctor. Do you know what
kind?”

Will – “He works at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. I saw him
working. He’s really impressive. I’ll tell you more about that
later.”

Luke – “How old are his kids?”

Will – “Emily is nine and Trevor is seven.” He looks at Joan, “Emily
is dying to meet you. She will probably stick to you like glue. She’s
quite a little pistol, but she’s really a sweet kid.” He looks at
Luke, “Trevor is a handful. He probably should have been named
Damien, but it will only be a few days. He will likely want to spend
time with you.” He looks at Helen, “Trenna is a stunning strawberry
blonde. She’s really nice, smart, and a great cook. I’m sure you’ll
like her, too.”

Luke – “What do you mean when you say Trevor should have been named
Damien?”

Will – “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m sure you two will get along.”

Kevin – “It sounds like they are really good people. I have some
news.” He pauses momentarily, “Things at the newspaper are not going
well. Rebecca didn’t say anything specifically, but I think if the
problem with the FBI isn’t resolved soon, there may be layoffs, or
the newspaper may even have to close. It doesn’t look good.”

Will – “How do you know this?”

Kevin – “She told me to polish up my resume. I really like my job,
but it looks like I may not have a choice. I have looked around and I
think working as a paralegal would be interesting. It still involves
research and I would have to do some writing with it. I’ve found a
paralegal course and one in creative writing at the same place. Both
courses are available on line. I’ve enrolled and will be starting
them after Thanksgiving. So that’s the news with me.”

Helen – “Kevin, I hope you are able to keep your job, but if you do
get laid off, I’m sure you will be able to find something else. And
if you can’t find something right away, you can try to finish your
courses early. You never know. This may turn out to be a good thing.”

Later that evening, Joan goes up to Luke’s room, “Can I look up
something on your computer?”

Luke – “You know I don’t let anyone touch my computer.”

Joan – “Come on, you know mine died. I won’t hurt anything, I
promise. It will only take a few minutes.”

Luke relents, “Okay, but don’t close any of my windows and I’ll be
back in a few minutes.”

When Will told her that Richard worked at the Johns Hopkins
Children’s Center, something resonated within her. She does a Google
search and clicks on one of the links. She reads:

*The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center is a full-service children’s
hospital within the Johns Hopkins Hospital, with 160 inpatient beds
on eight different units and a separate pediatric emergency
department. Our pediatric nurses pride themselves on providing
competent and compassionate patient-focused, family-centered care. If
you want to be a pediatric nurse…”*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s nearly morning and Helen is finishing a good night’s sleep. In
her dream, she is alone in the church. A handsome young man, whom she
has seen before, steps up to the lectern. He has lost his brown
corduroy coat and is instead wearing traditional clothing. “Father
Mallory was feeling ill this morning. My name is Father Deus.” He
begins to give the most beautiful sermon she has ever heard. It’s
about believing in things that can’t be seen. When he finishes, he
steps down and sits beside her, “That’s a pretty nightgown you’re
wearing.”

Helen – “Yeah, I try to dress well when we meet here. So, what’s the
occasion? Is something bad going to happen?”

God – “Why, is your life in desolation?”

Helen – “No, but it always seems like I see you only when something
bad is going to happen.”

God – “Well, this time it is different. I want you to pay attention.
You will be told something that you have been told before. You will
know it when you hear it. I would like you to consider believing it
this time.”

Helen opens her eyes to see the clock reads 5:59 a.m. She turns the
alarm off before it sounds. She lays and wonders for a while before
getting up.

At School

Joan has gym class when she is usually taking calculus, but she
doesn’t mind missing it at all. Everyone in this class has decided to
join in. Many in this class have already talked to their friends
about the dance lessons. Some have even been practicing with others
who have already taken their first lessons. Only time will tell if
dancing becomes a regular part of physical education, but the
prognosis looks good.

In government class, Brian Beaumont gives a brief presentation on the
plans for this year’s job fair. He remembers Joan’s essay and asks
her to help. Joan is reluctant at first, knowing that she already has
herself spread pretty thin, but Grace razzes her, “Come on, practice
what you preach.” When Grace agrees to help her, she decides to
volunteer. This creates a conflict, because Joan really wants to
visit Zoe after school.

At the Police Station

Mimi – “Thanks for meeting with me. We could have done this earlier,
but with your terrorism investigation, I decided it could wait.”

Will – “Well, I’m curious if the information I provided helped.”

Mimi – “Yes and no.Officer Garcia was a suspect in the missing money
and heroin from the evidence locker, so your request to investigate
his involvement at the community center bust seemed warranted. Also,
the fact that some of the money and drugs were found during the
warehouse raid seemed to suggest his involvement as well, but even
with all of that, there just isn’t enough evidence to go to trial.
What we have could just be coincidences. I’m afraid we’re going to
have to close the book on this one, unless some new evidence comes to
light.”

Will – “Well, the man’s dead. I suppose it really doesn’t matter now,
no reason to soil his memory.”

Mimi – “So, how is the Hunter investigation going?”

Will – “Rapping up.We’re running out of leads. It’s a good thing he
skipped town, because we don’t have as much evidence as I would like.
If this goes to trial, I question if we have enough evidence to get a
conviction.”

Mimi – “Do you have any information on the murder charge by the
Millersville police?”

Will – “I had Carlisle talk to Detective Anderson in case there was
any information related to our investigations. They only have a
motive and no alibi, not a strong case, either. The FBI is another
matter. They have him involved in manipulating stock futures. It
appears that’s how he made his millions.”

Mimi – “Well, he’s gone, and I think Arcadia will be better off
without him.”

Will – “On that, we totally agree.” As Mimi leaves, Will thinks to
himself, ‘You may have been the most cunning criminal I have faced,
but you sure don’t know how to play poker.’

At the Herald

Rebecca returns once again from a meeting with the FBI. She seems to
be in a better mood than yesterday. There was a new agent present who
wasn’t at the previous meetings. His name is Victor Delacruz.

Rebecca once again takes center stage, “May I have your attention?”
She pauses while people gather around, “We have reached a tentative
agreement with the FBI. It will require some sacrifices on our part,
but the plan will allow us to emerge as a stronger company than
before. When the plan is finalized, it will be posted on our internal
web site. All full time employees will be allowed to vote for or
against the agreement. Thank you.”

Rebecca walks over to Kevin’s desk, “Hey, have you had lunch? There’s
a new street vendor selling Philly cheese stakes. Sound good?”

Kevin can sense that Rebecca has an ulterior motive, so he goes
along, “Yeah, it’s actually been quite awhile since I’ve had a cheese
steak. Let’s go.”

Once they have gotten their sandwiches, Rebecca begins the
conversation, “When I said that all full time employees would be able
to vote on the agreement, there was a reason. We are going to have to
let go of all of our part-time workers and paid interns. Everyone
left will have to take a 5% pay cut, but that will be offset by stock
purchases. It’s not a great deal, but it may allow us to avoid
layoffs of full time employees.”

Kevin – “Adam is going to be heartbroken. He really enjoys his work
here.”

Rebecca – “I know. I like Adam too, but this is a business decision,
nothing personal. Charlie in Ads told me he didn’t like being told by
Hunter to hire him, but he has been very satisfied with Adam’s work.
He will give Adam all the references he wants.”

Kevin – “I’ll call Joan and give her a heads up.”

Rebecca – “Adam won’t find out until he comes to work this afternoon,
but yeah, I think you should tell her.”

Kevin looks at his watch, “She’s in class now. I’ll call her after
her last period.”

At School

During lunch, Joan contacts Susan Jordan at UMC. To Joan’s delight,
she agrees to participate in the job fair. Adding someone from the
medical industry to the job fair will be a lot easier now that she
has a volunteer.

Just before the meeting, Kevin calls to tell her about Adam losing
his job. She considers not going, but Adam doesn’t know yet, so she
decides to attend and rush things along.

It turns out that Grace has her own agenda. She proposes inviting a
union leader to explain the job opportunities in that profession and
the trades. There isn’t any opposition to either of their proposals,
since Grace has already lined up a volunteer as well.

At Sal’s Arcade

Luke and Friedman enjoy the new game that was months overdue. They
have played it before, but the released version of ‘Phantom Warrior’
has more features than Friedman’s pirated version.

Glynis, along to watch, quickly becomes bored. She finds her own
game, ‘Whack-a-Mole’, and becomes enamored with this decades old
carnival favorite. She names each of them Alfred and calls out their
name each time she whacks one. Friedman has been trying hard to
ignore Glynis’ effort at anger management, but he finds it
impossible. He and Luke join the crowd that has gathered around her.

All activity in the arcade ceases and the crowd begins to chant along
with Glynis, “Bam! Alfred. Bam! Alfred…” Excitement grows as she
nears the record that has stood for over seven years. When she goes
over the top, bells and whistles chime from the machine. She
continues on, adding a substantial number to the original total, but
alas, she misses one and the game ends. Many in the crowd offer their
congratulations and as she types her name into the permanent record
of the machine, she looks at Friedman and adds, “With a little help
from Alfred.”

At the Rove Residence

After the meeting, Joan calls home to tell her mother that she will
be late for dinner. She leaves school and walks over to Adam’s house.
She finds Mr. Rove preparing to leave for work and tells him that
Adam will be losing his job. Carl decides he will talk to Adam in the
morning and allows Joan to stay with Pax.

Paxis happy to see Joan. She retrieves a ball from Adam’s room and
begins to taunt Joan with it. If Pax could talk, Joan knows she’s
would be saying something like, “Come on, play with me. Bet you can’t
take this. I dare you. No, you can’t have it. Oh, don’t give up so
easily. If you promise to throw it, I’ll let you have it. Come on,
please! Outside? Outside?”

Joan has never had Kevin’s arm with a ball, so when she takes Pax
into the front yard, she often throws and hits one of Adam’s many art
pieces. Fortunately, she doesn’t break anything, but by the time Adam
arrives, she and Pax have everything in the yard that will move,
moving.

Adam is in a moderately bad mood, but it pleases him to find Joan and
Pax there. He is also astute enough to know there must be a reason
for her presence. He takes the ball from Pax and throws it. “Kevin
told you?”

Joan – “Yeah, he called me after school. I’m so sorry.” She gives him
a hug, “I’m sure it won’t take you long to find something else.”

Adam – “I think I already may have.” Joan gives him a surprised look,
but he continues before she can speak, “Do you remember that mural I
restored at Ike and Ishmi’s Bagel Co-op?”

Joan – “Yeah, over on Walnot Street.You did a beautiful job.” She
pauses to throw the ball for Pax, “And funny! Those eyes were so
cool.”

Adam smiles, “Yeah, I liked them, too. Anyway, I ran into Mr. Zonker,
Ike, the other day, and he told me that people have been asking who
did it. He has a list of names if I want it. I wasn’t interested at
the time, because I was busy with work and dancing, but I think I’ll
pay him a visit.”

Joan – “That’s great! You are so talented. Hey, can I come with you
sometimes? You…” Pax demands her attention and get a ball toss “…you
almost never let me watch you work.”

Adam – “I usually like to do my art in private. You know what a lot
of it means to me.”

Joan – “I know, but do you remember what I said about us talking
more, sharing our feelings? You need to let me in. Your art is a very
important part of you. I’ll never be able to do what you do, but I
want to understand it. If I can watch you work, you can explain what
you’re doing and then I’ll understand. See?”

Adam takes the ball from Pax and gives it a long throw. He then takes
Joan in his arms and gives her a kiss, “Are you starting to fall in
love me again?”

Joan – “Yeah, a little.”

At Home

Joan has finished her reading and struggles to complete her calculus
assignment. When she finishes, she goes to Luke’s room to have him
check her answers, “Luke, can you check my homework?”

Luke – “Just a minute.”

Soon, Grace comes down, “We were just talking.”

Joan doesn’t respond, but just goes upstairs and waits while Luke
checks her work. He tells her that she has one wrong and explains how
to find the correct answer. Joan thanks him and as she leaves, she
wonders why he is being so nice.

She goes back down to her room and talks to Grace, “You need to cool
it, at least here. Mom has told you the rules.”

Grace – “Yeah, I know, but we were just talking.”

Joan – “Yeah, well no talking in bedrooms, okay?”

Grace – “Yeah, I hear you.”

Helen calls upstairs, “Joan, telephone. Grace, I need to talk to
you.”

Grace goes downstairs and Joan picks up the phone, “Hi, this is
Joan.”

Cee-Cee– “Hello, where are we going tomorrow?”

Cee-Ceedoesn’t have to identify herself. Although she speaks English
very well, she still has a strong Chinese accent. “I don’t know.
Where would you like to go?”

Cee-Cee– “I was hoping you would know. A voice in my head only
suggested that I go with you.”

Joan realizes she must mean her planned visit with Zoe. It also dawns
on her that she still doesn’t know what God wants her to do with
Cee-Cee. Could it be that all of these hints have really been about
her? “Oh, I plan to visit a friend at the Children’s Hospital after
school. Would you like to come?”

Cee-Cee– “Sure, I love children. Shall I pick you up at school?”

Joan was going to say she would meet her there, but there is no sense
in taking the bus, “Sure, that would be nice. About three thirty?”

Cee-Cee– “I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a pleasant night.”

Grace comes back upstairs and calls up to Luke, “Luke, your mom wants
to talk to you.” She goes into Joan’s bedroom, “Did you rat on me?”

Joan – “You mean about being in Luke’s room?”

Grace – “Yeah, I just got the third degree from your mother.”

Joan – “No, I didn’t say anything, but you deserved it. You know the
rules.”

Grace – “Then if you didn’t tell her, how did she know?”

Joan – “She’s a mom. She figures things out.”

At the Children’s Hospital

Cee-Ceepicks Joan up as scheduled. On the way, she asks, “Are we
going to meet someone special?”

Joan – “Yeah, her name is Zoe. She’s really sweet. She’s the daughter
of my gym teacher.”

Cee-Cee– “How old is she?”

Joan – “I’m not sure, but I think she’s about seven. Oh, she likes to
dance. If she asks, maybe you can dance with her tonight.”

Cee-Cee– “Sure, I can do that.”

As they approach Zoe’s room, Joan sees God walking toward them, “Hi,
Joan.”

Joan – “Hi.”She looks at Cee-Cee, “Cee-Cee, this is my friend, ah…”

God interrupts, “May I speak to Joan in private for a moment?”

Cee-Ceestands stunned for a moment, with a glowing expression painted
across her face, but then she responds, “Sure, it’s very nice to meet
you.”

After Cee-Cee walks ahead, Joan says, “God, I have no idea of what
I’m doing!”

God smiles, “What are you expecting to happen?”

Joan – “I’ve made a list of all the hints. You’re all about hints,
right? I still don’t understand how this can be within the rules?”

God – “You are an instrument of Me, bound by the limit of time and
space. Perfect.”

Joan – “But I don’t think I’m ready!”

God – “There will always be another test that you’ll be afraid you
will fail. You just need to remember what I have told you… three
times now. And what is that?”

Joan sighs, “Some things have to be believed to be seen. So how does
Cee-Cee fit in?”

God – “Cee-Cee has been asking that same question. She has already
learned that the spiritual pathway to me is from within. You must
learn it, also. Look inside your soul.” God begins to leave, but then
adds, “You have known how it is to have an adversary. Enjoy having an
ally.”

God leaves, and Joan and Cee-Cee walk into the Zoe’s room together.
Zoe – “Hi, Joan. You just missed Mrs. Olg. Who’s your friend?”

Joan is speechless for a moment, realizing the connection, but then
says, “This is Cee-Cee Lin. She’s a dancer too, and I met Mrs. Olg in
the hallway. She is really a nice person.”

Zoe – “Hi, Cee-Cee.I wish I felt better. I would love to dance with
you.”

Joan notices it right away. Zoe looks terrible. Her skin is pale and
her eyes have dark circles around them. Her beautiful wavy black hair
now looks dry and lifeless. “Well, we can just talk. I brought you a
book. It’s kind of young for you, but I still enjoy it.”

She hands Zoe the book and Zoe glows for a moment with excitement, “I
haven’t read this one. I have ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ at home. I still
like to read it. Thank you.”

A nurse walks in, “Princess Julie, it’s time for your medicine.”

Zoe – “It’s Juliette. Can you come back later? I want to talk to my
friends.”

Nurse – “Okay, but only for a few minutes. We have to keep to the
schedule.”

The nurse leaves and Zoe says, “I’m sorry. When they give me the
medicine, it’s going to make me tired.” She pauses, thinking for a
moment, “I really don’t think this stuff is helping me. I’m pretty
smart, but I don’t see how a medicine that makes me tired is going to
help me to stay awake.”

Neither Joan nor Cee-Cee can think of anything to dispute her point,
but Joan comments, “Well, we’ll stay here until you fall asleep.”

The nurse returns and after Zoe falls asleep, Joan asks Cee-Cee to
take Zoe’s hand. Cee-Cee does, but asks, “What would you like me to
do?”

Joan – “Pray with me that God will heal Zoe.” Joan takes her other
hand and they both begin to pray silently. After awhile, Joan opens
her eyes. She sees that Zoe is still the same. Nothing has changed.
She stands up and kisses Zoe on the forehead, “I’m so sorry Zoe.”

The drive home is in silence, because Cee-Cee can tell that Joan in
not in the mood to talk. As Joan gets out of the car, Cee-Cee asks,
“May I come by to visit tomorrow?”

Joan – “Sure, in the morning or afternoon.”

Cee-Cee– “Good, I’ll see you in the morning. Have a good night.”

At Home

Joan was quiet during dinner and went to bed early. In addition to
feeling depressed because of her failure, she began to feel sore all
over. Helen has observed that Joan is in a mood, so as she tucks her
in bed, she asks, “What’s wrong?”

Joan – “I’m just sad for Zoe. I think she’s dying.”

Helen gives her a goodnight kiss, “I’ll say a prayer for your
friend.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cee-Ceearrives at nine and Helen answers the door, “Hello, Mrs.
Girardi. I’m here to visit with Joan.”

Helen – “Come in, Joan is still asleep. Can I offer you some coffee
or tea?”

Cee-Cee– “No thank you. Would you mind asking her if she will see me?
I won’t stay long.”

As Helen and Cee-Cee walk upstairs, they meet Grace coming down.
Cee-Cee says, “Hello, I’m Cee-Cee. What is your name?”

Grace – “Grace, Joan has mentioned you.”

Cee-Cee– “I didn’t know Joan had a sister. It is very nice to meet
you.”

Grace – “No, I’m not her sister. We are just friends.”

Helen – “Is Joan awake?”

Grace – “Sort of, but something is wrong. I think she’s hurting. I
was on my way down to tell you.”

Helen and Cee-Cee enter Joan’s room. Helen says, “Grace says you’re
not feeling well.”

Joan – “Oh, I’ll be okay. I think all the dancing this week has just
caught up to me.”

Helen feels her forehead, “No fever, where does it hurt?”

Joan – “Pretty much everywhere.After Cee-Cee leaves, I’ll take a
long, hot bath. That will help.”

Helen – “Okay, but let me know if you need anything.”

Helen leaves and Cee-Cee pulls a pint-size canning jar from her
purse. “I brought this for you. It will help.”

Joan – “What is it?”

Cee-Cee– “It’s Leopard’s Bane in a Witch Hazel base. I use it for
bruises and aching muscles. It works really well.”

Joan – “How did you know I would have bruises?”

Cee-Cee– “I didn’t know exactly, but for some reason, I thought I
should bring it. Sit up and let me do your back.”

While she applies the suave, Cee-Cee continues, “Do you remember when
I told you that I can also feel when God is present?”

Joan – “Yeah, the warm blanket thing, right?”

Cee-Cee– “Yeah, it’s like that. Well, I also feel it when I’m near
you. I can tell that you and God have a special connection. And after
last night, well, it was so wonderful to finally see her!”

Joan – “You knew?”

Cee-Cee– “Yeah, like I said, I can feel it. I just want you to know
that if you ever need help doing God’s work, please ask me.”

Joan – “Did God ask you to say that?”

Cee-Cee– “No, not this time. This is my choice.” She finishes
applying the salve and hands Joan the jar. She turns her chair around
and sits looking away, “I would like you to do the rest of your
bruises.”

Joan looks at the canning jar, “This stuff must be home made. Where
do you get it?”

Cee-Cee– “ “My mother taught me how to make it. I was very athletic
when I was young and I was always straining something. I ordered a
Leopard’s Bane plant several years ago and my uncle already had a
Witch Hazel shrub growing in his yard. Now we have the flowers
growing on the side of our house. I just harvest the Leopard’s Bane
flowers and Witch Hazel leaves and make up the mixture as I need it.”

Joan finishes applying the salve, “You can look now.” Cee-Cee turns
around and Joan continues, “Cee-Cee, why do you think God talks to
us?”

Cee-Cee– “I don’t know. We are very lucky. But he does talk to
everyone, even if it is just by leaving hints. The hints are
everywhere.”

Joan – “I think the hardest part is keeping it a secret. I feel so
alone.”

Cee-Cee– “The distance you feel, that cold isolation, you don’t have
to live there forever. It’s a choice that only you can make. I never
would have told you, a complete stranger, had God not asked me to do
it. But as soon as I met you, I could feel it, and then I knew why.
Unfortunately, you are right. If the wrong people learn of it, we
could both end up committed somewhere.”

Joan – “Yeah, I spent a whole summer in crazy camp. Brainwashing is
what it was. They made me believe I was crazy, and they never let me
consider the possibility that I was actually talking to and seeing
God. It was so horrible!”

Cee-Cee– “My mother told me to keep it a secret for that very reason.
My uncle, brothers, and sisters are good people, but this is just
something I can’t share with them. Have you told anyone?”

Joan – “I almost have, I would like to, but no.”

Cee-Cee– “Your brother Kevin has kept a secret about me for years. I
think you could probably trust him, and your mother seems to be one
who could be trusted. How about them?”

Joan – “Maybe, but it would be a burden for them to know. I don’t
know if I want to do that.”

Cee-Cee– “I’ll tell you something else I have learned. Your mother
also has a connection to God. It is not nearly as strong as yours,
but it’s there.” She pauses and smiles, “Well, it’s up to you. I have
to go. I have some studying to do and then Roger is taking me dancing
tonight. This will be our first time since he started taking lessons.
I’m really looking forward to it.”

Joan – “Roger is a good dancer, but you must be so much better than
him. Won’t it be awkward?”

Cee-Cee– “The secret to being a good dancer is to make your partner
look good. Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did,
but she did it backwards and in high heels.”

Joan smiles, “Well, have fun! I don’t think I’ll be dancing anytime
soon. Thank you for coming by with the medicine.”

Cee-Ceepoints to the jar, “Twice a day until they’re gone. See you
later.”

Will and Helen are sitting at the kitchen table discussing
Thanksgiving dinner. Helen is telling Will about her conversation
with Trenna, “We have worked out the menu. We are going to have a
blend of both of our traditions.”

Will – “Will we still have sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie?

Helen – “Don’t worry, we’ll still have your favorites. We’ll just be
adding some Irish dishes that Trenna likes to serve.”

Will – “Great, then we’re all set.”

Helen – “One more thing.Joan asked if she could invite Adam and Carl
Rove, and I told her she could.”

Will – “Okay, but I thought this was going to be a special family
gathering this year.”

Helen – “It will be, but Joan really wants Adam to be here, but she
doesn’t want to leave Carl alone on Thanksgiving. It’s her birthday
dinner too, remember.”

Will – “Right! I knew that, I just forgot it was on Thanksgiving this
year. Has she given any hints of what she might want for a present?

Helen – “Not a clue.It was so much easier when she used to make wish
lists, but I think she’ll like what we got her. That was a good idea
getting Luke to tell us everything that he would want in a computer.
That reminds me, I need to check on her. She’s not feeling well this
morning.”

Helen walks up to the bathroom. Steam is billowing from under the
door. She knocks, “Joan, are you all right?”

Joan – “I’m fine. I’m Olaying my troubles away.”

Helen – “Save some hot water for me. I haven’t had my shower yet.”

Joan chuckles and says to herself as she turns on the hot water, ‘No,
it’s mine, all mine.’

Kevin calls from his room, “Mom, can you help me with this?”

When Helen enters his room, Kevin continues, “I need help getting
this poster to lay flat while I put it in the frame. Can you hold it
for me?”

Helen looks at the poster, “You’re giving that to Luke?”

Kevin – “Yeah, it’s hilarious!”

Helen – “But their naked!”

Kevin – “No they’re not. Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t already
been looking.”

Helen – “That’s what I’m afraid of. Have you shown this to Lilly?”

Kevin – “She thought it was to risqué, but agreed that Luke would
like it. We were going to give this together, but she didn’t want to
have any part of it. She’s getting him a poster of her own.”

Helen helps Kevin to put it into the frame anyway. She knows that her
displeasure with it is mostly because it makes her realize that her
baby boy is growing up.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joan comes downstairs, still sore, but feeling much better. She
enters the kitchen to look for something to eat. Helen observes, “Is
that a new perfume you are wearing?”

Joan – “Do you like it? It’s Leopard’s Bane and Witch Hazel.”

Helen – “Yeah, it really smells good.”

Joan smiles, “It’s actually a sports cream. Cee-Cee gave it to me.
Between it and the bath, I’m feeling a lot better.”

Helen – “Can I make you some brunch?”

Joan – “Decisions, decisions, breakfast or lunch.” Joan browses
through the refrigerator and cupboards, “Aha! Pop-Tarts without
Luke’s name on them. I’ll have some of these.”

Helen – “Well, I think you could have picked something a little more
nutritious, but okay. What are your plans for this afternoon? Will
Adam be coming over?”

Joan – “No, I have homework to do. I have a lot of catching up to do
from missing so many classes this week, but I’ll get it done. Adam’s
checking out some job prospects. He thinks he can get work restoring
artwork.”

Helen – “That would be a good job for Adam, something he loves and is
good at.”

Joan – “Yeah, he’s actually excited about it. He was hurt when he was
laid off, but I think he will enjoy this new opportunity even more.”

Helen decides to change the subject, “I have been meaning to ask. I
don’t mind that you have older friends, but I have been wondering
about you and Cee-Cee. You seem to have gotten very close to her in a
short period of time. What is it that you have in common?”

Joan hesitates, trying to find words that won’t be too revealing, and
decides to answer with a question, “You’ve talked to her. What is
your impression?”

Helen – “Well, she seems to be an intelligent and a very pleasant
person.”

Joan – “She’s is, but it’s more than that. She sees the world
differently than most people. We share a connection that I can’t
explain. I can talk to her about things. I just really enjoy spending
time with her.”

Helen – “It’s okay. Cee-Cee seems like a wonderful friend. I was just
curious.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will comes down stairs, now having taken a shower and changed
clothes. He goes into the living room where Luke and Grace have been
talking. “Are you two ready to go?”

Luke – “Yeah, we’re ready.”

Grace actually wants to go, but feels like she is intruding. “Mr.
Girardi, this is a father-son thing. Are you sure you want me to go?
I can stay here.”

Will – “No, it’ll be fine. You’re part of the family now. Besides, I
may need you to help explain some of this stuff to me.”

Grace – “Hey, I can do science, but I’m not crazy about it like Luke.
Maybe you two should go without me.”

Luke – “Come on, we’ve already talked about this. Let’s just all go
together and have fun.”

After receiving these assurances, she relents and they leave for the
show.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kevin comes down with his framed poster for Luke. He hides it in the
den for later. “What’s for lunch?”

Helen – “We have ham left over from last night. Would you like me to
make you a sandwich?”

Kevin – “No, I’ll do it. Whatchamaking?”

Helen – “I’m not making anything yet. I’m just making sure I have
everything for the lasagna.”

Kevin – “Whoa, isn’t that Dad’s job?”

Helen – “Your father just prefers to make it, but I know how to make
it, too. If Luke enjoys himself today, your father will stay as long
as he wants. It takes two hours to make, so if they don’t come back
by 4:30, then I’ll make it. We just both want Luke to have his
birthday dinner on time.”

Helen continues to check for the needed ingredients while Kevin fixes
his sandwich, “Where’s Lilly today?”

Kevin – “She had some shopping to do and she wanted to do it on her
own. She’ll be by later when she’s done.”

At the Inventor’s Show

The show, organized by Professor Steinholz for inventors to be able
to demonstrate and hopefully find buyers for their inventions, offers
a whole range of products, from the ever-improving salad spinner to a
new x-ray transparent padding device that offers women some relief
during mammography exams. There is something for everyone.

Luke is intrigued with the variety of items on display. He remembers
Professor Steinholz’s speech about the practical application of
ideas, and here is a whole gymnasium full of them. Sure, many of the
products are no more exciting than a Ginsu knife, but the inventors
are here, showing their proud inventions, and courageously facing the
risk of failure, a quality Luke has come to admire.

Luke spots Professor Steinholz with Susan Jordan talking to an
inventor and decides to say hello, “Hi, this is a great show you’ve
arranged.”

Professor Steinholz – “Thank you, I’m really pleased with the turn
out. Have you met my fiancée, Susan Jordan?”

Luke – “I have seen her and have heard you talk about her, but no, we
haven’t met.”

Professor Steinholz provides the introductions, and Luke introduces
Grace and Will, for Susan’s benefit. Susan responds, “Oh Luke, your
father and I have already met. Chief Girardi, how is Darcy?”

Will – “I saw her with Officer Cattrall the other day and she’s doing
fine. Thank you again for taking care of her.”

Susan – “It was my pleasure, and thank you for chewing out Dr.
Thomas. I couldn’t say anything at the time, but everyone loved
watching you put him in his place.”

Will smiles, “Well, I don’t often lose my temper, but he had it
coming.”

Professor Steinholz is called away, but Susan remains to talk. Luke
asks, “My sister says you will be at the job fair, is that right?”

Susan – “Yes, when she asked, I thought it would be a wonderful
opportunity to explain the careers available in the medical
profession. I’m really looking forward to it and to finally meeting
her. Well, I have met her, but not when she’s been lucid.”

Luke – “Fiancé, that’s new, isn’t it?”

Susan – “Yes, just two weeks ago. We plan to marry on April 8th, and
then we’ll take a cruise for our honeymoon. It’s been eight years in
the making, but it was worth the wait.”

Will – “Eight years, that seems like a long time.”

Susan – “Dietrich really loved Abbey, his first wife. It was hard for
him to let go and share is his heart with me. But I had to wait. I
love him. What else could I do?”

Will – “Well, I don’t know Professor Steinholz very well, but he
seems like a nice man. I wish you two all the best.”

Susan – “Thank you.”

At Home

Joan finishes her homework and calls Adam. When he answers, she asks,
“Where are you?”

Adam – “Outside, I was about to knock.”

Joan hangs up and goes down to let him in, “So tell me, did you get
the job?”

Adam – “I think I got two of them and maybe more later.”

Joan – “Great, tell me about them.”

Adam – “The Dumbar building downtown has a mural in their lobby.
Settling has caused a crack to run through it. They will have someone
else fix the crack, but they want me to restore the painting once
that’s done.

The other job is a new mural for the Hogan County Historical Society.
They want scenes from Hogan County. They already have one with some
of the more common scenes, but they want to add another one. I did
this sketch and they loved it.”

He shows her the sketch, “This is Ole Paint. They loved it when I
told them how he got his name. This is Southern Junction, at the end
of Shaffer road. This is the Allan apple orchard, and do you remember
the old Nashman house at the lake?”

Joan – “Yeah, that was so pretty.”

Adam – “Well, they thought so, too. They liked my idea, except they
thought it would be better to have each one in a different season. I
can do that, so now I just have to do the final sketch. If they like
it, it’s a go.”

Joan – “Great, I’m happy for you.” She gives him a hug.

Adam – “Well, I’d better go. I’m driving up to Lake Nashman tonight.
I’ll draw the sketch in the morning, and then come back.”

Joan – “Why don’t you drive up in the morning?”

Adam – “I don’t have anything planned for tonight and I’d really like
to get it done. The other places are closer and I can do them after
school.”

Joan – “Where are you going to sleep?”

Adam – “In the camper.I’ll be fine.”

Joan walks him to the truck and kisses him goodbye, “Drive gently.”

Adam smiles back, “Whoever thought of that stupid saying, anyway?”

Joan – “I don’t know, it was just in the driver’s manual.”

At the Inventor’s Show

Continuing on, all are enjoying some of the strange and creative
inventions. They come across an interesting display and listen to the
man give his schpeil, “What happens when you go to the bathroom in
the middle of the night? Do you turn on the light and squint, open
your eyes and blind yourself or poke around in complete darkness?
Have you ever fallen into the toilet because the seat was up? Worry
no more, because with\ `Toilet Landing
Lights <http://totallyabsurd.com/toiletlandinglight.htm>`__\ , you’ll
always know…”

Grace reads the poster aloud, “Only $15.50 and they support the
American Heart Association for Women. Yeah, I can definitely see that
connection!”

They continue on, stopping at every booth. The variety of inventions
is quite amusing. There are the\ `Sponge Bob Foot
Pads <http://totallyabsurd.com/spongbobfootpads.htm>`__\ ,
the\ `Amazing FlyGun <http://www.amazingflygun.com/main.asp>`__\ ,
a\ `Floating Shade <http://totallyabsurd.com/floatingshade.htm>`__\ ,
and\ `Scooba <http://www.hammacher.com/publish/72736.asp?promo=homepage>`__\ ,
like Roomba, the robotic vacuum, but for mopping tile, linoleum, or
sealed hardwood floors. Numerous other inventions keep them
entertained through the afternoon.

At Home

Lilly arrives from her shopping and Will, Luke, and Grace return from
the inventor’s show at about five. Helen already had the sauce
simmering and the noodles boiling. Will joins her and together they
complete dinner.

Dinner is wonderful for Luke. Lasagna is his favorite, and as is the
tradition, dinner is followed by serving a double-decker German
chocolate cake with chocolate milk.

After dinner, it was present time. Luke was still hoping for a car,
but did not have his hopes up. Kevin started first, “Well, we all got
together and talked about what to get you. Since you spend so much
time with Professor Steinholz and in your room, we thought your room
could use some sprucing up. Here you go, happy birthday. I hope you
like it.”

Kevin hands Luke the poster that he framed earlier, “Wow,\ `String
Theory <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/stringtheoryg.jpg>`__\ .
Yeah, this is great. What’s not to like?” He looks at his mother, who
responds, “No, I don’t approve, but it’s okay.” He then looks at
Grace, who has a smirk on her face, “Okay, but put it behind your
door.”

Lilly – “Well, I don’t approve either, but he’s your brother, so I
guess it’s okay. Mine is not so risqué. Happy birthday, Luke.”

She hands him another framed poster. He unwraps it and smiles,
“Great,\ `String Theory for
Dummies <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/stringtheory3.jpg>`__\ .
Thanks, Lilly.”

Grace – “Mine are a little smaller, but I think perhaps more
scientifically founded.” She hands him two smaller framed posters,
“Happy birthday.”

Luke opens one and smiles, “\ \ `Super Duper Symmetric String
Theory <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/Super_Duper_Symmetric_String_Theory.jpg>`__\ .”

Grace – “You seemed to like Professor Farnsworth when we watched
*Futurama*.”

Luke – “Yeah, he’s pretty funny.” He opens the second one, “And of
course, the\ `Alternate String
Theory <http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/mshaffer2/string-theory.gif>`__\ .
Thanks, these are great.” He tries to give her a kiss, but she shies
away.

Joan – “Well, I think you have enough posters. I hope you like this.”

She hands him a rather heavy package. He opens it, “This sounds good,
*Hiding* in the Mirror, by Lawrence M. Krauss. Thanks.”

Joan – “Well, I hope you like it. I read it and I thought it was
good. I remember you reading The Physics of Star Trek, so I thought
you might like this one too.”

Luke – “I will, thanks.”

Will – “Your mother and I already agreed basically on what to get you
for your birthday, but it was quite a struggle when it came to the
particulars. I think you’ll like the compromise that we made.”

Will stops talking and Luke wonders, ‘Okay, so what is it? Where is
it?’

Helen – “It’s parked across the street.” She hands him the keys,
“It’s the blue Pontiac Vibe.”

Luke jumps up and down and heads for the door, “Wahoo, I have wheels!
Vaa-rooomm,::

    Get your motor runnin\ ’,
    *Burumbump* burumbump,
    Head out on the highway,
    *Burumbump* burumbump.
    *Lookin*\ ’ for adventure,
    *Burumbump* burumbump,
    *In* whatever comes our way,
    *Burumbump* burumbump.
    Born to be wild…*\ ”

All follow him outside. As they walk, Will whispers to Helen, “He
must think you said Viper.”

Luke walks around the car, looking at the exterior and into the
windows. He opens the driver’s door and has a seat, “This is so cool.
It’s definitely not hot, but it’s not bad.” He notices the gearshift,
“Oh, this will be a challenge. Why did you pick a car with a manual
transmission?”

Will – “Your mother and I considered a lot of cars. This one was on a
final short list that we came up with. I found this one for sale at a
government auction. I got it for a really good price. It’s a 2003
with only 12,000 miles on it. It’s in great shape and only has a few
minor scratches on the outside. I can help you to learn how to shift.
It won’t take you long to get the hang of it.”

Luke – “I can figure it out. I know the theory of operation. I’ll
just have to practice. Can I take it for a ride?”

Helen – “Your father will take you out in the morning and show you
how to correctly shift the transmission. Once he’s satisfied that you
know how, then we’ll let you drive it on your own.”

Luke – “Mom, I can do it!”

Will – “I’m sure you can, but there are some other things we need to
talk about. Let’s go back inside.”

Once inside, Helen continues, “This is yours and your sister’s
birthday present. It is for you to share, at least for now.” She
directs herself to Joan, “Your father and I would like you to start
driving again. What happened this summer wasn’t your fault. That’s
why they call them accidents. You are a good driver.”

Joan exchanges glances with Grace and Luke before responding, “I have
driven, I just don’t like to. I’m doing fine taking the bus.”

Helen – “When have you driven?”

Joan – “A few weeks ago. Dad was working, you and Luke were asleep,
and Grace wouldn’t drive me. I had to talk to Sister Sarah. It was
important. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

Will – “So, you are driving again?”

Joan – “I’ll drive if I have to, but the bus still has my name on
it.” She looks at Luke, “You can use the car most of the time. Happy
birthday.”