Certain she was out of earshot, my friend turned to me and asked, “Whaddaya think? She really gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, she’ll be fine. Like she said, it’s just going to take some time,” I replied, nodding my head. “She hasn’t really had the opportunity to decompress yet, obviously. Neither of us has. There are just things we both still have to come to terms with.”

I left it at that. I wasn’t about to get into a deep explanation. Not here, and not now. There was something sacrosanct about the moment and location that made me feel like doing so would be blasphemous, even in a secular sense. Besides, in my mind at least I had something more important that needed to be addressed. Unfortunately, right now my friend was intent on being just that, a friend, so he continued to probe out of concern.

“So what about you, Row? You holdin’ on?”

“I have to-for now anyway. We can’t have both of us turning into basket cases simultaneously.”

“Why not? If ya ask me ya’ both deserve it after what you’ve been through.”

“I won’t argue with you there.” I shrugged. “But, my time will come later. Right now she needs it more.”

“Yeah, I know what ya’ mean… So have ya’ been talkin’ ta’ Helen at least?” he asked, referring to his sister, who was not only a friend but a therapist who had helped all of us cope with some of the horrors we had faced over the years.

“Not yet, but we will.”

“Good. Make it soon, ‘kay?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Soon.”

He huffed out a sigh and looked back toward the dispersing traffic once again. “So, listen, I hate ta’ run, but you need ta’ get back ta’ Firehair, and I really should go ahead and get movin’. I’ll catch up with you two and let ya’ know how Constance is doin’, okay?”

He reached to shake hands, so I extended my own out of reflex. A moment later he was turning to leave, and I realized I was completely sidetracked. I had allowed his concern for Felicity and me to dominate the remainder of our conversation, and now my unexpected opportunity was about to escape.