you're always the optimistic, laid-back one," she begged. "What's wrong?"
He dropped his head into his hands for a moment and then slowly looked up at her. "I guess I'm just worried because I'm really happy right now and I don't want anything to ruin that.I'm also contemplating . . . a life change. And when a man does that he begins to think of all sorts of things, like the safety and well-being of others."
"What sort of life change, Joseph?"
He bit his lip and then looked at her. "You know, it's funny.I know a lot of people. I'm friends with a lot of people. And yet, none of them are what I'd consider good, close friends. In fact, you're probably the best friend I have."
She stared at him stunned, unsure what to say. "I'm honored, Joseph. I consider you one of my closest friends, too."
What he had said rattled her. Aside from him and Geanie, she didn't have many people she actually would consider close either. Even having friends means risking something, she realized.
"So, I guess if I'm going to talk about this with anyone, by rights it should be you," Joseph said.
"You can tell me anything."
"I'm thinking of asking Geanie to marry me."
Cindy stared at him for a moment and then squealed in delight. "That's wonderful!"
He smiled and it lit up his eyes. "It is, isn't it? I mean, I finally found the perfect woman for me. And to think, she was right under my nose for so long. I even have you to thank for bringing us together really."
"Glad to do it," Cindy said, unable to fight back the tears.
"So now, I'm thinking. I love her more than anything. I want to be with her. But am I cursed? Is she going to get killed?"
"Joseph. You say I'm your best friend."
"Yes."
"Look at how much danger I've been in in the past year, the number of times I could have been killed."
"Yeah."
"I'm still here. Look at your dog, Clarice, who I know means the world to you. Look how much danger she was in and she's fine, too."
"That's true."
"You can't protect those you care about from danger. You can just be with them when they go through it. And people don't die while God's not looking. It's terrible and tragic, but if it was Geanie's time to go, she could just as easily be killed in a car crash in Pennsylvania as she could by a killer invading your life. Easier, actually."
Joseph shuddered and a weight seemed to lift offhis shoulders."I guess you're right. I've been giving the evil in this world too much power and God too little. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"And you know what else?"
She shook her head.
"You've done the same."
She stared at him, stunned.
"Best friends are honest with each other, yes?"
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
"You've worked so hard to build a safe little life for yourself where nothing and no one could hurt you. But you of all people should know that you can't control everything. You can't stop accidents from happening or fate from intervening.I think we've connected in this last year because for the first time, you've started living life instead of running from it."
And now she was crying in earnest, great shuddering sobs that wracked her body and wrenched her heart.
Joseph knelt down and put an arm around her. "It's okay.I'm here."
Jeremiah picked up his phone in the office. "Hello?"
"Hi, it's Cindy."
She sounded shaky, like she had been crying. He took a deep breath, not sure he was ready to deal with whatever she had to say.
"What's wrong?"
"Larson wanted me to call and let the synagogue know what happened to him. Apparently he left a very vague message earlier this morning."
"Marie said something about him not being able to be a counselor because he was in the hospital."
"That's true. So, maybe not as vague as he thought."
"What's wrong with him?" Jeremiah asked. He really should go out and make a visit if it was anything serious. It was expected.
"He was shot last night."
"What?" Jeremiah roared, rising to his feet.
"He's going to be okay. The killer got him in the
He dropped his head into his hands for a moment and then slowly looked up at her. "I guess I'm just worried because I'm really happy right now and I don't want anything to ruin that.I'm also contemplating . . . a life change. And when a man does that he begins to think of all sorts of things, like the safety and well-being of others."
"What sort of life change, Joseph?"
He bit his lip and then looked at her. "You know, it's funny.I know a lot of people. I'm friends with a lot of people. And yet, none of them are what I'd consider good, close friends. In fact, you're probably the best friend I have."
She stared at him stunned, unsure what to say. "I'm honored, Joseph. I consider you one of my closest friends, too."
What he had said rattled her. Aside from him and Geanie, she didn't have many people she actually would consider close either. Even having friends means risking something, she realized.
"So, I guess if I'm going to talk about this with anyone, by rights it should be you," Joseph said.
"You can tell me anything."
"I'm thinking of asking Geanie to marry me."
Cindy stared at him for a moment and then squealed in delight. "That's wonderful!"
He smiled and it lit up his eyes. "It is, isn't it? I mean, I finally found the perfect woman for me. And to think, she was right under my nose for so long. I even have you to thank for bringing us together really."
"Glad to do it," Cindy said, unable to fight back the tears.
"So now, I'm thinking. I love her more than anything. I want to be with her. But am I cursed? Is she going to get killed?"
"Joseph. You say I'm your best friend."
"Yes."
"Look at how much danger I've been in in the past year, the number of times I could have been killed."
"Yeah."
"I'm still here. Look at your dog, Clarice, who I know means the world to you. Look how much danger she was in and she's fine, too."
"That's true."
"You can't protect those you care about from danger. You can just be with them when they go through it. And people don't die while God's not looking. It's terrible and tragic, but if it was Geanie's time to go, she could just as easily be killed in a car crash in Pennsylvania as she could by a killer invading your life. Easier, actually."
Joseph shuddered and a weight seemed to lift offhis shoulders."I guess you're right. I've been giving the evil in this world too much power and God too little. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"And you know what else?"
She shook her head.
"You've done the same."
She stared at him, stunned.
"Best friends are honest with each other, yes?"
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
"You've worked so hard to build a safe little life for yourself where nothing and no one could hurt you. But you of all people should know that you can't control everything. You can't stop accidents from happening or fate from intervening.I think we've connected in this last year because for the first time, you've started living life instead of running from it."
And now she was crying in earnest, great shuddering sobs that wracked her body and wrenched her heart.
Joseph knelt down and put an arm around her. "It's okay.I'm here."
Jeremiah picked up his phone in the office. "Hello?"
"Hi, it's Cindy."
She sounded shaky, like she had been crying. He took a deep breath, not sure he was ready to deal with whatever she had to say.
"What's wrong?"
"Larson wanted me to call and let the synagogue know what happened to him. Apparently he left a very vague message earlier this morning."
"Marie said something about him not being able to be a counselor because he was in the hospital."
"That's true. So, maybe not as vague as he thought."
"What's wrong with him?" Jeremiah asked. He really should go out and make a visit if it was anything serious. It was expected.
"He was shot last night."
"What?" Jeremiah roared, rising to his feet.
"He's going to be okay. The killer got him in the
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