I have never met anyone with the same capacity for anger as Shannon. For the past several days, she has been able to draw up a towering rage at the merest thought of Thomas. It would be impressive if it were not so frightening.
I have tried to help her, because this anger does nothing to improve her life—indeed it only holds her back from doing her work and living her life. But as ever, my success has been limited with her. I am simply trying to keep her company as I can.
As for Grace, I am not certain what to think. She is keeping to her work, and though she is quiet with her fellow officers, she does still laugh and talk with them. She was able to talk to her parents about the trip they just returned from, a trip that was meant to be her honeymoon. And while she will permit no mention of Con in her presence, she seems to be doing well.
I am worried, but if she really is recovering, I do not wish to set her back.
The others are doing well, at least. Mary has drawn Jordan into her group of friends, and while he still hangs back a bit, he will now occasionally offer an opinion or some assistance. Last night Nadia had him working on a research project, while he was able to mention a friend of his who knows a great deal about computers and may be able to help update the look of the website. It is good to see the group accepting him. As for he and Mary—well, that remains to be seen.
Jonathan and Lauren have been busy since he decided to run for the school board. As yet he has not announced his candidacy, but there is still much to do before that happens. One of those things was informing his parents of his decision. Felicity cried with happiness, and then had about seventeen “suggestions” for her son, though they were voiced as orders. Jonathan chided her for her bossiness, but he does intend to use a few of her ideas.
As for Pamela, she has met twice with Lee in the past few days, supposedly to get his advice on preparations for her trip abroad. On the most recent meeting, however, they spoke little about the trip, talking instead about their families, their hobbies, and their favorite television shows.
Close to the end of the evening, Lee asked, “So answer a question for me.”
She lifted her eyebrows. They were at her apartment, finishing up a bottle of wine and putting away the leftovers of the meal that Pamela had prepared.
“Was this a date?” he asked, and looked anxiously at her face.
Pamela blinked at him, and her face turned red. “No,” she said, a bit too quickly. “No, I mean—that wasn’t what I was thinking, I just…I just wanted to hang out and talk.”
“Oh, okay.” Lee turned away to put his glass into the sink, then took a breath and turned back. “Except it kind of felt like a date to me. And I liked that.”
Pamela pretended to be trying to find a place for a tupperware container in her fridge. There was plenty of room, but Lee couldn’t see that from his angle.
“Go on,” I said to her. “Be honest with him.”
She closed the refrigerator and straightened. “I liked it too,” she said. “I just…I don’t know that I want to get a relationship started right before I go.”
“Totally cool. I understand completely.” Lee held up his hands and went back into the living room. He picked up his jacket. “Though,” he added, “you’ve got a couple of months before you leave. And maybe if you were thinking about setting up a relationship that would last through that time—thinking long-term, I mean…I don’t know, maybe it could work.”
Pamela stopped in the doorway of her kitchen, feeling sore at heart. “Well, it’s been a long time since anyone thought about me in the long-term.” I put my wings around her to give her what comfort I could.
Lee leaned against the arm of her sofa and smiled at her with all the warmth and sweetness in his heart. “Unlike you, world traveler, I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
“Oh, go on,” I whispered in Pamela’s ear. “You can trust him.”
She took a few steps forward, caught his face, and kissed him.
It was a kiss born of need, of hope, of uncertainty that wants to be soothed, and Pamela found all of that answered as he kissed her back, his hand gentle behind her head, his other hand resting very lightly on her waist. They broke apart after a moment and looked at one another, each seeing the possibility in the other’s eyes.
“Would you go on a date with me, Pamela?” Lee asked.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I would love to.”
So. Perhaps this will be the relationship that Pamela has been looking for. Perhaps it will restore her faith in love, which would be worthwhile even if it does not happen to be forever. We will simply have to see.