his seat next to her. “Any more word from the doctors? Is everything okay with your grandfather?”
“No answers yet. I don’t know any more than I did before you left.”
“Since you moved, I thought maybe—”
“I moved to be closer to the doors in case the doctors want to talk to me.”
Leaning back in the chair, Lukas twisted the cap off his cola. “They told me they haven’t found anything conclusive. They’re running more tests. The nurse said she’d keep me updated.”
“I guess that’s good.” Juliane didn’t have a clue as to what else she should say now. Opening the bag of pretzels, she hoped eating would save her from having to make small talk. She popped several pretzels into her mouth as she held the bag out to Lukas.
“Thanks.” He dumped some pretzels into his hand but stopped before he ate them. “I can’t thank you enough for staying around. I hope you understand how much I appreciate this.”
Juliane didn’t know how to respond. Thankfully her mouth was full of pretzels. Nodding, she chewed slowly. Maybe by the time she swallowed, she could come up with a response. She took a swig of cola, then looked his way. “You don’t have to thank me. It’s nothing.”
“But it’s something to me.”
“I’m glad to help out however I can.”
He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, then closed it. He sat silently for a minute twisting the cap on and off the bottle of cola. After he ate several pretzels, he looked at her again. “Could I clear the air between us?”
“What do you mean?”
“About the past.”
Juliane’s stomach sank, and her heart raced. Did he suddenly remember the way he’d acted that night? She didn’t want to discuss it. She didn’t even want to think about it—not that she’d been able to stop herself all evening. She swallowed hard. “What about it?”
He took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize foranything I may have done to offend you in the past, and to let you know that I’ve changed.”
“I can see that.”
“But you’re not sure.”
He was certainly putting her on the spot. She bit her lower lip. He hadn’t said anything about that night. Maybe he still didn’t remember. “Am I that transparent?”
He smiled, a hint of relief on his face. “Just a little. From the moment I met you again at choir practice the other night, I sensed that you had some big reservations where I’m concerned.”
Juliane knew she had to tell the truth. “Yeah…maybe some.”
“That’s what I thought.” He sighed. “When you told me you remembered me from your college years, I knew I probably wasn’t on your list of people who had impressed you—at least in a good way. I’m sure you considered me obnoxious.”
“Are you trying to make me say bad things about you?”
His smile turned into a full-fledged laugh. “No, I wanted you to know that I understand if you don’t have a very high opinion of me. Did you ever see me sober?”
“Well…when you were performing. I guess.”
“That’s what I thought.” He shook his head, a faraway look in his eyes. “I’m not very proud of that time in my life. I drank too much and studied too little. I’m still amazed that I managed to earn my degrees and find a job.”
“What changed your life?”
“First, I got fired from that job I’m surprised I got.”
“So that made you mend your ways?”
Lukas laughed halfheartedly. “No, not immediately. Right after I got fired, I went on an extended binge.”
“That made you change?” Juliane wondered where this was going.
“Not the binge, but the consequences. I was arrested fordrunken driving. I damaged a lot of property—sideswiped a half-dozen parked cars. I’m thankful that I didn’t kill anyone.”
Juliane munched on some chips as his confession whirled around in her mind. His admission made her think about that night. What would he say if she told him about it? She shook the thought away. This wasn’t the time
“No answers yet. I don’t know any more than I did before you left.”
“Since you moved, I thought maybe—”
“I moved to be closer to the doors in case the doctors want to talk to me.”
Leaning back in the chair, Lukas twisted the cap off his cola. “They told me they haven’t found anything conclusive. They’re running more tests. The nurse said she’d keep me updated.”
“I guess that’s good.” Juliane didn’t have a clue as to what else she should say now. Opening the bag of pretzels, she hoped eating would save her from having to make small talk. She popped several pretzels into her mouth as she held the bag out to Lukas.
“Thanks.” He dumped some pretzels into his hand but stopped before he ate them. “I can’t thank you enough for staying around. I hope you understand how much I appreciate this.”
Juliane didn’t know how to respond. Thankfully her mouth was full of pretzels. Nodding, she chewed slowly. Maybe by the time she swallowed, she could come up with a response. She took a swig of cola, then looked his way. “You don’t have to thank me. It’s nothing.”
“But it’s something to me.”
“I’m glad to help out however I can.”
He opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, then closed it. He sat silently for a minute twisting the cap on and off the bottle of cola. After he ate several pretzels, he looked at her again. “Could I clear the air between us?”
“What do you mean?”
“About the past.”
Juliane’s stomach sank, and her heart raced. Did he suddenly remember the way he’d acted that night? She didn’t want to discuss it. She didn’t even want to think about it—not that she’d been able to stop herself all evening. She swallowed hard. “What about it?”
He took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize foranything I may have done to offend you in the past, and to let you know that I’ve changed.”
“I can see that.”
“But you’re not sure.”
He was certainly putting her on the spot. She bit her lower lip. He hadn’t said anything about that night. Maybe he still didn’t remember. “Am I that transparent?”
He smiled, a hint of relief on his face. “Just a little. From the moment I met you again at choir practice the other night, I sensed that you had some big reservations where I’m concerned.”
Juliane knew she had to tell the truth. “Yeah…maybe some.”
“That’s what I thought.” He sighed. “When you told me you remembered me from your college years, I knew I probably wasn’t on your list of people who had impressed you—at least in a good way. I’m sure you considered me obnoxious.”
“Are you trying to make me say bad things about you?”
His smile turned into a full-fledged laugh. “No, I wanted you to know that I understand if you don’t have a very high opinion of me. Did you ever see me sober?”
“Well…when you were performing. I guess.”
“That’s what I thought.” He shook his head, a faraway look in his eyes. “I’m not very proud of that time in my life. I drank too much and studied too little. I’m still amazed that I managed to earn my degrees and find a job.”
“What changed your life?”
“First, I got fired from that job I’m surprised I got.”
“So that made you mend your ways?”
Lukas laughed halfheartedly. “No, not immediately. Right after I got fired, I went on an extended binge.”
“That made you change?” Juliane wondered where this was going.
“Not the binge, but the consequences. I was arrested fordrunken driving. I damaged a lot of property—sideswiped a half-dozen parked cars. I’m thankful that I didn’t kill anyone.”
Juliane munched on some chips as his confession whirled around in her mind. His admission made her think about that night. What would he say if she told him about it? She shook the thought away. This wasn’t the time
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