wear.”
“That part seems to be working.”
I took a sip of the latte. “Patrice snuck chocolate in here.”
Hank waited.
“They need to feel productive and successful,” I said. “And apparently that’s not happening.”
“Trust India. This is her baby.”
“You’re right,” I said. “Absolutely. I can leave it to her.”
“Then why are you about to squeeze that cup in half? Sit.”
I did, and watched Hank neatly pile her fingers into a fold on the table between us. “We were about to talk about why this is a two-shot day.”
I took a gear-shifting breath. “Okay. This isn’t exactly spiritual. Well, I mean it is, but it doesn’t have anything to do with my work for God, but then I guess everything does, except when God doesn’t tell me what the Sam Hill to do—”
“You’re killin’ me, Al,” Hank said. “Let’s just cut to the chase: this is about Chief.”
“OhdearGod yes.”
Hank gave me a rare full-blown smile. “I love young love. Or in this case I guess it’s middle-aged love.”
“He’s taking me out for our ‘anniversary’ next Friday.”
“It’s been a year since you met.”
“Why am I the only one who didn’t remember that?”
“Because you’re scared spitless.”
I had to grin at her. “Yes, why don’t we cut to the chase?”
“Are you afraid he’s going to propose?”
“Is he? Did he tell you?”
She stopped with her fork halfway to her mouth. “Have you met the man?”
“Okay, yeah, I’m afraid he will. And I’m afraid he won’t.”
“Guess that kind of puts you in a hurt locker.”
“Whatever that is, yes, I think I’m in it.”
“I know why you’re afraid he won’t propose. You’re nuts about the guy.”
“I never thought I could love any man the way I love him.”
She nodded and went for the bacon. “So why are you afraid he will ask?”
“Because I want to make sure I can say yes.”
“Because of God.”
I closed my eyes. “Thank you for not making me explain that to you.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me. You have to explain it to yourself. I’m just the sounding board.”
She popped in a mouthful and looked at me while she chewed.
“It’s the one thing that keeps me from proposing to him. He’s come a long way. At first he didn’t even believe in God.”
“Or so he said. Personally I think it was more that he didn’t believe in the God he’d been introduced to by organized religion.” She shrugged the stocky shoulders. “I don’t believe in that one either. Neither do you.”
“At the Sisters’ baptism, on Easter, he said he wanted to believe what I believe, and it seemed like that was enough.”
“Enough for who?”
“For God. God’s not coming right out and saying it, but what I feel for Chief is different than just ‘this man is hot.’” I glanced around at the still empty nearby tables. “Chief respects that I try to be obedient to God. We agreed, Chief and me, not to …”
Hank leaned in, eyes sparkling, and lowered her voice to a hoarse whisper. “Have sex?”
“I don’t even like to say it like that. I don’t want to just ‘have sex’ with Chief. Not that I don’t want him. I’m dyin’ here.”
“I suspect he is too. You’re a bit of a hot mama yourself.”
“But it’s more than that. I don’t know, it’s surreal.”
“I think what you’re feeling is joy. You haven’t had a lot of it in your life so it would be hard to pinpoint.” She set the fork down and folded her hands again. “It’s like when you experience serious pain for the first time . Or panic. It doesn’t seem real. Or maybe it’s a little too real.”
“So—”
“So marry him. You said God appears to be fine with it.”
“What I’m getting from God is ‘go another mile,’ and I don’t know if that even applies to Chief or if it’s about something else. And if it is about Chief, does it mean go ahead and marry him even if I’m not totally sure we’re on the same spiritual
“That part seems to be working.”
I took a sip of the latte. “Patrice snuck chocolate in here.”
Hank waited.
“They need to feel productive and successful,” I said. “And apparently that’s not happening.”
“Trust India. This is her baby.”
“You’re right,” I said. “Absolutely. I can leave it to her.”
“Then why are you about to squeeze that cup in half? Sit.”
I did, and watched Hank neatly pile her fingers into a fold on the table between us. “We were about to talk about why this is a two-shot day.”
I took a gear-shifting breath. “Okay. This isn’t exactly spiritual. Well, I mean it is, but it doesn’t have anything to do with my work for God, but then I guess everything does, except when God doesn’t tell me what the Sam Hill to do—”
“You’re killin’ me, Al,” Hank said. “Let’s just cut to the chase: this is about Chief.”
“OhdearGod yes.”
Hank gave me a rare full-blown smile. “I love young love. Or in this case I guess it’s middle-aged love.”
“He’s taking me out for our ‘anniversary’ next Friday.”
“It’s been a year since you met.”
“Why am I the only one who didn’t remember that?”
“Because you’re scared spitless.”
I had to grin at her. “Yes, why don’t we cut to the chase?”
“Are you afraid he’s going to propose?”
“Is he? Did he tell you?”
She stopped with her fork halfway to her mouth. “Have you met the man?”
“Okay, yeah, I’m afraid he will. And I’m afraid he won’t.”
“Guess that kind of puts you in a hurt locker.”
“Whatever that is, yes, I think I’m in it.”
“I know why you’re afraid he won’t propose. You’re nuts about the guy.”
“I never thought I could love any man the way I love him.”
She nodded and went for the bacon. “So why are you afraid he will ask?”
“Because I want to make sure I can say yes.”
“Because of God.”
I closed my eyes. “Thank you for not making me explain that to you.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me. You have to explain it to yourself. I’m just the sounding board.”
She popped in a mouthful and looked at me while she chewed.
“It’s the one thing that keeps me from proposing to him. He’s come a long way. At first he didn’t even believe in God.”
“Or so he said. Personally I think it was more that he didn’t believe in the God he’d been introduced to by organized religion.” She shrugged the stocky shoulders. “I don’t believe in that one either. Neither do you.”
“At the Sisters’ baptism, on Easter, he said he wanted to believe what I believe, and it seemed like that was enough.”
“Enough for who?”
“For God. God’s not coming right out and saying it, but what I feel for Chief is different than just ‘this man is hot.’” I glanced around at the still empty nearby tables. “Chief respects that I try to be obedient to God. We agreed, Chief and me, not to …”
Hank leaned in, eyes sparkling, and lowered her voice to a hoarse whisper. “Have sex?”
“I don’t even like to say it like that. I don’t want to just ‘have sex’ with Chief. Not that I don’t want him. I’m dyin’ here.”
“I suspect he is too. You’re a bit of a hot mama yourself.”
“But it’s more than that. I don’t know, it’s surreal.”
“I think what you’re feeling is joy. You haven’t had a lot of it in your life so it would be hard to pinpoint.” She set the fork down and folded her hands again. “It’s like when you experience serious pain for the first time . Or panic. It doesn’t seem real. Or maybe it’s a little too real.”
“So—”
“So marry him. You said God appears to be fine with it.”
“What I’m getting from God is ‘go another mile,’ and I don’t know if that even applies to Chief or if it’s about something else. And if it is about Chief, does it mean go ahead and marry him even if I’m not totally sure we’re on the same spiritual
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