After dinner, Noah and Danielle went into the living room to “hang out,” as Danielle put it. Grayson and Claire hung back to clean up and do the dishes.

Grayson was feeling a bit restless. “I’m gonna head out,” he said.

“What? Why?” Claire said.

“It’s late and I’ve been here since early afternoon. I’ve to get home and start making a test for next week.”

“It’s because Noah is here,” Claire said.

“Sort of,” he admitted as he put plates in the dishwasher. “But not in a bad way. I just met him, so I need to give you guys some time to adjust. I’ll stay longer next time.”

She stood holding the dishcloth, her mouth curved in that lovely little smile that he loved. “Okay,” she said. “But next time, I do the cooking.”

He took a step toward her. Took her hand and kissed her palm. “Or… maybe I’ll take you out to dinner next time.”

She smiled. “Sounds even better,” she said.

“I’ll say goodbye, then head out,” he said.

She nodded. Then turned back to wipe at the counter. Everything was back in its place. It was as though he’d never there.

He said goodbye to Danielle and Noah before slipping out the front door and bounding down the stairs to his car.

He sat for a minute, watching the house. He hadn’t been completely truthful with Claire. It was hard to be there with Noah. Knowing that, even though they were divorced, Noah belonged there more than Grayson did.

Noah and Claire had a history. And they would have a reason to stay in touch. Danielle.

Grayson could deal with that. He liked Noah. Noah seemed like a good guy.

Grayson knew himself well enough to know what had gotten under his skin. It was talking about, even briefly, his time overseas. It only took a comment or a random reference to put his mind back there. And he used a lot of energy to keep that from happening.

He started up the motor and headed to his place. He did need to work on putting together the psychology exam for next week. But he also needed some time alone. Some time to settle himself.

Grayson fell asleep on the couch watching reruns of Game of Thrones.

Some time later, after being jarred awake, he knocked his phone on the floor as he grabbed for it.

He didn’t recognize the number and didn’t even know what time it was. He swiped to answer.

“Grayson?” The woman’s voice was upset.

“Yes,” Grayson sat up. A flash of fear shot through him. He hadn’t spoken to either his mother or his sister lately. He pulled the phone away to glance at the unknown area code.

“This is Alex Taylor.”

Grayson rubbed at his eyes. He didn’t recognize the name. He squeezed the phone waiting for her to go on.

“I’m calling about my brother, Timothy. I don’t know where his phone is, but he had me save your number in case I ever needed anything. I’m sorry to call so late.”

Timothy Taylor. His best friend. “Is he okay?” Even as he said the words, he knew she wouldn’t be calling if everything was okay.

“No,” Alex said and her voice broke. “They took him to the emergency room. It’s bad.”

“What happened?” Grayson was awake now, but he couldn’t process what she was saying. He’d just talked to Timothy, what, two weeks ago. Maybe three.

He’d gotten a new job and was about to be granted visitation to see his kids again.

“He shot himself.” He heard her sobs through the phone line.

“What? When?”

“I don’t know,” she sobbed. “It was earlier today or last night. I don’t know. I talked to him yesterday. He sounded kinda weird, so I came over to check on him this evening when he didn’t answer his phone. The cops just left.”

“Are you at his house?” he asked.

“I’m on my way to the hospital.”

“Do you need me to come?” he asked.

“Would you? There’s nobody but us. I don’t know what to do.”

“Okay. I’ll see when I can get a flight to Houston and call you back. Is this your cell phone?”

“Yes,” Alex said. “Thank you.”

“Call me if you know anything.”

He hung up the phone. And sat staring at it while he tried to process what he had to do. Timothy and he had a pact. They’d agreed to take care of each other’s families if anything ever happened. They had also agreed to call each other if things ever got so bad they couldn’t deal with it.

Then a memory stabbed him in the gut. Timothy had sent him a text last week. Grayson had been in the middle of class. Grayson scrolled back through his texts. Last Tuesday. Call me when you get a minute.

Grayson hadn’t responded.

It wasn’t Timothy who had broken the agreement. It was Grayson.

The guilt stabbed him like a knife. He had to get to Alex. He had to be there for Timothy. It was 9:45. He had to get online and find a flight. He had to pack.

He had to call Claire before it was too late.

He dialed her number before he changed his mind and before it got any later.

“Hello,” she answered.

“Claire. Are you still awake?”

“Yeah. I’m just reading.”

“I have to get to Houston,” he blurted.

“Why?”

“My best friend’s in the hospital. He attempted suicide and his sister called me.” Grayson stood up and went toward his bedroom. He dragged his suitcase from the closet.

“When are you leaving?”

“I don’t know. I’ve got to see when the first flight out is. I called you first.”

“You need to leave now?”

“Yeah. They just took him to the ER. His sister is all alone.”

“Hold on,” she said. “Let me call you right back.” The phone went dead in his ear.

Grayson tossed his phone on the bed along with his suitcase. He opened his iPad and looked up flights out of L.A.

Claire called back. “Can you be at the airport in two hours?” she asked.

“I think so.” It was thirty minutes to the airport. That was about an hour to pack. He could do it in thirty.

“I’m going to text you a phone number. After you park your car at the airport call this number. Noah will take you to Houston in his plane.”

“No,” he said. “I can’t let him do that.”

“Of course, you can. It’ll be impossible for you to get out tonight. Noah can have you there in no time.”

“I couldn’t ask…”

“You didn’t. I did. And don’t try to pay him.”

“It’s not about the money.” He said. How could explain that it was more about how he felt about Claire?

“Then go pack. I’ll text you the number. Call me in the morning when you know something about your friend.”

“Okay,” he said.

“I’ll be here when you get back. Good night, Grayson,” she said.

“Good night.”

Before he could say anything else, she hung up the phone.

Grayson went into the bathroom and washed his face. This was a side of Claire he didn’t know. Calm and decisive. He liked it.

While he was in the bathroom, he tossed his toiletries into his shaving kit and carried it back to his suitcase.

Timothy better pull out of this, Grayson thought. Because you owe me one, buddy.

“Noah, are you sure you don’t mind?” Claire asked.

“I was heading that way in the morning anyway,” he said, as he locked in the flight on his iPad.

“But you haven’t slept.”

“I’ll get a room in Houston and sleep before I head up to Ft. Worth tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“Thanks for coming to check on me,” Danielle said.

“I’m just glad you’re okay, kitten,” he said.

“When can you come back?” Danielle asked.

“When do you want me to?” he asked.

Danielle scoffed. “Tomorrow.”

Noah kissed Danielle on the top of her head. “You know I would,” he said. “How about if I call you tomorrow.” He glanced at Claire. “I guess I’d better start calling before I show up.”

Claire laughed. “Then you wouldn’t be you.”

“Sometimes that wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“I’ll walk you to the door,” Claire said.

“Danielle said you know Grayson from high school,” Noah said when they were out of earshot of their daughter.

“We dated,” she said.

“And now?”

“I don’t know. Nothing can come of it.”

“Why not? You seem to have a good thing.”

“He’s moving away in a couple of months.”

“That’s too bad,” he said. “He seems like good guy.”

“He is.”

“And you like him.”

Claire smiled and realized that, yes, she did like him. Even after all this time. She’d never stopped liking him.

“Maybe you can change his mind,” he said.

Claire shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“There’s always hope,” he said. “Look at me.”

Noah was the eternal optimist. Especially since he’d gotten back together with Savannah. They had been college sweethearts. Ever since they’d gotten back together, Noah had been an insufferably happy romantic.

He swept his thumb under her chin. “I’ll take good care of him,” he said.

Claire had learned a lot about Noah when they’d gone through therapy after Danielle’s suicide attempt. She learned that he’d never gotten over Savannah.

Claire, however, had never mentioned Grayson. In fact, she’d managed to talk about herself as little as possible. She’d only talked about work and, as a result, Noah had learned something about her.

They’d come out of Danielle’s crisis with a new respect for each other and a friendship they’d never had before. She liked that they were no longer at odds.

After Noah left, Claire curled up on the sofa with Danielle and they watched the Hunger Games together until Danielle started to fall asleep.

“Come on, Sweetheart, let’s go to bed.”

Danielle stood up and winced.

“Do you need some medication?” Claire asked.

Danielle shook her head. “I have to get up tomorrow and study. It makes me sleep too much.”

Claire helped Danielle change into her pajamas and tucked her into bed.

She went to her computer and began putting together an ad seeking her next artist. It was her tried and true method of dealing with emotions.

Grayson didn’t make it in time. When he got to the ER and asked for Timothy, the nurse had pointed him toward a woman curled up in the corner, sobbing.

“Alex?” he said, going up to her.

She lifted her face, her eyes swollen. She nodded. And began wailing.

“Hey,” Grayson said, kneeling next to her and taking the woman he’d never met, the sister of his best friend, in his arms.

When she finally quieted, heavy in his arms, he wondered if she’d passed out. “Hey,” he said, nudging her gently. “I’m gonna get you some water and a cloth for your face.”

He shifted her to rest her head on a chair. Grayson escaped and went straight to the nurse’s station. He asked for water and a wash cloth. And information.

Timothy had died about an hour ago from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“We need to contact the VA.” he said.

“We’ll take care of it, sir,” she said.

He took the water back to Alex. She was sitting up now. He handed her the wet wash cloth, but she just held it. He took it back from her and washed her face.

“What do I do now?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said. “Is there someone I can call for you?”

She looked into his eyes and the tears started again. “There’s no one,” she said. “Just you.”

Noah sat next to Alex and put his head on his knees. His friend Timothy had given twenty years of his life for his country. He was a decorated veteran with no one to grieve for him except his sister and his best friend.

Now he was a statistic. One of the many who fell victim to suicide.

Grayson had slept a little on the three-hour flight to Houston, but he was emotionally drained.

How had things gotten so bad with Timothy? How had they gotten so bad that he’d chosen a permanent solution to a temporary problem?

Grayson knew there were far too many similarities between himself and Timothy. Grayson, too, had no family other than his mother and sister. The parallels sent a shiver down his back.

What would he do if he found himself Timothy’s shoes? May God protect him from that.

Grayson did not want to spend the rest of his life alone.

With no one to call if he fell into the depths of despair.

With no children to keep him alive. Children were the number one protective factor against completed suicide.

Grayson had never given much thought to having children. Not since Claire.

Perhaps it time to think about it again.

Claire had received only three messages from Grayson since he’d left in the middle of the night Friday. One was as he’d promised saying he’d arrived safely. The second was that his friend had died. And the third was that he would let her know when he was headed back. All three messages had come through at various times of the day Saturday.

It was Thursday and he still hadn’t contacted her again. She couldn’t help wondering what he’d gotten into. Danielle said that their test had been postponed and someone else had been teaching their class for 4 days now. Danielle was not happy. She said all they did was take notes and she missed Grayson’s entertaining teaching style and examples.

Patience was the one thing Claire was good at. Noah had unintentionally schooled her well in that. She’d basically learned to see him when she saw him.

If she and Grayson had been in a relationship, she told herself, she would have called him. No more waiting and wondering.

But they weren’t in a relationship. And they weren’t going to be. Less than two months and he would be on his way. It wasn’t wise to get too attached.

Reattached.

Claire turned off her computer and stood up. She stretched and checked the time. It was time to meet Danielle for lunch. Then counseling.

She checked her phone. No messages.

She grabbed her handbag and, as she walked through the gallery, glanced at the two new paintings that had come in for her review.

Neither one particularly drew her to them. Not enough to bring the artist in.

She would put out another ad.

Danielle didn’t have much to say at lunch. After four days of not having Grayson teaching her psychology class, her interest in the subject had waned. They both spent much of their time at lunch on their phones.

After lunch, they got into the car to drive to the mental health clinic.

“Do you want to drive?” Claire asked.

Danielle lifted her shoulder in its sling.

“I know,” Claire said. “But do you want to? It’s been ages since you’ve asked to drive. You should be used to your antidepressants by now.”

“No,” Danielle said, scrunching her nose.

“I thought all teenagers wanted to drive.”

“Driving is retro. I’m gonna have a driver when I go to work.”

Claire laughed. “Really? How are you going to afford this driver?

Danielle shrugged and resumed texting. “I don’t know. I’ll probably just live close to work and walk.”

Claire moved into traffic and considered her daughter’s statement. Danielle’s father had the same aversion to driving. Perhaps Danielle inherited this from Noah. In Noah, it manifested in wanting to fly everywhere. Danielle didn’t want to fly, but she didn’t want to drive either. Her daughter preferred to keep her eyes glued to her phone.

Generations were changing, Claire mused.

Her phone chimed indicating a text message. Claire’s hand reflexively moved to pick up her phone. She glanced at her daughter and put her hand back on the wheel.

And sighed.

Perhaps she couldn’t blame Noah after all. Perhaps Danielle was just a product of her time. Maybe, Claire thought, she should get a driver.

Her fingers itched to check her message, but she made it all the way to the mental health parking lot before she grabbed her phone.

It was text from Grayson. I’m back in town. Catching up. Teaching tomorrow. Dinner tomorrow night?

She followed Danielle into the clinic with a little spring in her step that had been missing all week. They sat in the waiting area and Claire sent back a quick text. Okay.

She didn’t want to seem overly enthusiastic, but the smile on her face had Danielle looking at her sideways.

“You heard from Grayson.” Danielle said.

Claire bit her lip to hide the smile that threatened to spread across her face.

“You did!” Danielle said. “Is he back?”

“He’ll be in class tomorrow.”

“Thank goodness,” Danielle said. “I don’t think I could stand another day of those boring lectures.”

“You do know, that most college professors do just that – lecture?”

“Danielle?” Dr. Lee called from his office door.

Claire and Danielle went into his office and settled onto Dr. Lee’s couch. He sat across from them and smiled. “You both look rather happy today.”

“Mom’s crushing on my psychology professor,” Danielle said.

“Danielle,” Claire said, her cheeks hot. “I am not!”

“Well, technically he’s her old boyfriend from high school, but they haven’t seen each other for like twenty years.”

Dr. Lee studied Claire. Smiled. “I’ve never seen you look this happy,” he said.

“Things are going well,” she said. “At the foundation.”

Dr. Lee glanced at Danielle who shrugged. “It’s okay,” he said, turning back to Claire. “to have some happiness in your life.”

“I have happiness,” she said.

“Good,” Dr. Lee said, then turned back to Danielle. “What’s going on with you, Danielle?”

As Danielle talked about her classes and her new boyfriend - that Claire hadn’t known about - Claire, reflected about what Dr. Lee had said.

Did people really think she wasn’t happy? Was she happy? Had she ever been happy?

She was happy. They had been right, she did have to admit. She was crushing on her old boyfriend. And…

Claire realized she had been happy in high school, her sophomore and junior year before Grayson left for the Air Force. In fact, her fondest memories were there. With him.

History, it seemed, was repeating itself.

In more ways than one. She’d known then that he would be leaving for the military. And she knew now that he was leaving for a one year teaching position. He’d said he was coming back then. This time he hadn’t said that.

This time he wasn’t making any promises.

We’re not in a relationship this time.

“Claire, are you alright?” Dr. Lee asked.

Claire jerked herself out of her reverie and smiled. “Yes. I’m good.”

“Danielle was just asking if she could have her guy friend come over tomorrow.”

Claire looked at Danielle who was watching her expectantly. “Of course. She doesn’t have to ask me that.”

“You’ll have to go pick him up, Mom. He lives on campus and he doesn’t have a car.”

“Do you want to go get him?” Claire asked.

Danielle held up her bum shoulder.

“Right. Of course. I’ll drive you to pick him up.” So tomorrow, Claire contemplated, she would be double-dating with her daughter.