”“Then just how would you put it, slut?”“Well, I think that a better way to explain it would be to say that while those two balls did momentar...ly get way from you, they didn’t just roll off of the stage and mess everything up for you. I think that what both of those balls did was to bounce back up and land right back into your hand, Sir.”“Why would they do that, slave? I mean just how and why would those balls give me that second chance to catch them?”“Because they just might be able to help. I’ll settle for a nice mundane existence.”“What happened?”“Just a bunch of stuff back home. Nothing to worry about now; most of it’s been resolved. I’m just hoping for this semester to be totally peaceful.”“How was your Christmas?”“Pretty much the same as always. We don’t make a big deal about the presents. The most important stuff is going to church and a family gathering with my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. How about you?”“My parents are the ‘go overboard’ types. Just tons of. "You're going to send me away and I'll neversee you again!" Who told you that?" Rebecca broke her embrace and held Andy away fromher at arm's length. She saw a look of sheer terror in his eyes."Nobody," Andy whined, rubbing his eyes. "I just know that it's going tohappen!"Rebecca pulled him back into an embrace, and just let him cry. "I toldyou, Andy, that's not going to happen. I promise you."Rebecca had seen some of this before. Whenever Andy became scared or feltvulnerable, he tended to. He closed the distance and took the chair his brother offered him."Thanks," he whispered. Matt gripped his shoulder and squeezed it hard. He walked over to stare out at the window. Philip's father, Chad was sitting on the other side of his wife of fifty-eight years. He reached over and touched his youngest child's hand. "She knew you were on your way. I think she knew you were thinking of her too." I'm sorry Dad. I would have gotten here faster if I could have. The planes even departed on time..