A couple of weeks have gone by. It's a Saturday night.
JEN'S (DAWSON'S GIRLFRIEND) HOUSE
Dawson rang the doorbell. Jen's mother, Andie's psychiatrist, answered the door.
"Hello, Dawson. Come in." She stepped aside and closed the door behind him as he stood just inside. "How are you doing?"
"Very well, thank you. Is Jen ready?"
"She should be…"
Jen came down the staircase. "Hi Dawson."
"I'll leave you two alone. It was nice seeing you again, Dawson."
"It was nice seeing you too."
Jen walked up to Dawson and gave him a quick kiss. She had light brown hair that didn't quite touch her shoulders, blue eyes, and a Colgate smile.
"I tried to call you," said Jen. "There's kind of been a change in plans."
"Why? What happened?"
"My aunt and uncle had to go out of town on a family emergency. They dropped off my cousin, Sandy, to stay with us until they get back. She's upstairs taking a shower."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope it isn't anything serious."
"It's her dad's mom. She's not doing too well. She's pretty old. She lives in Spain. I don't think Sandy's ever even met her."
"I see. So, you have to babysit?"
"Oh, no," she laughed. "Sandy's actually a year older than me."
"Oh. Well then, why don't you ask her to join us for dinner."
"Are you sure? I don't want anyone to be uncomfortable."
"Actually, I have an even better idea. Why don't I call my friend, Pacey, and see if he'd like to join us as well."
"You mean double-date?"
"We don't have to call it a date but it will even things out a little. And, you've never met Pacey. This is a perfect opportunity."
"I don't know if Sandy will go for it."
"I don't know if Pacey will go for it, but it can't hurt to try."
She pondered for a moment. "Sure, why not?"
"Ok, here's what we do. I'll go over to Pacey's and try to talk him into it. You talk to Sandy. If she doesn't want to go, call my house and leave a message. If I don't hear from you, I'll just meet you at the restaurant with or without Pacey."
"All right, I'll see what I can do."
"If it doesn't work out, oh well. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Ok, see ya."
"Bye." He kissed her and left.
PACEY'S HOUSE
Pacey was just getting out of the shower himself. He and Joey had not specifically made plans but it had become their custom to hang out together on the weekends when they weren't working. They would find something to do or simply enjoy doing nothing at all.
He heard the doorbell ring, threw a shirt on, and ran downstairs to open the door for her. He was surprised to find that it wasn't her.
"Dawson."
"Hey, Pace. What's up?" He walked past Pacey into the living room.
"Um, not much, man. What's up with you?"
Dawson took a deep breath and turned to him. "Funny you should ask. I was wondering if you were free tonight."
"Uh, well…"
"Wait, let me explain what's going on. I had plans to go out with Jen. Her cousin came into town at the last minute so I was wondering if you would want to join the three of us for the evening."
"Like a blind date?"
"What do you say?"
Pacey wandered around the room trying to think of a good excuse not to go.
"Come on, Pacey, you and Andie broke up months ago. Don't you think it's time to get out a little." Pacey didn't respond. "She's only in town for a short amount of time. You don't ever have to see her again. It's just one evening."
"Joey and I were going to hang out…"
"Joey? Geez, you guys spend an awful lot of time together. I hardly ever see you guys at all."
The conversation was going in a direction that Pacey didn't want it to go.
"Joey probably wouldn't mind," Dawson continued. "She'd probably agree that it was healthy for you to start dating again."
Before Pacey could reply, the doorbell rang again. He opened the door to find Joey with a crooked smile on her face.
"Hey, Pace."
"Joey," Dawson called and stepped forward. "Just who we were talking about. You guys had plans tonight?"
Joey was struck dumb by the unexpected sight of Dawson. "Um, well, we were just going to hang out."
"Would you mind if he came with me tonight? Jen's cousin is in town and I wanted Pacey to come to round out the group."
Joey looked over at Pacey surprised. "You're going on a date?" Pacey opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Dawson.
"Would you mind?" asked Dawson.
Joey tried to act nonchalant about it. "No, that's fine. You guys go ahead. I can find something else to do."
"Great," said Dawson. "Then Pacey, we've got to get going. We have to run over to my house before we head to the restaurant."
Pacey was confused by the sudden turn of events. He actually hadn't even agreed to any of it. Part of him wanted to go just for the new experience. Another part of him felt he needed to go so that Dawson wouldn't get suspicious. The rest of him wanted to stay with Joey. He looked at her not knowing what to say. She smiled briefly at him.
"We'll get together some other time," said Joey.
He opened his mouth to try to explain what was going on but Dawson interrupted once again. "Come on, Pacey." He grabbed Pacey's arm and pulled him toward the stairs. "Let's get you a better shirt."
"What's wrong with my shirt?" he asked, then looked back to see Joey leaving.
RESTAURANT
Dawson entered the restaurant with Pacey trailing behind him. Jen and Sandy were already there. Sandy was a tall, thin blonde. A supermodel in the making. The type Pacey would generally go for.
"Hey there," said Dawson, kissing Jen on the cheek.
"Dawson, this is my cousin, Sandy."
He reached over to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you, Sandy. This is my best friend, Pacey."
Pacey shook her hand. "Hi."
"Nice to meet you," replied Sandy.
"And this is Jen, Pacey," said Dawson.
Pacey shook her hand as well. "Nice to finally meet you. We were concerned Dawson was just making you up."
"Gee, thanks, Pace."
They laughed and seated themselves.
"Have you been waiting long?" asked Dawson.
"No, we only just got here. I was filling Sandy in on you and what you've told me about Pacey so we'd have something to talk about."
"I can't imagine what Dawson has told you about me," said Pacey, looking at Dawson questioningly. "Whatever he said, I hope he didn't go into any great detail."
Dawson shrugged innocently.
"He said you're a big hockey fan," said Jen. "Sandy loves hockey too. Her dad was once equipment manager for the Bruins."
Pacey looked at Sandy in awe. "Seriously?"
"Only for a few years when I was younger," said Sandy. "Some days he would take me with him to practices. I'd even go out and skate with the players once in a while. I had such a crush on Cam Neely."
"Cam Neely? No way. That's so cool."
Dawson and Jen smiled as they watched the two chatter on about hockey players and statistics. They barely got their orders out before Pacey and Sandy were back to debating the use of instant replay to review questionable goals. Dawson was intrigued by their immediate connection. Jen tried to start up a conversation with him, but he seemed to be distracted by Pacey and Sandy's discussion.
She stared at him and could have sworn that he almost looked jealous, which made her feel a little jealous. Finally, Dawson noticed her gaze and realized that he was being rude. They fell into their own conversation that for some reason wasn't as comfortable as usual. During a lull in both discussions, Dawson decided to draw Pacey and Sandy into a conversation that they could all participate in. Given the little knowledge of hockey that he had, he chose the only way he knew to get in on their discussion.
"Hey, Pacey."
Pacey was still chuckling about something when he turned to Dawson. "Yeah, D."
"What's your favorite hockey movie?"
"That's easy, Mighty Ducks," he replied.
"Are you kidding?" asked Sandy. "Slapshot is the best hockey movie. Come on. It stars Paul Newman. What more could you ask for?"
"I love Paul Newman," said Jen. "Wasn't there also another hockey movie with Rob Lowe in it?"
"Youngblood," said Dawson. "It also had Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in it. A predictable tale of the young upstart hockey player who falls for the coach's daughter and gets mentored in the ways of the ice by Mr. Dirty Dancing himself. It's a classic."
"Hey, I liked that movie."
The rest of dinner continued on in this fashion. The curious tension that had flared between Dawson and Jen seemed to have disappeared.
THE ICEHOUSE
Joey went for a walk. She was feeling a little lonely. It would have been nice to have spent the evening with Pacey but she was all too used to disappointment. It's not like he had to spend all his free time with her. They were friends. That's all. They had talked about this right from the beginning. They would eventually get on with their own lives and if a date made him happy, then she was happy too.
Yeah, right. She felt miserable.
With nowhere else to go, she slid onto a stool at the Icehouse. She was so desperate for something to do that she even considered helping out. Unfortunately, there were hardly any customers so she wasn't really needed. Figures.
Bessie walked out from the kitchen and was surprised to see her.
"Hey, Joey. What are you doing here? Don't you and Pacey usually do something?"
"He's out with Dawson," she stated simply.
"I see," she said, noticing Joey's demeanor. "You feel kind of left out?"
"No, I'm ok. I mean, I'm…," she sputtered. She didn't know what she was feeling.
Concerned, Bessie leaned on the counter across from her. "What's wrong, Joey?"
Joey wanted to confide in her sister. She needed someone to talk to and help sort through her feelings. She wanted to explain everything to Bessie. There was something that held her back though.
"It's nothing," she shrugged. "Just the usual teenage stuff."
"Teenage stuff, huh? Let me guess, lamenting lost love, simmering an infatuation, or maybe just wishing you were in love."
"None of the above," replied Joey.
"Well, whatever it is, don't rush into anything. If there really is such a thing as 'true love', I don't think many people find it at your age even though they might be positive that they have. As romantic as teenage innocence can be, it's also unrealistic and illogical. Love isn't something that can be reduced to a clever quotation…or poem……or lyrics to a Backstreet Boys song. It's about an unselfish commitment to someone."
"Then how am I supposed to know when I'm really in love with somebody?"
"I don't know. Maybe I'm not making any sense. I didn't mean to suggest that the only kind of love is the marrying kind of love. Just because you're young doesn't mean you can't really be in love with someone. I don't know how to explain it and I guess I'm not the best example. I'm just saying that love has a way of evolving. And when you're really serious about someone, you have to be willing to work for it. It's not all candlelit dinners and sunsets."
Joey was trying to digest all that Bessie had said.
"I know I don't have all the answers that you want to hear," continued Bessie. "That's because I haven't figured them all out yet either."
"Maybe no one ever does," said Joey.
"Maybe not," said Bessie. "But you keep on trying." She stood up from the counter. "And, as long as I'm your sister, I'm going to keep on trying to help you out as well, even when you may not want me to. In fact," she filled a glass with ice and pressed it underneath the Coke dispenser. "Why don't you exercise your role as the hormonally imbalanced teenager and take that guy a Coke."
"Take what guy a Coke?"
"That cute guy at table nineteen. He's been staring at you since I've been standing here."
Joey glanced at table nineteen. He didn't appear to be looking in her direction, but she had to admit that he was cute.
"Go on," said Bessie.
"I thought you said not to rush into things."
"I said take him a Coke. If you're already picking out china patterns, give me back the Coke."
Joey turned up a half-smile and started off the stool. "No, I got it."
She walked over to his table and set down the drink. He looked up at her with a shy look of surprise.
"I, I…I didn't order that," he managed to stutter.
"Complimentary beverage," she made up. "It's good for repeat business, and you looked like a Coke kind of guy."
"I love Coke," he lied.
"Are you ready to order?"
"Oh, um…" As he looked over his menu, she took the opportunity to check him out. Her first impression was that he seemed a little squirrelly, but his playful eyes and dark, cropped hair gave a Ben Affleck sort of appeal to him.
"Ya know, I can't really decide. Would you recommend something?"
"Ok. Well, how hungry are you?"
"I could eat a horse."
"That's too bad. We're all out of horse."
He laughed a little too heartily, but caught and composed himself quickly, realizing he was coming on a little too strong, and doofus-like. Joey really didn't know what to think.
"Why don't I just have a burger and fries," he said, feeling stupid.
"Can I get you anything else?"
"Uh…" He struggled to think of something that would keep her there, but he couldn't come up with anything. "I guess not. Thanks."
"All right. Your order shouldn't take too long."
He watched her as she walked away. He suddenly slapped his forehead. An appetizer. He should've ordered an appetizer. Not that he was hungry. He didn't really even feel like drinking anything. Wait, that was it.
Joey had placed the order with the kitchen and resumed her spot at the counter. However, she stood behind the counter this time so she could watch the cute guy. She took a towel to wash off some trays so she wouldn't look too obvious. She had only gotten through two trays when she realized that his glass of Coke was empty. She filled another glass and went to offer him a refill.
"You must be thirsty," she said as she walked up to him.
"You could say that."
She noticed he looked a little green, then turned to head back to the kitchen. He was suddenly desperate to keep her there.
"Um…" She turned back to him. "I'm sorry, can I ask your name?"
"It's Joey."
"Joey. I'm only saying this because my fear of rejection is being overwhelmed at this moment by my fear of getting sick from drinking Coke after Coke just to make you come back to my table every five minutes. I'm just wondering if you might consider sitting down and joining me since you don't seem to have too many customers."
Joey was surprised by his honesty. Her first instinct was to say no, but then realized that, at the very least, he offered her a distraction. What did she have to lose?
"Well, I wouldn't want you to get sick. After all, I'd have to clean it up."
He smiled as she sat down.
"My name is Justin." He offered his hand and she shook it.
"You don't go to Capeside High."
"No, I go to St. Michael's up by Longpoint. I'm a junior."
"Catholic private school."
"I hope you don't hold that against me."
"Do you hold it against me that I go to Capeside?"
"No, of course not."
"What brings you to this area?"
"Would you believe me if I said 'the food'?"
"No."
"Would you believe me if I said 'you'?"
Again, she was surprised by his boldness. "So, you're a stalker?"
"No! Geez, no. It's not like that. I was here a week ago with some friends. We'd been out boating and got hungry. That's when I saw you the first time. This, today, is the second time. I swear. If you want me to leave, all you have to do is ask and that will be the end of it."
He waited for her reply as she contemplated the situation. Joey didn't have many admirers who pursued her. It was a nice feeling for a change.
"You don't have to leave. I'm flattered, but you have to admit, it's a little creepy."
"I admit it and I'm sorry. I just didn't know any other way to meet you. I usually don't act like this."
"Well, I usually don't sit down with perfect strangers."
"What made you sit down?"
"Mostly boredom."
"Gee, thanks."
"And curiosity."
"I guess I've got my work cut out for me."
"Speaking of work…" She stood up.
"Where are you going?" he asked, hoping he hadn't already ruined things.
"Relax. I'm just going to check on your order."
She went to the kitchen. He leaned back in his chair and waited for her to return.
DOWNTOWN
Dawson decided that they should all walk to the riverfront park from the restaurant. Dawson and Jen walked holding hands as Pacey and Sandy followed from behind. They laughed and window-shopped their way down the street.
Pacey had to admit, he was having a nice evening. Sandy wasn't just some dumb, blonde bombshell. She was intelligent, funny, and knew a hell of a lot about hockey. More than he knew anyway. He wondered if anything more could come of it. She was perfect as far as he could tell. Despite that recognition, that's where his feelings seemed to end. He didn't understand why. Why did he still feel so closed off? He was determined to enjoy the rest of the night, regardless.
DOCK BEHIND THE ICEHOUSE
Joey and Justin had come out of the back of the Icehouse and were strolling by the boats. She was laughing at a story he was telling.
"You're kidding me," said Joey.
"No, I'm serious. I broke my nose I hit it so hard."
"Ouch."
"You're telling me. I've got blood running down the front of me and everybody's laughing."
"That'll teach you not to ride your nephew's tricycle."
"I was just fortunate that no one had a camcorder handy, not that anyone is likely to let me live it down."
"That's what families treasure, moments of embarrassment."
"All right, it's your turn. What's your embarrassing moment?"
"I don't think so."
"What? You think I'm going to laugh or something?" he asked.
"I just don't feel like talking about it."
"Geez, Joey. You don't want to talk about your family. Or your friends. Or anything about you really." He noticed her look of annoyance. "Ok, that's not a problem. We can talk about something else. So….what's your favorite color?"
"Blue, no re…aaaugh!" she quoted.
He looked at her confused.
"That's from the Holy Grail," she explained. He still looked confused. "Don't tell me you've never seen the Holy Grail. That movie is hilarious."
"I'll have to rent it sometime."
"Definitely."
"So, what other movies do you like?"
She chuckled.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing. I'm just reminded of a friend of mine. He's obsessed with movies, most notably Steven Spielberg movies."
"You don't share his opinion?"
"It's not that. He's a great director. Schindler's List is one of the best movies of all time, but how many times can a person watch ET before you start to want to strangle the little bugger."
"Strangle ET or your friend?"
"Both."
Justin laughed. He wanted nothing more than to prolong the night as much as possible. However, he was frustrated by her unwillingness to share any sort of personal information beyond movies, music, and current events. It wasn't very satisfying but he contented himself with the fact that she, at least, hadn't simply rejected him outright. It gave him a little hope.
DOCKS
Dawson and Jen had disappeared down the docks leaving Pacey and Sandy alone. They stood leaning against the railing.
"You're not like a lot of other guys," said Sandy, looking over at him. "I'd be fighting off most guys at this point."
"Don't give me too much credit. It wasn't so long ago that I would have been one of those guys."
"What made you change?"
"Rather, who made me change?"
"Ok, who made you change?"
"It's kind of a long story. I'd rather not get into it."
"I didn't mean to pry."
"That's ok. It's just complicated. I…" he stuttered, then looked over at her. He decided to change the subject. "You're not exactly what I expected either. You look like you just stepped out of the pages of 'Glamour' magazine or something. I thought tonight I'd have to listen to an exclusive on what fashions were in for the season or what colors would bring out the green in my eyes. Instead, I feel like I've spent the evening with Don Cherry."
She laughed.
"I mean that it the best possible way," he explained.
"That's the most honest thing anyone has said to me in a while. I appreciate that."
"I'm nothing if not honest."
They both looked out over the water.
"Could I be honest with you for a minute?" she asked.
"Sure."
"Ok," she hesitated, then turned and stepped closer to him. "Well, I've had a really nice time tonight. I don't really want it to end yet but there's something I've wanted to do all evening."
"What's that?" he asked naively.
"This." She kissed him. He was surprised for a second, but yielded to her advance and kissed her back. She took this as a good sign and attempted to deepen the kiss. At that point, Pacey pulled back from her.
"Um…" he started.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's just…..it just goes back to what I said about things being complicated." He searched for the right words to explain the situation. "You're a very nice person and you deserve to be with a very nice guy."
"Pacey…"
"I'm being honest again. And to be honest, you really don't know a thing about me."
"Jen told me that you were having a hard time after your girlfriend broke up with you."
Pacey chuckled shortly. "I wish that was all that this was about."
"But it's not?"
"No. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lead you on."
"There's no need to be sorry," she replied, trying not to show her disappointment. "It's not like I'm going to be around for very long. Like I said, I had a nice evening and……well, maybe I should go find Dawson and Jen."
"I'll go with you."
"No. I think I'd just prefer to walk by myself and find them. It's not a big deal. I can see them from here." She turns to walk away. "It was nice to meet you and I hope you find a way to get all your complications straightened out."
He couldn't think of anything to say.
"Bye, Pacey."
"Bye."
She walked away. He turned toward the water and closed his eyes in frustration.
DOCKS
Joey and Justin had wandered further down the marina and sat at the end of a dock. It was getting late and Justin was getting bolder.
"Joey, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Do you believe in love at first sight?"
Joey looked at him in shock.
"What?"
"Do you believe in love at first sight?"
"No."
"Are you saying that because that's what you really believe or because the suggestion scares you?"
"You're going a little fast for me here."
"Let me explain," said Justin earnestly. "From the moment I first saw you, there was just something about you that has done a number on me. At first, I thought it was just some distant infatuation that would go away as soon as I got back home, but it hasn't. You are all I have thought about for a week."
Joey was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
"I know it sounds crazy," he continued, "but just listen to me for a second…"
"No, Justin. This is crazy. You don't know a thing about me."
"But maybe that's how it works, otherwise, it wouldn't be at first sight. It's something you feel. Something you just know. It's like a premonition or something."
"Wait a minute. If I understand what you're suggesting, and that is that this love at first sight phenomena supposedly somehow tells you that I am the love of your life then tell me this, how come I don't feel the same way?"
He didn't have an answer. He had hoped against hope that she had felt something for him, or would at least listen to his reasoning.
She looked at the defeated expression on his face and felt kind of bad.
"Justin, I don't know what to tell you. You're a nice guy, and like I said before, I'm flattered. It's just…I don't know if I'm just too cynical to understand or recognize what you're talking about, but there is one thing I do know. I don't share your feelings. I'm sorry."
With that, she got up from the dock and walked away from him. He remained sitting, shoulders slumped, sad and confused.
DOCKS
Pacey was still standing at the railing, deep in thought. He heard someone approach but didn't turn to look. There was only one person in the world he wanted to talk to at the moment but part of him knew that it wasn't her. He slowly turned to see who it was. His heart jolted and he quickly turned back to resume his gaze over the water. It was Andie.
"Hi, Pacey."
He blinked in confusion, grinding his way through the gears of his emotions.
"I ran into Dawson, his girlfriend, and I guess her cousin," she continued. "They told me you were down here." She paused. "How are you doing?"
"Fine," he replied shortly.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that. How's school going?"
"Fine."
"Good. I hope you're continuing to keep up with your schoolwork…"
Pacey couldn't take it anymore. He turned towards her. "Andie, stop! Stop being nice. Stop acting like things are normal between us. Just stop."
Andie was stung by his outburst but not entirely surprised. This was a long time in coming. This is what they needed to get past.
"Then what, Pacey? What do you want me to do?"
He simply shook his head and turned back to the railing.
"Nothing. Never mind."
"No, Pacey. That's not going to work. You're mad at me and I need to know why."
"You know why."
"I mean specifics. Are you mad because you feel like I gave up on you? Are you mad because you thought…"
"I'm mad because I loved you!" he interrupted angrily. "Because you were a part of the person I had become and then you took that away. Do you understand what I'm saying?" He paused to let his words sink in. "It's like you took part of me away. And since that time, I have felt so lost. Some days I don't feel like I know who I am."
"Pacey, don't you see. That was why we broke up. How can either of us be the complete person that we are supposed to be when, in the absence of the other, we fall apart."
He turned away from her.
"Doesn't that make sense?" she asked.
It had made sense the first time she had explained it to him, back when they broke up. However, it still didn't change the way he felt. There was something more to his pain.
"I still care about how you're doing. That won't ever change." She watched him as he calmly stared off into space. "I don't know if it matters anymore, but I still love you, Pacey."
"Ya know, it's funny the way you talk about love," he said quietly. "The way anyone talks about love, because I don't what it is. I don't recognize it anymore or at least I don't understand it when it's supposedly in front of me. I thought I did. I believed I loved you more than anything and that nothing would ever change that. Well, I don't feel that way anymore."
"Love." He chuckled bitterly at the word. "Is it so liquid that it can be mistaken for something else? That I'm destined to forever question its mere existence, like a word that was erased from the dictionary." He finally turned toward her, speaking very calmly. "And you know what. Maybe that's what I'm maddest about, Andie. Not that you took your love away from me but that you took love itself away from me."
A tear slid down Andie's face. It made Pacey feel horrible. His realized that he was more sad than angry. Sad that growing and changing seemed to involve so much pain, and that he was the cause of some of that pain.
"I didn't mean to make you cry."
She slowly wiped at her eyes.
"I can't help it. I look at you and… Do you realize how much you've changed from the first person I met?" she said.
"Yes, I do," he replied. "To be honest, I owe a lot of that to you."
She shook her head. "No, I should thank you. For loving me. For trusting me…" She started crying again. This time, a little harder. "I'm so sorry."
With tears brimming in his own eyes, he walked over and put his arms around her. She hugged him back. It wasn't the hug of two lovers, but rather of two friends. Two friends searching for a way to heal.
RUINS
It was a pristine evening. There was no breeze, leaving everything eerily silent. The cloudless sky revealed a waning moon and countless stars. A chill was in the air.
As Pacey came through the trees, he saw a figure huddled on the concrete bench. Despite the darkness, he knew who it was. He somehow knew she would be there. He wanted to immediately go to her and wrap his arms around her in his usual manner but he didn't. Today was not a usual day. He walked slowly toward her.
"Pacey?"
"Hi," he replied quietly.
"Hi." She looked up into his face but the darkness shrouded his features. "How was your date?"
"It was nice."
"Good," replied Joey. He sat down beside her.
"So, how was your night?"
"It was all right. Nothing special."
They didn't want to give the details of their respective evenings. They were both too tired for explanations, and for them, they didn't need any.
"Are you cold?" he asked.
"Little bit."
"I'm freezing."
"Come here," she said.
He slid closer as she sat behind him, wrapping her arms and coat around him as much as possible. Feeling him shiver, she pulled him tighter, resting the side of her face against the back of his neck. He could feel her warm breath. Emotionally exhausted, they closed their eyes and enjoyed the serenity and comfort that they shared. Amid the experiences of their evenings, they had both yearned for just this moment. It was the one thing they could count on. It was the one thing that they dared not analyze.
