Shane: “Thank you”

Alice gave her a quick kiss.

Alice : “Anytime… Anyplace….Only you.”

In the back of Shane’s mind she could hear “Ave Maria” playing. It was a song she knew all too well. It was Father Joe’s favorite and he made her sing it for him often. The song filled her head and stroked the back of her mind like it did on the rare occasion when she was truly happy. Alice began to laugh and Shane’s face fell. She had no idea why Alice was laughing at her.

Alice: “What’s with your ring tone?”

Shane: “Huh?”

Alice: “Your phone is ringing and its playing opera music. ”

Shane realized that she really was hearing the music, but it was her phone ringing. It was the ring tone she had set for Father Joe. She unwrapped herself from Alice, who pouted audibly. She scrambled for her phone and answered it before the last ring. Alice reached for Shane’s watch on the floor and looked to see ::2:43:: starring back at her. She fell back against the pillows on the bed as Shane paced by the foot of the bed on the phone.

Shane: ” Yeah I know…no I can…Yeah…two in one night…”

Shane stopped pacing and held her hand to her mouth.

Shane: ” Oh from two different people…ok I’ll be right there. My truck’s fucked up so I have to take a cab. Yeah ok.”

Shane hung up the phone and held her hand to her forehead. She’d forgotten where she was for a brief moment. She turned and looked at Alice with guilt in her eyes.

Alice: “You ok?”

Shane nodded her head unconvincingly.

Alice: “But you have to go.”

Shane nodded again. She crawled back up to Alice in the bed and sat next to her with her arms wrapped around her legs.

Shane: ” Someone really needs my help I have to go…its…its…look, you know I would never walk out on you right?”

Alice shrugged and brought her knees up to her chest like Shane.

Alice: “You tried to before”

Shane: “That was different…that was…I thought I had to cause I hurt you…but now you need to know there’s one person in this world that can make me drop what I’m and walk out the door…day or night I’m at his beck and call….I owe him my life.”