She had worn no jewelry except a simple silver bracelet, engraved with leaves, in a pattern unknown to him, up and down, some in a row, some set on the top or the bottom, and on her right wrist. A gift from her Da, as she always called her father. It was a memento from the honeymoon her mother and father had taken right after their wedding. To an exotic locale she wasn't sure of. A far off island. A one of a time deal for her parents, who had seized the moment and ran with it. It had been a series of circumstances that lead them to this idyllic honeymoon, and they couldn't turn away from the opportunity. Things like that just plain didn't happen to working folk in Texas. So when opportunity knocked, they had answered the door and ran with it. The bracelet was their only physical remnant of that great escape.

That was about all she knew of that. Her father had tried to explain things to her, as he could, so she could understand. He had died when she was six. Her mother had died a few months after giving birth to her and two brothers. One brother died with his mother, the other was with her until she was eight. Triplets. Her father had kept them together, moving from place to place before finally settling in with his brother, an old grizzled war vet who made a good living with a ranch he had carved himself out of a rough stretch of forgotten Texas country with his own two hands. She called him Jips. And she loved him with her whole heart.

These things she had told him freely. She was a friend. One of the only friends he ever had. She only knew him as Walter. Or Walt. She always called him Walt once she got familiar with him. And he didn't mind. The first few times, it riled him. But then he had seen the way she had looked at him with her green eyes when she called his name. There was only warmth there. A genuine happiness to see him when she called for him. No maliciousness. So, Walt was ok.

He couldn't remember exactly how they had become friends. She had just moved in and started to get his mail, which she promptly figured out belonged to him. It had been delivered unopened, slipped under his door, until she had run into him. She had introduced herself and things progressed from there. He had thought her a regular whore at first. She worked nights after all. He was soon corrected. Found out she was a doctor. Worked in the ER at the county hospital and had a soft spot for the homeless vets that roamed the city streets. Asked her about that once, after a tale she had told him. She had just smiled and said she liked to help out. The vets reminded her of her Jips. She thought he might get a kick out of her helping out a bit in the BIG CITY as he called New York.

Turned out, Jips never wanted her in the BIG CITY. Things hadn't turned out at all for either of them. But things happen, and here she was. She never was clear on those things. He never asked. After all, she never asked about his past, his dealings. She just had accepted him for whom he was. And that was rare. Never happened.

But it did. Just this once.

And now she was gone. Lost in a train accident. She had seen him that morning, her cheerful self, although the day shift was something new to her. She had said so too. Told him she was covering a doctor who had a family emergency. It was her day off. She was awake. Didn't mind. Could use the ovetime. Oh, and by the way, she was making ham and scalloped potatoes later on, if he wanted to drop by. He told her he did. And that was that. It was a regular thing. He loved her cooking. Never had homemade dinners like she made them. Amd she loved to cook. She loved to share. Just how it was.

He had been awakened by the pounding. Police at her door. He had opened his, completely out of character for him, but she was his friend. What was wrong? They had had asked him his name. He told them. Nothing to hide. The silence after the question should have warned him.

It didn't.

The two officers told him of the train wreck. They had her ID, the bracelet, which he identified as hers, and some mail she had in her bag, his, slightly burnt. The bracelet was still intact, the engravings of the leaves not even burned. It was still a complete circle. And she had no family they could find.

Once they had left, keeping everything, he had locked his door, stole away into the darkness of his apartment and simply sat in disbelief. This couldn't be true. She wasn't gone. Couldn't be. They were going to have dinner together later.

It was true. After some time, he had been given the opportunity to claim her belongings. She had no family. She had his mail with her when she had passed. It was only logical. He had claimed it all. Only thing he kept was the bracelet. It was all that meant anything to him.

And now, while the end loomed near, he pulled it out of this pocket, kept it close, so no one could see what he was looking at. And he hoped. And figured she might be.

She just might be smiling when the end time came, and she met him at the Gates.

Heaven or Hell.

Promised to save him a seat .