He offered her his hand. In that moment, she knew she had to choose. She knew she had to let go of the doubt, hesitation, and fear—above all, the fear. Fear had ensnared her, and threatened to leach all of the joy from her life; it left her a shadow of her former self. She felt cornered by it, and it was an adversary that she no longer had to face on her own.
She took the proffered hand. A callus pricked her palm, reminding her of all he must have endured. She didn't know the details. Perhaps she never would, but it only took one look into his eyes to know. His life had been hard, and yet he'd emerged from whatever challenges he'd faced as a good man. She squeezed his hand, and silently told him that she was ready.
