A Matter of Faith

The plane taxied down the runway and as usual Della held her breath until she felt the gentle lift upward and imagined the landing gear tuck neatly back up into the belly of the aircraft.

Perry heard her exhale the breath of air she had been holding and then she gently released the death grip she had on his big hand. He smiled to himself, not mocking her, but understanding.

"Della," he said in a low voice, "You have to have faith."

"Perry, dear, I have faith—in God, you, Paul—but mechanical things break and fail," she whispered back.

"Got to have faith," he muttered again under his breath, as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

Della squeezed his hand. "Are you thinking about Sister Margaret?"

"Yes, something that she said to convince me to let her testify on her own behalf. She was right; her faith was strong and true. How often do we get to witness that in our line of business? Hmm?"

Della looked deep into his eyes. "I see it every time we go to court. I have faith in you and you never disappoint, Counselor."

Perry raised her hand to his lips and tenderly kissed it. "Della, if I had had stronger belief in following my gut instincts and hadn't been foolish enough to listen to flatterers and let ambition lead me into something that you tried to tell me wasn't good for me then we would have never been separated. You would never have been tried for murder and—"

She reached and took his whiskery chin in her hand and pulled him closer. "Perry, stop. You felt compelled to take the judgeship, and, yes, you should have listened to me-in everything, and then you would avoid trouble," she said, her hazel eyes twinkling. "We all make choices that at best are flipping the coin of fate. What matters is that we're together now, doing what we do best."

The older man's eyes were misty. "Oh, Della, I don't think that's what we do best, but I know there is nothing I do well without you."

"Well, you know what they say, Mr. Mason?"

"No, what do 'they' say, Miss Street?"

In a quiet and sultry voice, she replied, "Practice makes perfect."