Training's Epilogue

Priscilla, her arms laden with the latest intercepts approached Director Lorenzo's office, only to find Dina standing in front of the closed door. She was picking at the hem of her black velvet skirt which descended to just above where her red overshoes-like boots ended. A scab showed in the narrow strip of exposed flesh on her left knee.

"Hello, Priscilla!" Dina turned and smiled. "Let me help you with those!"

"It's all right dear. They're very sensitive."

The little girl stopped and tilted her head slightly to one side. "They ... bruise easily?"

At that, Priscilla gave a small giggle. "No, Dina. They're secret."

"Ohhhh." Dina nodded with the innocent wisdom of youth. "I can keep secrets."

Priscilla squatted so they were eye-to-eye. "All right, let me tell you one." She then leaned into the younger girl's ear and whispered, "I wanted to be a writer when I was your age. I wanted to write love stories." Then she straightened. "Can you keep that a secret?"

"Uh-huh!" She nodded enthusiastically and smiled.

The intelligence analyst smiled back and entered the Director's office. Shortly she exited, her arms empty. "Dina, what do you say we take a walk? Paolo said it was all right."

"Sure! He and Signore Jean are sure taking a while."

Priscilla held out her hand. "Well, they're talking with Director Lorenzo about your first mission. Are you excited?"

"Yay!" She skipped a few steps, then slowed. "I was thinking, Priscilla. I should tell you a secret, too. That way, we both have a secret to keep."

"Oh, Dina. I have far too many weighing me down."

The girl looked downcast. "I wasn't trying to make you work harder, Priscilla." She looked at her boots as they advanced slowly down the hall. "When you told me your secret, it made me really, really, really happy. I just wanted to do the same back."

Priscilla stopped to hug her. "I'm so sorry, dear. You're right. Some secrets can lift the soul, can't they? Around here, there are so many that are just," she looked at the little girl and thought back to her mentor at their high school. "They just kill your spirit, little by little."

"Am I one, Priscilla?"

"One what?"

"One of the bad secrets? I know I'm a secret, but what kind am I, good or bad?"

Priscilla knelt on one knee and regarded her with gravity. "You are not just a good secret, you're one of the best ones."

Dina smiled again, one of those smiles that melted Priscilla's heart. "I was scared I was one of your bad secrets. You're always so nice to me, I didn't want to be a bad secret."

"Trust me. You aren't, dear." She wrapped her arms around the petite girl. "You're a great secret to have."

"So," Dina pushed back slightly so she could look at Priscilla with those deep and innocent eyes. "If I'm a good secret, does that mean you want to hear the one I was going to tell you? I thought really hard about it. I wanted it to be a good one. An especially good one."

"All right, Dina. I'd very much want to hear your secret, and I promise to keep it in my heart forever. And longer." She giggled, and was soon joined by Dina.

When Priscilla could speak again, Dina took a deep breath and said, "I want to grow up to be like you and Signore Paolo. You are both always helping people, and I want to grow up to help people, too. I want to make him proud of me for helping someone. Signore Paolo must have someone in his life like your friend Favianne, someone that helped him grow up and want to help me. I'm lucky to have him, just like you're lucky to have Favianne, and someday I want someday help someone just like ... Priscilla, why are you crying?"