Luke and Grace met in the school hallway. Luke started off: "I don't know what to say, I can only say just how sorry I really am." Grace said, "You don't need to do this," and turned away. Luke headed after her, and said, "But I want to. You've gone through so much alone, and I want to be there for you this time."
Grace sighed and stopped walking. "For as long as I can remember, she was the way she was. I hated her for it. That was the last thing I said to her. Some people would think that makes me a horrible person." "Well, it doesn't," said Luke. "You couldn't have known what would happen." Grace looked into his eyes. "I just kept thinking it would end the way it always did before."
Almost without realizing it, Luke put his hand on her shoulder. Grace didn't show any reaction to it. He said, "You know, I just can't help thinking, what if it happens to my dad, too? What if I never get a chance to talk to him again? I can't even remember the last thing I said to him, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't anything profound."
Grace turned to him again. "Well, aren't we a fine pair of misfits?" she said, then gave a little chuckle. "Sorry, my Katherine Hepburn impression sucks. Suddenly she started crying, not caring at all about the looks it drew. Luke just held her closer, saying, "I'm here for you. I promise."
Aaaaaaaaaaaa
Joan watched, not too surprised when Custodian God appeared beside her. Joan said, "So now they can get back together, and I'll have one more ally against Ryan. Is that why Grace's mother had to die?" God replied with a head shake and, "Everyone makes their own choices. Mrs. Polonski made what a lot of people would consider bad ones, just like Judith, and just like Ryan."
Joan looked straight at God, tears beginning to form. "You're saying Ryan's going to end up dying a tragic death from his mistakes, then?" God said, "It hasn't happened yet. Nothing in the future is set in stone. Lots of people have turned their lives around, and I always feel like cheering when it happens. That ability's right up there with free will as one of my proudest creations."
Joan still wasn't moved. "So why couldn't she do it, then?" "Well, sometimes people just lack the willpower. That's all it can really be, you always have the means if you try hard enough." She moved away with a wave. Joan kept watching, as Luke and Grace shared a quick kiss before going their separate ways. Despite the sad event that triggered that kiss, she found herself smiling.
Aaaaaaaaaaaa
Further down the hall, Helen watched in confusion at Joan's conversation with the custodian. She had often seen the woman around the building, so it didn't seem likely she was God. But then, she had learned she had to keep her mind open if she was going to figure anything out.