Sue sat waiting for the two men to return. She observed as each took their time coming back, stopping occasionally to look a stone or to point out something interesting. Hector sat on the ground, leaning back against the bench. He rested his head on her leg. She could tell by his breathing pattern that he was sleeping. Smoothing his hair back, she could see his face. He looked so peaceful and very much like the younger boy in the photo with Althea.
She thought about the girl. Not a girl, a woman her age. Seeing her again as a grown-up would help him to put his life back in order. Sue hoped that the two would have a good visit together, remembering pleasant times.
Idly, she smoothed the tiny lines on Hector's forehead while letting her thoughts drift. There was so much she had to process, so many things to figure out, so much stuff and not enough time… Her own heart began to press her. Placing a hand on her chest, she tried to slow the internal whirlwind. A touch startled her and she blinked looking for the source that grabbed her attention. Glancing downward, she saw ocean blue staring up at her.
He spoke. "Do you read lips upside down?"
Sue didn't quite understand and raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure what you said so I'm not going to go there."
He turned to face her. "It goes both ways, you know."
"What?" Her confusion was evident.
"It goes both ways. This thing where you know when to call me or you know when I'm in a bad way. Is this what you have been living with for the past few weeks?" He moved back onto the grass, out of touching distance. "Did I do that to you?"
"I'm not sure what it is you're talking about, Hector. I called when—"
He held up a hand. "Just a moment ago you were worried, preoccupied about how you were going to handle all of this…" The sailor made a gesture that included the four of them. "I could tell. In my sleep, I could tell… I don't want to be a burden to you."
"You're not." Sue was emphatic. "It's like this… God tells me I need to pray, I pray. He tells me to call, I call. He tells me to see, I see. You just happen to be the one I'm seeing the most clearly right now." She paused as the words sunk in. "And helping you to see clearly helps me to see some things as well."