(Thank you, Kaybugg1!)
Hal was standing in front of the self help section in the bookstore, chewing on his thumbnail and frowning blankly at the expanse of titles to choose from. He hadn't planned this out very well, thinking that the right book would just jump right out at him after a few minutes. The multitudes of different types of grief and loss counseling had been unexpected factors.
If the store wasn't so packed, Hal would've just whipped out the Lantern ring and used it to scan them all for what he wanted.
"Hey, there!" a cheerful voice said from behind. Hal turned around and nearly cried in relief when he saw a pretty young sales associate smiling at him with her hands clasped behind her back. "Is there anything I can help you find today?"
"Oh, thank God," Hal breathed with an almost desperate nod. He flailed one arm at the full shelves in a helpless gesture. "I really have no idea what to get. I don't even know if I'm in the right section or not."
The girl gave an understanding smile and stepped closer to see the book titles better, "Well, let's see what we can find for you. Can you give me an idea of what you're looking for?"
"It's a little complicated," Hal rubbed the back of his neck and jammed his other hand in the pocket of his flight jacket. "My best friend's wife was murdered a couple months ago, and I'm really trying to be there for him, but I keep messing everything up. I was hoping you guys had a book or something with advice on how to help. I'm totally out of my depth here."
"Oh, that's terrible," her expression sobered very quickly, and she frowned as she looked at the subsections in the aisle. "We have some books on how to cope with grief and trauma… Here's a few specifically for losing spouses. They're written for the widow or widower, but I bet they'll give you a good idea about what to say to your friend."
Hal took one of the paperbacks she pulled out for him and started flipping through the pages. It looked legit enough – written by a professional grief counselor and such. He read through the index and tucked the book under his arm, giving the other three books the same treatment before deciding to get them all, "He's got a kid too. Do you have any books for three-year-olds? I don't even know if the kid understands death, though…"
"Um, I think it's safer to go with a child therapist honestly," the girl looked apologetic at not being more helpful.
Hal gave her a brief, reassuring smile and held up the books she'd found for him, "No worries. This will be fine. Thank you for all the help."
The girl flushed a little pink and smiled back shyly, "It's, uh, my pleasure. You're a very good friend to want to help so badly."
"Yeah," Hal was already reading through the first chapter of one book, speaking distractedly without looking up from the pages. "He's one of the best people I've ever met, and I owe him a lot more than this. I just really want to make a difference and let him know he doesn't have to go through this alone."
"Wow," she moved a little closer, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "That's so sweet. Not many guys would try so hard. I'd be glad to help if you need anything else."
"Nah, this is great. Thanks again!" Hal held up a hand in a departing wave. He might've noticed the slightly disappointed look in the girl's eyes and realized that she'd been flirting with him if he hadn't been so absorbed in the book. As it was, the only things that went through his mind as he headed to the register to check out were new ideas on how to help Barry.