4

     “Hello, Mr. Beckett,” she said as their eyes met. They shook hands as she motioned him to one of two flame-stitched side chairs.

     “Ms. Anson...” Gil uttered, taking a deep breath and trying to contain the amazement at his yellow-page, finger-walking skills.

    “You told Shirley you were separated and that your wife left you,” Sophie said, turning to a blank page in her note pad. “When did she leave you?”

     Nothing had prepared Gil for telling the story to a stranger, especially a beautiful one. “I guess you could say she’s been leaving me since we met,” Gil said slowly, turning to look out the twelfth floor window, “but she moved out last month."

2

"LOVING PEOPLE CAN PUSH YOU INTO WONDERFUL CHANGE 

AND SO CAN HATEFUL PEOPLE." From the Acknowledgements page - JKP

Maybe that's why it's best to be grateful for those who disparage us. Their negativity can push us down if we let it and push us forward if we recognize it for what it is. 

1

"LABORING UNDER A MISCONCEPTION" From the Dedication of JKP. Have you ever worked for an hour or more on trying to fix something and then found that the part you were trying to fix wasn't what was causing the problem? Have you ever spent weeks making something for someone only to find it wasn't something they wanted? Have you ever spent twenty years in a relationship with someone who not only didn't love you but never even wanted to? There are those who are spending their whole lives without ever searching for the truth that could give their lives meaning.