done so on purpose.
âA penny for your thoughts,â he said, bringing her attention back to him.
âIâm sorry,â she said. âI was just thinking about all the folks who supported me when my mom was sick and going through various treatments. Natalie was one of them,â she said, not seeing a need to mention Kenneth again. âWe go way back. We grew up together. Sheâs been a very good friend to me for a very long time.â
He nodded. âItâs the same with me and Gavin. We didnât grow up together; we met in college and became fast friends our freshman year. He and two other college friends were there for me. I donât know if I could have made it without those guys. God never fails to put the right people in our lives.â
âAmen to that,â she said, understanding that she knew he was including her among the right people and agreeing with him. âSo youâre a minister and Danielâs a minister. Are the other two friends you mentioned ministers as well?â
He chuckled. âNo way,â he said. âTheyâre good guys but they serve in other ways. Only Gavin and I chose this path. And Gavin chose it before I did.â
âIf you donât mind me asking, how did you come to this place? Did God speak to you, like in a dream, or did you just make a decision based on your interests? Iâve always wondered, but Iâve been too much of a chicken to ask Gavin.â
âThereâs nothing wrong with asking,â he said. Then he seemed to consider her question before answering. âIt was a little of both. I believe that this is the path God planned for me, but I didnât hear His voice speaking to me the way youand I are speaking. It was more a strong feeling in my spirit that was confirmed by people I trusted, people like Gavin and, even more strongly, Gloria.â
âYour wife?â
He nodded. âI didnât come to this path easily or directly. I started out in a small business with my two other buddies. It was only after Gloria became ill that I accepted this path.â
âDo you thinkââ she began, but stopped herself when she realized she was about to get too personal. Sheâd just met the man, for goodnessâ sake.
âItâs all right,â he coaxed. âYou can ask. If I donât want to answer, Iâll tell you.â
She met his eyes, and seeing the sincerity there, she asked, âDo you think you would have chosen this path if your wife hadnât gotten sick?â
He nodded. âThatâs a question Iâve asked myself.â
âAnd?â
âI think so. If not this, something else would have led me here. Gloria often teased me about it. When she became ill, we both realized that time was not something we could count on. We had to live today, plan for tomorrow, but live today. More than anything, thatâs what she taught me, both by the way she lived through the disease and how she died with it. She was incredible.â
Destiny smiled at the way his love for his wife poured through his words and shone on his face. âYou shared a special love, didnât you?â
He nodded. âWe did. And losing her was very hard. Shespent the last year preparing me for life without her. She was that kind of woman.â
âI wish I had known her. She sounds like someone I would have liked.â
He smiled. âI think she would have liked you, too. She didnât really get to know Natalie that well, but she considered her a friend.â
After a few moments of easy silence, he chuckled. âYou can tell that Iâm not good at this dating thing, canât you? I donât think Iâm supposed to spend that much time talking about my wife.â
She began shaking her head. âYouâre easy to talk to,â she said. âI asked questions and you answered them. Honestly. I appreciate that. I feel that Iâm getting to