A Helping Hand
written by:
Janet Fremont

A Helping Hand

By Janet Fremont

He saw her there, sitting on a log a little way off the path by the edge of the river. All he could really see was her long, brown hair where it fell over her head as she leaned forwards, her face in her hands. Her shoulders seemed to be rhythmically moving as though she were crying but, if so, they were silent sobs. He could hear nothing. Still, something in the set of her shoulders said she was in some kind of distress.

Perhaps it was the contrast to the wonderful weather. It was mid October. The day was warm, partly sunny as piles of fluffy white clouds played hide and seek with the bright solar light. The leaves had turned, many already on the ground, many more falling in an incredible cascade of color as the slight breeze started them on their autumn journey towards the forest floor.

In the far distance he could sometimes just hear the sound of other students on the huge campus. Many on their way towards the stadium - the game with Illinois started in another hour. Many others were on their separate ways to their own diverse activities for a beautiful fall Saturday. There were also occasional sounds of distant laughter and once he thought he heard the beat of drums as, perhaps, the band warmed up for the game.

All this made the sight of the girl and her obvious distress seem more out of place. Something that didn't belong at all - or at least not to this place or this time. Chris hesitated. After all, even if she was upset about something, she might not want a stranger trying to interfere. She would probably just tell him to get lost. Or maybe even something a little stronger. He started to keep walking down the path.

On the other hand, how could he just ignore someone who was so obviously in misery? His steps slowed and he came to a lagging stop, turning to look again at the seated girl. The thought came suddenly into his head that she might be out here with the intent of killing herself. Unlikely, true, but not impossible. In a school this size there were several suicides a year. He didn't really believe that was a likely possibility but if there were even the remotest chance of preventing one, he had to try.

Chris turned from the forest path and slowly made his way over the ten or so yards towards where the girl was seated, stopping some five feet from her. The girl didn't seem to be aware of his presence at all, still lost in her own world, her shoulders still rhythmically moving. He still couldn't hear any sounds of crying but her breathing definitely indicated that she was.

For perhaps six or seven seconds he stood just watching her and then he finally cleared his throat and said, "I don't mean to intrude but you look like you might be in trouble. Is there anything I can do to help?"

The girl suddenly jumped and jerked her head around at him. She really hadn't been aware of him at all. Then, just as quickly, she turned her head back away from him, but in that second he had seen that she had definitely been crying, her eyes wet, her face a little swollen. Still looking down she gave a quick rub at her eyes and mumbled, "I'm all right." Then she managed to add, "Just a little upset. Thanks for being concerned."

She remained looking downwards and after a few seconds Chris said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you but you looked like you could maybe use some help."

Still looking away from him she replied, "I'll be all right. I just have some personal problems."

Reluctant to leave her like that, Chris hesitated a little longer, debating if he should just turn and go away and leave her alone. Once again he started to turn back towards the path and then stopped. He turned back towards the girl and said, "Look, I really don't want to intrude but sometimes it helps to talk about things - makes problems seem smaller or more easily handled. Here I am, a perfect stranger. I don't know you, you don't know me, so anything you say doesn't have to go any further. Why don't you try it - it certainly can't hurt, now can it?"

The girl wiped at her eyes once more and then slowly turned to face him. He could see her eyes were a lovely shade of brown, almost golden, although now they were rimmed with red. Her face would be very pretty, even if not classically beautiful, when the puffiness went away.

For probably twenty seconds she just looked at him and Chris managed to remain quiet, just waiting for her to make up her mind. At last she seemed to come to some decision or, maybe more correctly, became resigned. Slowly she said, "I don't really think it will help solve anything if I talk about it but I think you are probably stubborn enough to just stand there until I do. Besides, you're probably right that it won't hurt anything if I do talk about it." Then she forced a kind of smile. "Have a seat," she said, pointing to another log a couple of feet in front of her.

Chris smiled back at her and moved to sit down. "No, I'm sure it won't hurt anything. And who knows, the horse may learn to sing."

She looked totally confused at this comment. "What?"

He gave a slight chuckle. "It's a reference to an old story. I believe from ancient Babylon. It seems there was a thief who was sentenced to be executed in a most painful manner. He told the king that if given one year he could teach the king's horse to sing his favorite song. The king granted him that year stay of execution and every day the thief was seen with the horse, singing and urging the horse to do so too. One day someone stopped and asked why he kept at it and the thief replied, It can't hurt. A year is a long time. I may die. The king may die. And who knows, the horse may learn to sing.'"

This brought a more natural smile from the girl. "I guess you're right. I don't suppose it can make things any worse." Chris smiled at her. "That's right. I'm Chris, by the way."

Before he could say anything else she interrupted him. "You said we'd be strangers."

"OK, but even strangers can have first names."

Again another smile. "I guess so. I'm Amber."

"Well, Amber, my pretty stranger, would you like to tell me what has you so unhappy on such a beautiful day? Or not, as you please."

He saw her make a slight face at his comment. "I'm certainly not pretty right now - or probably at any time."

With a feeling strong enough to surprise himself, Chris broke in, "Yes you are. And I'm sure most of the time you are positively lovely."

She mumbled something to herself. Chris could not tell for sure but he thought what she said was, "Bullshit."

He quickly went on, "I can see that your world has some problems right now. Why don't you tell me a little about them? And maybe a little about yourself."

"OK, I guess I can." She stopped for a few seconds, obviously in thought. "I wonder just where to begin."

"At the beginning is always a good place, "Chris replied."

She smiled again, a real one this time. "That might take a long time. Let me see. OK, I was born at a very early age."

Chris laughed. "Well, maybe not quite that early a beginning. Just tell me a little about yourself and how you came to be sitting out here all alone."

"OK, seriously. This is my first term here, but I'm a junior. I had two years at a community college back home. I guess I need to go even a little further back than that. I was raised by my mother. My father died before I was old enough to remember him. We lived on a farm when I was born, or so I've been told, but after my dad died, mom couldn't keep it up by herself. I think she sold it before I was two."

"After all the debts were paid there wasn't much left and my mom didn't have any special skills. No one in either her or dad's family had ever gone to college or even learned any trade besides farming. Mom got jobs and did OK. She was a hard worker and tried to do as good a job as she could at anything she did. We never had a lot of money but we weren't dirt poor or anything. We got by. It wasn't easy but we came up with enough money to pay for my two years at a community college. Both she and I were determined that I would never end up in the fix she had that had trapped her."

"I knew we could never come up with enough money to pay for a Bachelor's degree but I was determined to get a degree in Geological Engineering." She gave a little laugh. "Instead of digging rocks out of a farm field, I thought maybe I could get paid for finding the right rocks to dig out. Most of the other girls in my junior and senior high schools thought they might get out of where they were by either marrying someone rich or becoming a top country singer. You know, Coal Miner's Daughter sort of thing. Well, I had always had an interest in science and liked what I knew of geology. I never wanted to work as a mining engineer, but maybe work at finding good sites for mines or wells or something."

"Anyway, between working and studying I knocked myself out for those first two years of school and managed to graduate with a 4.0. It took a lot of work but it also got me a scholarship here that pays all my tuition and enough to cover most of the dorm costs."

She went quiet once again, looking down towards her feet. Chris sat quietly, just waiting. At last she looked up and shook her head back and forth. "Sorry. I was just thinking about what might have been. Well, when I came here things went pretty well for the first couple of weeks. Then I got a call. My mom was in the hospital. I went home and found she had some kind of infection and nothing seemed to be helping it. She was very sick and I told her I would drop out of school and come back to take care of her. She nearly exploded, or as close to that as she could in the condition she was in. She told me in no uncertain terms that no matter what happened to her I was to stay in school. She wanted more than anything for me to get that degree and break free. In the end she made me swear I would continue and I was not even to come home if she died in the hospital. I came back to school and only missed two days."

She went silent once again and Chris waited. Once more she shook her head and continued. "Well, she did die in the hospital. They never discovered exactly what the infection was but when she knew she wasn't going to get any better she gave written instructions - a living will, if you want - that if she died she was to be cremated and I was not to be notified until afterwards. That is exactly what happened. When I got the news I could feel her looking at me and telling me to go on. Let go of the past and not to swerve from my chosen path, no matter what."

"I somehow managed to keep on track. I think it was knowing how much it meant to her but I stayed with my studies and was doing pretty well. Then two weeks ago - you know, when that flu bug was going around campus - I came down with it. I came down with it pretty badly and missed a week of class."

"But that wasn't the worst of it. We had midterms scheduled this past week and I had two on Monday. Neither of those professors would accept any excuse or delay and I had to take both tests without being able to study at all and still not quite recovered. Well, the long and the short of it is that I flunked both exams. My scholarship depends on maintaining a 3.5 GPA and mathematically there is almost no way I now can. That means I won't have money for tuition or room and board next semester. Even if I could find the money and if I have to retake those classes it will set me back a full year."

She became quiet again and after a minute or so Chris said, "I'm sorry to hear about your mom, I know that can be rough. Both my parents were killed in a car accident when I was seventeen. But you said there was ALMOST no chance of keeping your grades up enough. Does that mean maybe you can still do it?"

She gave a sardonic smile. "Mathematically, yes. In fact, I probably could spend most of my time studying, work like hell at it, and hold on. That is, if I could manage to study that much. Let me tell you a little about my dorm." She named the dorm and Chris immediately recognized it as the "party dorm" on campus. No serious student chose that one and the school often assigned the unfilled spaces to new transfer students.

Amber saw the look on his face and gave another sardonic smile. "I see you recognize the reputation. And I have two roommates who lead the charge."

"Couldn't you study in the library or someplace?" Chris asked.

"Maybe some of the time although I don't do well studying in places like that. I need to spread out my books all around me, as well as have my computer nearby. I have a desktop, not a laptop, so I can't take it around with me. Besides, the library closes at night and I'll probably need to get by on four or five hours of sleep the rest of the semester to have enough study time. I mean I really would need to ace every test and assignment until then to be able to pull this off. Not to mention I work fifteen hours a week. Otherwise I don't eat."

"What about a student loan or something? Have you checked on that?"

"Yes. Unfortunately all the funds are gone until next year. Oh, Chris, I'm not giving up. I'll still try, but I just don't see any way that's likely to work."

The two remained sitting, silent for several minutes. In the distance Chris could hear the sounds from the stadium as the game got underway. The sun had dropped down into the trees and when he glanced at his watch Chris saw that it was nearly four-thirty.

Finally he straightened up and looked over at Amber. She was sitting hunched over and staring down at the ground. He slowly reached forward and touched her chin, lifting it up with his hand until he was looking directly into her eyes. "Suppose for now we stop worrying about things and see if something comes to us. I suggest I take you to dinner. I have often found that when I feel overwhelmed, the world looks much better from around a steak."

This brought a smile to her face. "I don't want to waste any more of your time. I do feel a little better having talked about it. Besides, I don't think I've had a steak in six months. I'm lucky to afford beans and rice."

Chris looked directly into her eyes. "I don't consider the time a waste. And I didn't ask you to buy a steak. I'm asking you to dinner. I would really like it if you would come."

Amber returned his look for thirty long seconds. Examining his face she finally decided he really meant what he said. He wasn't just being nice. He really did want to take her to dinner. With everything else that had been going on she had had no real social life since she had arrived at school. She had been asked out several times but she was always so busy with work or study that she had never accepted. Now she realized she would get no study done tonight no matter what and she wasn't scheduled to work until tomorrow morning. Besides she hadn't had a real meal in a long time. At last she smiled at him, "If you really want to and aren't doing this just because you feel sorry for me, I accept. Thank you."

He smiled back and stood, reaching for her hand as she rose also. Taking her hand he led her back to the path and side by side they started down the trail to the edge of the woods. When they reached the road Amber said, "I should go back to the dorm and change." She looked down and added, "This isn't very formal wear."

Chris laughed and looked first at her and then down at himself. Both were wearing jeans and shirts and each had a light jacket. "As formal as what I'm wearing. Come on, this is a campus. No one will expect us to be dressed up."

She gave in and he led them towards the town adjoining the college campus. They walked for three or four blocks and then Chris turned her onto a side street and led her to the door of a small restaurant called Don Woods. "Ever eaten here?" he asked.

"No. I don't think I've even heard of it."

"I don't eat here all the time or anything, but I've always found that they have pretty good food."

They entered and were shown to a small table. When Amber started to take off her jacket, Chris reached to hold it and help her. Then he held her chair as she was seated. Amber was only a little surprised at this. In the small town where she had grown up, such actions were not too unusual. However, several of the other diners, somewhat older than the typical college students, noticed and looked slightly surprised. Chris didn't notice anything unusual at all.

They were handed menus and as they opened them to look, Chris said, "I was serious about the steak. Order anything that looks good to you. I'm going to have the tenderloin."

He sounded sincere and the prices were not really outrageous or anything, Amber decided. It did look good. "I think I'll have the same," she told him.

He smiled at her. "And of course salad and baked potato. I like mine with Thousand Island dressing and just butter."

Amber was feeling better and couldn't help teasing. "Thousand Island on a baked potato. I always have French myself."

Chris laughed. "Personal choice but I expect you have butter on the salad, don't you? And what do you drink with that?"

Amber laughed back. "What else would you put on a salad? I usually drink iced tea."

When the waiter came, and before Amber could say anything, Chris said, "The lady will have the tenderloin." He looked at Amber. "Medium rare?" She nodded. "Baked potato with butter and tossed salad with French dressing. Iced tea to drink." Amber smiled at him and nodded again. "I'll have the same except Thousand Island on the salad."

"Very good," the waiter replied. I'll get the drinks and salad right away."

When he had left, Amber looked at Chris. "Very good. Are you trying to impress me with all the politeness." Her tone made it clear she was only teasing slightly and was not in the least offended. Actually, Amber thought to herself, a lot of the women she knew would have been greatly offended, acting as though Chris had implied they were incapable of taking care of themselves. She didn't look at it like that at all.

"Not really," Chris replied. "It's just the way I was raised." Then he gave her a look and teased right back. "After all, I'm impressive enough just being myself." She gave a little laugh but thought to herself that yes, he had impressed her.

Their food came and as Amber took the first bite of the steak, finding it tender and wonderfully tasty, she thought that perhaps Chris had been right. By the end of the meal she was certain and told him so. The world did look better from around a steak.

They had talked a little during the meal but more about generalities than personal information. Still, both were finding themselves very comfortable with the other. Amber had relaxed a great deal and Chris could see a difference in how she held herself. He decided he had been right and she could be truly lovely. Her face was not the hard chiseled sculpture of a beautiful model nor quite that of the fresh faced girl-next-door. Still it was definitely a pretty face. Her hair was a lovely shade of deep brown with some red highlights and her eyes ... Chris had never seen eyes quite that shade. They were almost a golden brown with flecks of green, rather than the reverse. She was slim but not skinny. She would never be a playmate of the month but Chris had never liked overly large breasts on a woman anyway. Hers were not tiny by any means, but also looked to be rather firm. He couldn't tell for sure but didn't think she was wearing a bra and yet there was no sag visible. And her ass and legs looked to be world class.

Actually these observations were merely in the background. Chris had no intention of making a pass at her. She had needed a friend and he was happy to be able to fulfill that role, at least for a little while. He wished there was something he could do to help her out besides just buying her dinner. An idea - or more accurately, the hint of a possible idea - began to percolate below the conscious level in his mind.

In the other direction Amber saw Chris as a generally attractive man. Probably about three or four inches taller than her own five seven. If asked she would have noticed that he had blue eyes and light brown, or maybe dark blonde, hair but probably couldn't have said much else. Her mind was still filled with the seemingly overwhelming problems of her own. The world did look somewhat better but she still didn't see any way out of her current circumstances. The thought did float through her mind that if it weren't for all her problems she would like to see more of him. However, since she believed it unlikely that she would even be back next semester, she felt there was little future in that direction and let the thoughts drop.

They had little hot fudge sundaes for dessert and when they finished Chris paid and helped her on with her jacket again. They left the restaurant and Amber said, "Thank you for the meal, Chris. I'm afraid I had better get back to the dorm. I have to be at work at five thirty tomorrow morning."

"Oh, where do you work?"

"At that little coffee shop on the corner of Grand River and Short."

"I think I know the one. OK, I'll walk you back over to your dorm."

They started back and soon crossed the main street onto the campus. When they arrived outside her dorm, Chris could hear what sounded to be a loud party already in progress. Well, he had heard someone say they had beaten Illinois, but somehow he expected the party would have been just as loud if they had lost. He made a slight face imagining how hard it would be to study - or to sleep - with that going on.

In the lobby they stopped and Amber said, "Thank you again Chris, for the meal and for listening."

He looked at her for a couple of seconds and then said, "You are most welcome. Look, Amber, I know I said strangers with first names, but I would like to change that a little. I want to see you again. I may even think of some way to help out with your problems."

Amber looked almost like she was spooked. The phrase "like a deer in the headlights" came into his mind. For a few seconds she didn't respond. Then she said, "I like you Chris. I'm just not sure about anything right now. I need to think about things."

Chris seemed to accept this. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper and a pen. He quickly wrote something on it and handed it to her. "All right, think about it. But take my name and phone number just in case. You don't even have to look at it if you decide that way. I really would like to see you again."

He folded the paper and placed it in Amber's hand. She closed her hand automatically and at last said, "OK. I'll try to think about it. Thank you again, Chris." Then she turned and entered the stairwell.

When the alarm went off at four-thirty, Amber reached and shut it off even as her mind slowly came awake enough to realize what she was doing. She didn't feel that she had had much rest. The problems still flooded her mind. But she rose from the bed. She did have to be at work in an hour and if she wanted to eat anything first she had to be there in a half hour. One of the perks of working there was she could get her meals for half price. As she headed towards the bathroom she could almost feel the other concerns flooding back into her mind. She gave a small smile and thought to herself that the steak had probably worn off and the look of the world was no longer as good.

She got to the coffee shop in time to eat a little before her shift started. Usually Sunday mornings weren't too busy until going on eight or eight-thirty but today business seemed to pick up even before seven. By eight thirty she was kept busy almost constantly. As she returned from entering an order, she was told there was a new customer in Booth 5. She looked over and could see a man's legs but the rest of him was hidden by the back of the seat. She delivered one order and then moved to the booth, automatically saying, "Good morning. May I help you?"

She gave a little gasp and nearly jumped as Chris looked up at her, smiling, and said, "I certainly hope so. I'll have the Number 7 with orange juice."

For a few more seconds she stood frozen. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Ordering breakfast, I thought. And also asking if you've had a chance to think about things." He added, "I don't think one time counts as stalking, do you?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, it doesn't. My mind is still a mess, Chris. Give me a little time, please."

"Of course. As much as you need." Then as she turned to put in his order he said, "Don't get your hopes up just yet, but I may have an idea that just might help you a little."

She started to say something but just then another customer called her. She just gave him a slight nod and then disappeared.

She soon brought his meal but didn't have time to talk. When he had finished she brought the check. She handed it to him along with another piece of paper and said, "I've thought."

He handed her a credit card and as she left to run it, he unfolded the second sheet of paper. On it he saw written: Amber Starbuck and her phone number. Smiling to himself he refolded the paper and put it into his shirt pocket. When she returned with the sheet for his signature he asked, "What time do you get off today?" "Two-thirty, but I may stay and get something to eat."

He replied simply, "Don't. I'll see you then."

Just after two-thirty Amber picked up her jacket and started towards the door. When she stepped onto the sidewalk, Chris suddenly appeared beside her. He gave a slight bow and said, "My Lady," and offered his arm.

Amber laughed but put her arm on his. Somehow she felt a little better already.

Chris led the way over to where his car was parked on the street, opening the door and holding it for her. Amber climbed in and Chris went around to his own side. As he got in he saw that Amber had fastened her seat belt and then let her head drop back against the seat and had closed her eyes. "Rough morning?" he asked.

She opened her eyes. "Kind of. Pretty busy."

"Then I bet you haven't had any lunch, have you?"

She shook her head. "No, you said not to."

"Well, I certainly don't intend to let you starve. We'll go get something." With that he fastened his seat belt and started off.

Amber had no idea where he was planning on taking her and didn't really care. She was just tired. Tired and no matter how she tried to forget it, tensed up over the mess her life had become. She lay back with her eyes closed and Chris let her rest, not talking.

He did speak once when they first drove off. "You like chicken?" Amber had nodded without opening her eyes. "Good." was his only comment.

In about five minutes Amber felt the car slow and stop. When Chris turned off the engine she opened her eyes and was surprised to see they were in the driveway of a small suburban house. She looked around and finally asked, "Where are we?"

"Chez Chris," he answered. I have a chicken dish in the oven and possibly something to show you."

Surprised, Amber let Chris help her out of the car and lead her up to the front door. He unlocked it and held it open for her. She entered and he closed the door behind them. Amber looked around. There was a living room to her left and a small formal dining room to the right. Straight in front of them the hallway led into a dinette. As they moved into it she saw a kitchen to the right and a door to what looked to be a utility room on the left.

They entered the kitchen and Chris looked at a timer on the oven. "Things should be ready in about fifteen minutes. Let me get you something to drink. I have milk, coke - diet only, I'm afraid - iced tea, hot tea or instant coffee. Oh, and skim milk."

"If you have it, I would like an iced tea."

"Coming right up." He retrieved a pitcher from the refrigerator and a glass from a cabinet. He poured her a glass and a second one for himself.

They moved to the dinette and sat down at the small, round table. For the next ten minutes Chris asked about how Amber liked working where she did.

"It's OK, I guess. The pay isn't too bad and I can get meals at half price."

"But I bet you'd rather not have to work at all, wouldn't you?"

"That would make study a little easier. But, then, I have this habit of eating and I need to pay for it somehow."

Both turned when a timer went off in the kitchen. "Excuse me a second," Chris said and went back into the kitchen. Amber remained where she was and could hear Chris doing things in the kitchen. In about five minutes he returned and said, "We can eat in the dining room."

Amber stood and they both carried their glasses into the dining room where Amber saw that Chris had two places already set, one at the end of the table and one to its right, and on hot pads in the center of the table was some kind of chicken and rice dish along with a bowl of mixed vegetables and a plate of dark bread. The smell of the food was wonderful and Amber realized she was quite hungry. He led her to the place on the side and held the chair as she sat.

Chris took her plate and served her before doing the same for himself and taking his own place. Amber tasted the chicken dish and found she was even hungrier than she had thought. In fact, she felt starved, but, then, she realized except for the previous night, she hadn't eaten very well at all this week on top of being sick for the week or so before.

After both had tasted their food Amber said, "Chris, this is wonderful and I certainly am grateful. But I can't help wondering just what this is all about."

Chris lowered his fork and looked directly at her. "What it's about is that I want us to get to know each other a little better. You told me a bit about yourself yesterday. Let me tell you a little about myself today."

She smiled at him. "I can go along with that, as long as we have decided not to remain first name only strangers."

He smiled back and, over the meal, filled in a lot of things about himself. "I'm a junior also - Civil Engineering. In fact, I'm a little surprised I haven't seen you around the Engineering Building."

"I have only been going here for two months, after all. Besides, there's no reason you'd notice me."

"Oh, there definitely is. I'm always looking for pretty girls." She started to say something but Chris cut her off. "Yes, that definitely includes you."

"I told you my parents were killed when I was seventeen. This was our house - I inherited it. As you can probably tell we weren't rich either. Not poor, just typical American middle class. Along with the house there was a small insurance policy that provided enough for school and to pay upkeep and taxes on the house. With summer work I manage OK."

They talked more, each discovering a little more about the other. By the time they finished the meal Amber had relaxed a little more, some of the tenseness leaving her. They carried the dishes back out to the kitchen and put away the leftover food.

Amber suddenly noticed the clock on the stove. "It's nearly six! I hadn't realized it was so late. I really need to get back and try to get some studying done." She made a face. "Not that it will be easy. I'm sure my roommate will want to play loud music and constantly try to get me to quit work and do something else." She shook her head back and forth. "I doubt if she'll last past this semester, either."

Chris turned and leaned back with his hands on the kitchen counter. "Before I take you back, I'd like you to see the rest of the house." A surprised look came over her face but before she could say anything Chris added, "I have a reason."

"All right, as long as it doesn't take too long."

"Just long enough, I hope." With this cryptic comment he smiled and led her over to the stairwell. They climbed to the second floor, a Cape Cod, actually, with the characteristic short outside walls.

"Up here we have three bedrooms. I live here by myself and use the big one in the front. It was my parents before ..." He stopped for a second and then shook his head and continued. "It and the larger one in the back have their own bath. The smaller one I just use as a study."

"It's very nice," Amber commented, "but why are you showing me this?"

He seemed to hesitate a little. Finally he slowly began, "It's just that you said you couldn't study with all that goes on in your dorm and that you needed a place where you could spread out and work without interruption. I was just thinking ..." Again he trailed off. He cleared his throat and suddenly rushed on with, "Look, if you'd like you could use the second bedroom here to study. Just move your stuff over here and use it whenever you need to work."

Amber looked totally surprised. Slowly she said, "You mean you're offering me a place to work whenever I want?" He nodded. "What's the catch? What do you want in return?"

She could see his face turn somewhat red. "Nothing. No catch. I just saw a way I could maybe help you out a little."

"Really? Nothing else?"

"No, nothing else. My word on it."

She still seemed hesitant. "It looks like a great place to work. It's not much farther than the dorm to Engineering, right?"

He nodded. "I always walk." When she still didn't say anything he added, "You could even eat some of your meals here. Or all of them if you want." She still didn't say anything. "Oh, hell, you can even use the bedroom if you want to sleep over any time."

Amber looked around. "You're asking me to move in with you?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that." He had turned even more red. "Yes, I do mean I'm saying you could move here if you want but not in with me. Amber, I like you. You've had some bad luck and I thought maybe I can help out."

Amber stared at him. "No strings? You're not expecting something in return?"

"No strings, no quid pro quo. Just a place to study and free room and board if you want." She still didn't say anything. "I'll give you my word. I'm not expecting anything in return. I won't make a pass at you." Then he had to quietly add, "Not even if I really want to."

This last finally brought a smile to Amber's face. "Suppose I really want to make a pass at you?"

He could see the suppressed laughter on her face and his own relaxed slightly. "In that case I'll do whatever I can to help you get what you want."

Both broke out laughing. At last Amber said, "Thank you, Chris. Thank you for caring. This is all so sudden I don't know exactly what to say. We've known each other for only a little over a day. I will admit working here might make it a lot more likely for me to salvage my grades this semester. I want to say I'll take you up on it. It's just that things are moving so fast."

"I guess as a geologist you are used to things moving slower. One might even say glacial, might one?"

She smiled at his quip. "One might. All right, Chris. Suppose I move my computer and books over here and we can try it out for a while." He started to say something and she added, "Just to study. At least to start with."

Chris let out his breath. "OK. Why don't we go over and bring things back now. You said you'd have trouble working over there tonight."

Amber was feeling like things were going awfully fast but she did have a lot of trouble working in her room - especially on weekend nights, including Sundays. "All right, if you are serious about your offer."

"I am. Let's go."

They went back out to the car and in less than forty-five minutes were back with two boxes of books, her computer, and another box of pencils, pens, paper and other desk supplies.

They installed everything, Chris hooking her computer to his network while Amber arranged her books and other materials. There was a desk in the room - Chris's old desk in fact. When they had everything set, Amber sat down to begin work. Chris left the room, closing the door behind him, and went to his own studies.

Some time about eight he knocked on the door. Amber called to him and he opened it and came in. "I'm stopping for some supper. You need to eat too. Care to share a frozen pizza?"

She put down her pencil and looked at him. "Chris, I can't keep eating your food."

"Look, it doesn't really cost much more to feed both of us and in general I like to cook. I would be perfectly happy if you ate all of your meals with me. Gives me someone to talk with and definitely something much better to look at than I have now. Seriously, if you want to eat meals here, I'll take care of the food and you can help with the prep and cleanup. But only if you don't need the time for your study. Fair enough?"

"Not really, but it seems too good to pass up. Chris, you are being awfully good to me."

"You just needed a little help."

"But you're giving me a lot of help. Thank you again. Will you call me when the pizza is ready?"

"Certainly. Now get back to work so you can get those grades up." He moved to the door smiling at her.

She smiled back. "Slave driver," she called as he left the room.

Over the next week Amber spent more and more of her time at the house. She had quickly found that her work went far better in this environment and she made progress much faster than she expected. Chris had given her a key so she could come and go whenever she wanted. It still meant a walk back to her dorm when she quit for the night, but the way was well lighted and patrolled so she didn't worry too much. Besides she had the small can of Mace.

Thursday night she was studying for a quiz she had the next day in one of the two problem classes. She felt she knew the material but wanted to be sure and ace the quiz, both to show her professor she was really trying and to mathematically increase her chances of keeping her high GPA. The class was at ten Friday morning and when she finally decided she had studied enough she looked at her watch and discovered it was nearly three. She thought about the fifteen minute walk to the dorm and looked over at the bed. The bed won and she pulled off her blouse and jeans and just slipped under the covers. She was asleep in less than thirty seconds.

Fortunately she had remembered to set the alarm on her watch and she woke up at eight. She took a quick shower in the bath attached to the bedroom and dressed again in the clothes she had worn the night before.

She headed downstairs with the idea of maybe grabbing something to quickly eat on her way to class. On her way downstairs she heard Chris call out. "Come here a second. I've got some orange juice and a granola bar. That won't take you too long."

How had he even known she was here? OK, he probably heard the shower. But how did he know she was in a hurry to get to class. She had probably mentioned when her quiz was during supper last night. Whatever the reason she was thankful for the food and told him so. As she went out the door, he called, "Good luck on the quiz."

When she came in late that afternoon he immediately asked, "How was the quiz?"

"Not bad at all. I'm sure I aced it."

"Good! I knew you would."

"How could you possibly know that?" she asked skeptically.

He turned and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. "Because you are a very smart and very hard working woman."

She had been slightly startled at his touch but it was more of a brotherly touch than anything else. She looked up at his face and smiled. "Thank you. Thank you for believing in me."

He smiled back. "Always."

It wasn't like Chris had nothing to do. His own studies required as much time as hers. He did have the advantage of not having to work outside of school, at least. And he wasn't desperately trying to catch up for bad grades due to flu. Amber herself didn't spend quite every minute in study. She did manage to help out with dishes and occasionally with cooking.

But he never pressed her. If she had to study he took care of things. And, true to his word, he never made the slightest pass at her, even though it was obvious - or at least noticeable - that he found her attractive.

By the second week Amber found she was spending most of her time at Chris's house. She finally decided going back to the dorm each night was just dumb. So on Friday of that week she and Chris took the car over and she picked up most of her clothes and other things. The dorm was paid for until the end of the semester and her meal plan was a pay as you go, so not being in the dorm didn't cost anything extra.

She and Chris carried her things down to the car. As she was leaving with the last of her clothes her roommate stopped her. Looking after Chris she said, "I can see why you are moving out. I don't blame you a bit girl. Get some for me."

Amber looked at her. Of course she would think Amber was moving in to sleep with Chris. Finally Amber just smiled at her and said, "You'll just have to get some for yourself, girl." Then laughing she turned and left.

The new arrangements didn't really change anything. That is, anything except that Amber no longer had to make the long - and now often cold - walks to and from her dorm room. She and Chris generally ate breakfast and dinner together and she found she was becoming more and more comfortable with him. They could joke and tease back and forth but he still made no attempt to ask for anything in return for all that he was giving her.

Amber was also finding her hard work was paying off and it looked very much like she would be able to hold her GPA and keep her scholarship. When she finally told Chris that she thought things would likely be OK, his response was, "I've always known so."

Thanksgiving was coming up. The school would effectively be closed from Wednesday afternoon until Monday morning. Most students would be traveling, going back home. Amber had always had Thanksgiving dinner with her mother, even if they didn't always fix a turkey. Sometimes, because there were just the two of them, they bought one of the small turkey roasts and fixed that. A pound and a half of frozen meat and gravy, ready to go into the oven. Not much work and enough like the real thing to satisfy.

This would be the first Thanksgiving without her mom. Naturally, she felt somewhat sad but resigned herself to it. Then on the Monday before, Chris came in from buying groceries and she went to help him unload the bags. He reached into one bag and pulled out a frozen turkey. She stared at it. It wasn't really big - eight and half pounds the label said. Still it was a whole bird, not just a prepared roast. She was staring at it when he stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "Amber, I know this is your first Thanksgiving alone. I remember how I felt that November when I had just turned eighteen. I hope this will help a little."

She felt her eyes grow a little wet and then he broke the mood by adding, "Besides, I've always wanted to see if I could cook a turkey without burning it."

She joined his laugh and then surprised both of them by moving over and giving him a hug and a kiss on the mouth. Suddenly she felt more surprised than Chris must have been. She moved back and, lowering her eyes, said simply, "Thank you."

As it was when Thursday came Amber felt nearly as excited by it as she ever had. She and Chris together managed to roast the bird and prepare everything else. When they finally sat down to the meal, she was able to totally forget about school for several hours and just relax and enjoy herself. The wine Chris provided probably helped a little, but most of it, she was sure, was the company.

Finals week was the second week of December. Amber had the two exams about which she was most concerned on Monday and Tuesday. At least they weren't both on the same day. As long as she could do well on these, her grades for this semester would not be a problem.

She spent the weekend almost totally in study, stopping only for quick meals. Chris also was spending most of his time in preparing for his own finals, so their meals were limited to oatmeal and granola bars for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and frozen entrees for dinner. His most difficult finals were on Tuesday and Wednesday so he wasn't pressed quite as hard as Amber. Still, when she looked at him, she could see the tension and pressure written on his face, although he never said anything along those lines.

Wednesday morning Amber awoke and as she lay in bed, realized that she had only one more easy exam the next morning. For the first time in months she wasn't under the tremendous stress which had become the major part of her world. She felt the exams of the previous two days had gone well. Tomorrow she would know for sure when grades were posted but she was confident enough that it was no longer a real concern. She luxuriated for a few minutes longer and then stretched and rose for a slow shower.

She started downstairs to the kitchen. As she passed the other room she saw that Chris was deep in study. She knew his final was at ten and that this was his toughest one. Glancing at her watch she saw that he would be leaving in about another twenty minutes. She walked quietly past the door and on into the kitchen.

Five minutes later she quietly went back upstairs and to the door where he was just closing his books. "Good morning. I couldn't let you go without breakfast, so there's English muffins and pineapple cream cheese all ready downstairs. Beats a granola bar."

Chris turned and smiled at her. "Good morning. And thanks. That does sound good."

He followed her downstairs and into the dinette where she had two glasses of juice along with the food. He held her chair for her as she sat. She had found that Chris did this without really thinking whenever they ate. It really did just seem the way he had been raised, she guessed. Always holding doors and chairs, carrying things for her. She thanked him and they quickly ate. She wished him good luck as he went out the door.

Amber spent the day in study for her last exam but this one didn't seem bad at all. She knew the material quite well. When Chris returned about twelve thirty they ate a quick lunch and then he once more moved upstairs to review the material for his own last exam the next day. He wasn't extremely worried about this one but did need to spend some serious study time.

They had frozen pizza for dinner and late the next morning Amber left for her exam. Chris didn't have his until three that afternoon. Amber told him she would fix supper since she'd be done earlier and they wished each other luck as she left.

Her last final went quite well. When she finally turned in her paper and left the room, a little of the apprehension about her other classes returned. If she had blown either of the other two major tests, she could kiss her scholarship - and her degree and future - good-bye. She didn't believe she had done too badly on either, but she couldn't be sure. Taking a deep breath she turned down the hall to where her two professors would have the grades posted.

Their rooms were next to each other and she could see papers taped on the wall between the two doors. With a little churning in her stomach she stepped up to the postings. For a few seconds she closed her eyes and then, exhaling sharply, she opened them and looked at the lists. She was least concerned about the first class she looked at. There beside her student number she saw the grades for the final exam and the course. A 97 on the final and an A for the course. Wonderful! Now for the really hard one.

She looked down to the sheet below that and again sought out her student number to look at the two columns to the right. Then she double checked her student number and blinked twice. Yes, it was hers. A 100 on the final and an A for the course! She let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. It was all right now. Everything was going to be all right! She looked up and down the lists of grades again and saw that there were no more three digit grades on the final exam. The highest score besides her own was a 93. She had not only aced the course but had the highest final in the class! Amber felt weak in her knees and had to make a real effort to turn and walk without collapsing.

She moved over to where there was a small bench by the stairwell and sat. For several minutes she sat, breathing deeply and letting relief flow through her. For the first time in two months her dreams seemed possible once more. She could almost hear her mother saying, "I always knew you could. Just never give up." She hadn't given up but without Chris she might have. She was sure he could have no idea just how much he had helped her. She didn't think she could ever tell him how much.

She had the remainder of the day free and decided to fix a nice dinner for the two of them. With new determination she stood and started on her way back to the house, planning to stop at the store along the way to pick up something special.

Chris returned about five-thirty and Amber heard him as he came in the door. She moved to the hall and asked, "How did it go?"

"Not bad. I'm sure I did OK on it. What about yours?"

"I'm not worried about that last one. Chris, I aced both of the others! I'm all right. I'll get to keep my scholarship now." He stopped as a wide smile came across his face but before he could say anything she added, "Chris, you made it possible. I can't thank you enough. I would have been totally lost without your help. Thank you so much."

He just smiled and slightly shook his head back and forth. "I didn't really do that much. You just needed a little helping hand and I found I could maybe provide it."

Quietly she said, "No, it was a lot more than that. You not only helped but made me believe in myself again. I really can't thank you enough."

"Well, for whatever I did, you are quite welcome." Then he changed the subject. "Something smells quite good. Is it something we get to eat?"

"In about fifteen minutes. Go on upstairs and I'll call you when it's ready. I just wanted to surprise you."

"OK. Just don't decide to eat it all first. It smells quite good and I haven't had anything besides one small hamburger since breakfast." Amber laughed and turned back towards the kitchen as Chris headed upstairs.

In twenty minutes she called up to him and when he came down, led him into the formal dining room. Quiet music was playing and the table was lit by two candles. She had set their two places as had become usual: his at the end and hers to the right. There was a T-bone steak on each plate, a salad of mixed dark greens, a small loaf of dark rye and a covered dish filled with steaming au gratin potatoes on the table. Beside each plate was a glass of ice water and a wine glass filled with what must have been champagne as there was a bottle of such resting in a bowl of ice on the table.

Since Amber wouldn't be twenty-one for another six months, when she decided she wanted this she had called up a girl she knew from the dorm and persuaded her to buy it for her. Not normally her style. In fact she had never done anything like that before but the girl didn't seem surprised and didn't hesitate to purchase it for her.

Chris stopped and stared. "Wow!" was all he said. He still moved to hold her chair and seat her as usual and then moved to his own place. As he sat, Amber said, "I'm not sure the world could look any better to me than it already does, but we'll see if being around a steak makes any difference."

They each picked up their wine glass but before they tasted the beverage Amber raised hers and said, "To your wonderful helping hand, Chris. You'll never know how much you helped me."

Chris raised his own glass a little and answered, "Thank you, but it wasn't that much. I'll simply say To you, I always knew you could.'"

Amber felt her face grow warm as they each sipped. Maybe he always knew she could but she hadn't herself. And he had never asked anything in return. The thought passed through her mind that for most men, now would be the perfect time to ask for reward, but somehow she could not imagine Chris doing so. Now or ever.

They ate the meal, enjoying the taste of both the food and the wine. They drank about half the bottle and placed the rest in the refrigerator for later. When they finished, Chris helped clean up. Then both really became aware they had nothing they had to do that night or even the next day. Amber would have to work at the coffee shop on Saturday morning but for now there was nothing hanging over them.

They watched a DVD, sitting side by side on the couch. Once again, Amber thought that most men would have tried to take advantage of the situation and her feeling of obligation but though Chris remained beside her, he didn't even put his arm around her shoulders. It just wouldn't be his style, she decided.

When the movie ended they got the remainder of the wine and sat at the dinette table talking. "With the scholarship I'll have enough for tuition and room costs next term. Thank you again, Chris."

He turned to look at her. "Amber, do you really want to go back to that dorm?"

She looked down. "Not really but I can't keep leeching off of you, Chris."

He smiled at her. "I wouldn't call it that but if you do, I will say I can't imagine a more perfect leech than you. Look, Amber, why don't you drop the dorm and stay here?"

She was quiet for long seconds. "I would really like that, Chris, but I can't keep taking advantage of you."

Quietly, almost to himself he said, "Maybe I want to be taken advantage of." Then louder to her, "I have an idea. What does that scholarship actually cover?"

"It pays tuition and room costs. Plus an allowance for books. "

"Does it say you have to live in the dorm?"

"No, but the room costs are paid directly to the provider."

"All right. Suppose you stay here and we write a rental contract for your room. We can make it for about what the dorm costs. Then the scholarship would pay me and I can pay it back to you for helping out with cooking and so on. We'd have to work out the taxes but that shouldn't be a real problem."

"Chris, that would still make me taking it from you for nothing. I can't do that."

OK. Suppose I keep part for the rent." A thought suddenly struck him. "Then you could use the remainder and could probably quit your job at the coffee shop. It would make school a little easier for you."

He could see the idea slowly take hold as the look on her face and in her eyes changed. At last she said, "That sounds too good to be true but, Chris, It's still not fair to you."

"Suppose you let me decide just what is fair. I like having you around, Amber. You've made things a lot easier for me, also. I don't just mean helping with food and cleaning and so on. Remember I grew up in this house. It's paid for but it's full of memories. Most are happy but sometimes since my parents died, the memories make the house quite lonely and empty. You've filled it again." He stopped and looked at her for a full half minute. "Please stay."

At last she said, "Let me think about it a little while. OK?" He nodded and they changed the subject.

Chris would, of course, be staying in the house over the Christmas break. When he asked if Amber was planning on going to visit someone, she had just looked away and quietly said, "Who? I don't really have any family now. Oh, there are a couple of aunts and uncles but no one I was ever close to. I guess I haven't really thought about what to do over break."

"Then why don't you plan on staying here. Again, please. It will make things easier for me also. Christmas always brings out all the ghosts of the past. At least the last three have." She could see the pain the memories brought momentarily to his face and quickly agreed. Doing so seemed to also make her feel a little better.

The campus emptied the next week. With the exodus of students and many of the faculty and staff, the coffee shop did much less business and Amber was told she wouldn't be needed until the next semester started in another month.

With no more obligations on their time, she and Chris spent a little more time together. They went out and bought a Christmas tree and decorated it with decorations Chris had stored in the basement. Amber had none of her own but bought a green and white school ornament and hung it with the others.

They had no one to buy gifts for except each other. Each made individual trips, searching for something for the other. Both had agreed not to spend much. Chris knew Amber didn't have a lot and he didn't really have a lot to spare himself. When Christmas Eve finally arrived, there were two small boxes, brightly wrapped, under the tree.

For Christmas Eve they bought a selection of deli items and for Christmas Day, two more T-bones. Chris, who had turned twenty-one early that fall, bought another two bottles of Champagne. Not expensive champagne, admittedly, but a nice, dry wine they would still enjoy.

They ate dinner Christmas Eve with candle light and Christmas music playing quietly in the back ground. It wasn't really romance, even with the candle light and wine. More of just a warm friendship. At least that is what they told themselves, although deep down neither completely believed that. They were definitely attracted to each other but true to his word, Chris never tried to change their relationship.

Christmas morning they moved to the living room where the tree awaited with its two small gifts. Each bent and handed his present to the other. As they looked at them, Amber said, "You go first."

Chris smiled at her and lifted the small box. He hefted it, feeling the weight. About six to seven inches on a side, whatever the box contained was fairly heavy for its size. He pulled the bright green paper, tearing it and exposing the white cube of the box. He lifted the lid and looked down inside and then slowly pulled out a pair of bookends. Each was shaped like an open hand, the palm forming the flat side to go against the book. Their appearance was that of cast bronze but the material was probably a composite made to look that way. Chris had seen such material used for sculpture. He stared at them, appreciating the detail and the perfection. Then he noticed a note which had been beneath them. He reached and pulled it from the box and read where Amber had written, "Thank you for the helping hands."

"They are lovely," he said. "On the shelf above my desk, definitely. Thank you, Amber. Thank you, very much. Now open yours."

He saw a fleeting look of relief in her eyes. Could she possibly have thought he wouldn't like them? They were beautiful. Beautiful and functional. As an engineer he appreciated both. Not to mention that when he replaced the pressed sheet metal ones on the shelf above his desk, he would think of her each time he saw them.

Amber lifted the flat box of her gift. It was about eight by ten inches and maybe an inch or an inch and a half thick. It had some weight to it but wasn't extremely heavy. She removed the bow, tore the paper and pulled the lid from the box. She stared down at it for several seconds and then slowly pulled it out. It was a plaque, a picture with a caption. The picture - it was actually a composite picture - showed a Saturn V moon rocket, just lifting off in a night launch. In the sky above the Apollo capsule hung a nearly full moon and beyond that was a telescopic view of a spiral galaxy. The caption read: "DETERMINATION - The will to go beyond what you think is possible."

Amber felt her eyes flood with tears. Wiping at them she looked at Chris. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you. Both for this and for helping me do it. I could not have made it on determination alone - I needed your help."

Chris reached out and once again placed his hands on her shoulders. "You would have made it anyway. I'm just glad I could help ease the path a little."

The tears now gone but with her golden eyes still damp, Amber smiled up at him and shook her head. "No, without you I would have given up. Thank you." Then she pulled him closer and placed a kiss on his lips before pulling back and again repeating, "Thank you."

They spent the day relaxing, watching a couple of movies, listening to music and talking. Late in the afternoon they fixed the steaks and again had dinner with candle light and wine. When at last they were ready to head upstairs Amber said, "Thank you, Chris. You made what I was afraid would be an awfully lonely day into something wonderful." Then she gave him another quick kiss.

Chris answered her. "You did the same for me. This is the best Christmas I've had in several years." He pulled her close and for several seconds held her, quite unresisting, in a tight hug. Then they parted for their own bedrooms.

Christmas had been on a Sunday. At dinner on Wednesday Amber suddenly said, "I've thought."

Chris looked surprised. "You have? Was it a difficult process?" he teased.

Amber laughed. They were comfortable enough with each other that such teasing didn't bother either of them. Then she turned a little more serious. "Probably more than you would imagine. What I've thought about, Chris, is what you suggested. If you are still serious I'll give the school notice about the dorm and plan on staying here. But you have to let me help pay for things. I'll tell the scholarship people about renting here. We'll probably need to draw up some kind of rental agreement for them."

He broke into a wide smile. "Wonderful! We can do that easily enough." Then after a second he said, "What about your job? Are you ready to give the coffee shop notice also?"

"Do you really want me to? I would be able to pay more towards the food if I continued to work there."

He shook his head. "Yes, I want you to quit. The money isn't really a problem. I have enough from the insurance to take care of things for another couple of years and it will let you concentrate on your studies a little more." Then in a teasing voice he added, "Besides if you kept working while I didn't I might begin to feel like a kept man. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

Smiling, Amber shook her head back and forth, but thought to herself that if she were "keeping" a man, it would definitely be Chris.

The next Saturday was New Year's Eve. Neither were party types. Not to mention that Amber had had no time to meet any men since she had arrived on campus. Chris had surprised her by not seeming to have a social life either. Once or twice she had casually brought up the topic and he just said that he hadn't met anyone that really interested him. Upon a little deeper conversation she had discovered that this state of affairs had not always been the case. In high school he had dated quite a bit, but after the death of his parents things had seemed to change. Not that he was really traumatized or anything. No, it was rather that he had just buried himself in his studies at first and later most of the women he saw on campus seemed either rather immature to him or just not his type.

Anyway, neither had any plans. Amber actually was the one to suggest they have their own New Years Eve party. Just the two of them. "We can pick up some more deli stuff, watch some movies until midnight." Then she hesitantly added, "Maybe we could get some more champagne?"

Chris laughed. "You've discovered you like that stuff, huh?" She turned a little red and gave a slight nod. "Don't worry, I've found I do too. I'll get another bottle. Maybe even two. I think I could like that kind of party."

About six on Saturday they brought out the meats and cheeses and other snacks. They placed a bottle of the champagne in a bowl of ice. Chris had gotten THREE bottles of the dry wine even though they had no intention of drinking all of them that night. Neither was interested in getting drunk and both knew that heavy drinking and a field like engineering did not go together. They both needed all the brain cells they could keep.

With the food spread out on the coffee table in the living room they placed a DVD in the player and sat back on the couch to watch and nibble and sip the wine. Two movies later it was nearing ten O'clock. They selected another DVD to take them up to almost midnight and placed it in the player. But before they started playing it, Amber said, "Chris, thanks for this. I was dreading New Years this year. I mean so much happened during the last year. And I came so close to blowing all my hopes for the future. I was just afraid to look forward to anything. I guess I was afraid something else would spoil things. Now not only have you helped me salvage next semester but you've made the future seem possible. Every time I look up at that plaque you gave me I feel that, yes, the future is possible again. Thank you."

Chris looked at her for several seconds. "Amber, you have done as much for me. No, before you try to deny it again, just listen. I was just getting along. Sure I was managing OK. I was able to handle the loss of my family and I was doing all right in my school work. But life had lost its sparkle, for want of a better word. Giving you a hand was giving myself one also. The last three New Years have been just like you were saying you were afraid this one would be. But now I don't think it will be either. I've said you've done as much for me as I have for you and I meant it. Let's just say we've given each other a helping hand."

She just looked at him for several seconds and then, without a word, just smiled and raised her glass in a silent toast. He answered by raising his own glass and they sipped, both understanding what had not been said.

The movie ended at about ten minutes before twelve. Chris rose and ejected the disc, returning it to its case. Then he shut off the player and TV. They had earlier opened the second bottle of wine and now he poured two more glasses and handed one to Amber. She stood and moved beside him over to the window where they looked out at the snow covered town. Then they turned towards each other and Chris raised his glass and said, "To the future."

Amber smiled and raised her own glass. "To the future. A bright one."

They took a sip and then looking at each other raised the glasses again and downed the remainder. As they lowered them Chris said, "Too bad we don't have a fireplace in which to throw them."

Amber laughed and added, "Then we'd just have to buy more as well as clean up the mess. Why don't we set them on the coffee table instead?" She reached for his glass and placed both on the low table.

Just then they heard the sounds of horns and probably firecrackers from outside just as the clock on the wall began to chime.

"Midnight," Chris said unnecessarily.

"Yes, midnight," Amber repeated. "A new year."

They turned towards each other and suddenly they were clinging tightly, their lips pressed firmly together. It went on a little longer than just a New Years kiss. When they pulled slightly back, Amber said, "When I first came here you promised not to make a pass at me and you have kept your word. Completely."

Chris smiled at her. "I won't say it has been easy, but I did promise."

She smiled back. "Remember what else you said? I asked what would happen if I made a pass at you and you said you would do your best to accommodate me."

Chris gave a little laugh. "I guess I did, didn't I?"

More seriously Amber said, "Chris. I'm making a pass at you now."

He froze, just looking at her. After a few more seconds, which seemed like hours, he finally asked, "Are you sure?"

"Very definitely. As I've said, I've thought."

"If you really mean that I can think of nothing better."

"I've agreed to rent that room from you but..." She cleared her throat. "I'll rent the room but I want to sleep in yours."

Chris didn't reply out loud but his eyes said everything for him as Amber's did for her. They reached out and took each others' hand and with their hands helping each other began to climb the stairs to their future.