She found herself watching Ethic, more than the film; when the credits played, Alani felt disappointed. As the lights, slowly, illuminated the theater, they shined a bright light on her reality. This wasn’t a date and her life was in shambles. As soon as he dropped her off, she would have to face her daunting reality. She was saddened, as she arose from her seat and followed the excited bunch out the movie theater.

She was quiet on the way home, and with his children asleep in the back seat, her silence was noticeable. The only time she spoke was when she rattled off directions, but still, she didn’t even look at him. She peered out the window, watching the trees pass by in a blur, as Ethic’s foreign car ate up the miles on the highway. When they pulled onto her block, she was almost embarrassed to show him where she lived. He was driving a $150,000-truck, while she was living in a $5,000-house that she had purchased with her income tax return from the Land Bank. It was far from glamorous. In fact, it was downright dilapidated, but it was home. It kept the snow and the rain out, which she had always been grateful for. This was the first time she had felt ashamed of it. Over the course of a few hours, his thoughts suddenly mattered to her. He placed the car in park and let the truck idle, as he looked over at her.

“Thank you, for today,” she whispered. “For stopping me.”

“I’m the last person who deserves thanks,” Ethic said, as flashes of her daughter, dying in his arms, plagued his mind. “I’m not judging. We can forget about what happened today. I’m just a guy dropping a girl off after taking her to a movie. That’s what I remember from the night. How about you?”

Alani gave a weak smile. “Sounds about right.”

“I’ll make sure your car is fixed by tomorrow, at the end of the day,” Ethic assured.

She climbed out of the car, and when she was halfway to her door she heard, “Alani!”