Hushed conversations could be heard throughout the plane. Some passengers were wondering aloud about the prospects for finding a place to stay in Albuquerque, of getting rental cars, or of making contact with loved ones and friends. One older woman was saying loudly that she knew it would come to this. Her thoroughly embarrassed middle-aged daughter was doing her best to change the subject.

“Well, I always wanted to go to Albuquerque,” Carl said, trying to keep his tone light. He didn’t even get a smile from his normally ebullient wife.

Before long, the captain came back on the intercom and said, “I’ll give you as much information as I can about what’s going on before we touch down in about an hour. But, folks, you should all be advised that the situation in Los Angeles is much worse at this hour. Whatever your religion, and whatever you may believe personally about God, I suggest you all pause to thank your God that you got out of L.A. safely today.”

Lori reached over, took Carl’s hand, and looked straight into his eyes. In all their years together, he had never seen that expression.

“Carl, the pilot’s right. I think we should thank God that we got out alive.”

“Thank God?” he snorted. “What has God got to do with it? We’re on this plane because you wanted a vacation in Colorado. You bought the tickets and I agreed to come.”

Lori was more serious now than at any time in her life, and she would not be put off. “Carl, stop and think about what’s happened to us this morning. What if the emergency bulletin we listened to on the radio had been broadcast sooner? What if we hadn’t heard the news? Or what if our car had broken down on the roadside somewhere because of the heat? What if we had shown up for our flight on time instead of an hour early? Don’t you see? Millions of people are going to die back there, and you and I are safe. Somebody has been watching out for us!”

“Lori, I love you, and you know I respect your opinions. But, let’s face it. Everything we’ve accomplished came from our own hard work. We bought the house and the cars and all the things we own. Nobody gave us anything. You bought the plane tickets because you wanted us to have a mini-vacation. And even if you did it as a surprise, you and I paid for these tickets. That’s why we’re here. What did God have to do with any of that? Be serious, will you? We were just lucky.”

For the first time since their ordeal began, Lori showed signs of genuine grief and fear. Her eyes filled with tears, and Carl could feel her hand trembling before she pulled it away. Without meaning to, Carl realized he had hurt his wife deeply. He wanted to say something, to apologize, but he didn’t know what to say. In truth, his own world was collapsing too. He realized that his tough words were mostly a front to cover up the helplessness he felt inside.