THE SET UP

     Faith admired Ethan after the perp talk he gave her the previous night. She had cried, she had finally cried in his arms. She couldn't bear it anymore, Belle's words had kept ringing in her head and she had believed them despite Ethan's efforts to make her feel otherwise. If she wasn't right, she wouldn't have lost all her family. That night, she had saved Joshua's number, although she wasn't sure that it was his real number, that was why she had asked Charlie for his contact so she could compare. 

       The people she wanted in her life don't want her back and that was bad enough. Sitting up in bed, that morning, she realised it was a bit later than her usual wake up time. She managed out of bed and went and stood at the window. Ethan was not in the room and there was no sign that he slept in her room. 

      In her most secret heart, she was disappointed and cautioned herself. What was she thinking? Does she think he would spend a night in a room with her when his mother wasn't around? Was she not the only reason they had stayed in a room together? What was she expecting? She walked back to the bed, grabbed the quilt and wrapped it around her shoulders, it was a cold morning, she stared out into the incredibly quiet street. 

      A few cars passed and honked, but it was nothing to compare to a usual day when horns blared the whole day and always tear into her head. The door clicked open and she turned to look at the door. Ethan peeped before he came in with a tray in hand. She smiled at him. 

    He walked in and dropped the tray, containing a mug of coffee, a teaspoon and sandwiches on the bed. 

    "You ruined my surprise," he said. 

   She walked towards him.  "Surprise? How?" 

      "I planned to surprise you with breakfast in bed." 

     She laughed heartily and gave him a dismissive wave.  "I shouldn't have woken up then?" 

     "Maybe," he shrugged. 

     She sat down in bed and folded one leg inside, the quilt still draped on her shoulders, she lifted the mug off the tray and took the spoon that was beside it and stirred it. Ethan sat down beside her, facing her. She took the coffee to her mouth and stopped abruptly. His brows furrowed. 

     "Is there any problem?" he asked. 

       "Did you spit into this?" she asked with a mischievous smile. 

      "What?!" Ethan opened and closed his mouth.  "Are you for real?" 

      "I was just kidding," she said and sipped the coffee.

       "How do you feel?" he asked. 

     She shrugged and sipped her coffee.  "I'm as good as new." 

       "That's a relief." He stood up and headed towards the door. 

     "Ethan?" He turned to look at her.  "Thank you." 

      His wave was dismissive.  "You don't need to..." 

      "No, really. Thank you. I really appreciate it." 

       He smiled at her.  "Just be happy. Are you going to work today?" 

       "Of course." 

     He wrinkled his face.  "I guess I'll be all by myself." 

     "Don't you like…have a job?" 

      "I don't need a job." 

       "What do you do?" 

       "I have told you before, I sell human kidneys, that's why I've been treating you nice so yours would be healthy for sale." 

      Faith sighed.  "Don't say that too seriously, someone out there might think you are serious." 

        "Do I look like I'm joking?" 

      "Please, go. I need to get ready." 

      "Whatever." He left the room. 

    She kept smiling even after he left the room. He was a nice guy, but, unfortunately, she wasn't going to have anything to do with him. They were always so nice at the beginning until you go in. She looked away from the door and sipped her coffee. 

      Charlie walked down the hallway and saw Nora coming toward him. His heart started thumping fast, he had avoided her at the hospital after Douglas' birthday, but now, he has nowhere to hide. 

       "Hey," he greeted with a bright smile. 

      Nora stopped and squinted at him.  "Charlie, are you...like avoiding me?" 

       "What? No! How can I do that?" Charlie answered feigning surprise. 

   Nora looked him up and down.  "I know you have been avoiding me and you don't want to speak to Faith again." 

       "That's not it, Nora." 

        "What is it then?" 

        "I'm sorry, Nora, but I have to leave." Charlie made to leave, but Nora shook her head and grabbed his shirt. 

       "No, you can't leave me in the dark, I want to know what's going on." 

        Charlie knew that Nora wasn't as calm as Faith, so he knew that if he didn't come up with something, Nora would never let him be. He smiled at her and showed her the file in his hand.  "Nora, I'm kind of busy right now can we discuss this over lunch?" 

      Nora nodded and let go of his shirt. 

      At lunch, they sat facing each other silently. Nora folded her arms across her chest.  

       "You should call Faith, that guy broke her heart again." 

      Nora saw Charlie's eyes dilate.  "How is she?" he asked concerned. 

      "You should ask her yourself. Charlie, you are actually avoiding us. Why?" 

       "Nora, it's not been easy on me too. I am in an awkward position. Faith understood, but I'm still talking to Doug." 

      "Do you want me to knock some sense into his head?" 

     Charlie smiled at that.  "That would worsen the case. He is as stubborn as Faith and he seems to have the wrong impression of the whole matter." 

     "Then, why don't you let him see things the way they truly are? Faith needs him now. He might be her only living family."

     "I have told him everything I could, but it fell on deaf ears. Seems like he needs to hear it from her." 

      Nora appeared thoughtful.  "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" 

       Charlie squinted at her.  "Nora, what are you thinking?" 

        "We should get them to meet each other. We shouldn't make it seem so of course, we should make it look like a coincidence." 

      Charlie appeared interested.  "What do you suggest?" 

      "Where could they possibly meet coincidentally?" Nora thought, looking up at the ceiling. 

       "They don't visit the same places often, Douglas doesn't frequent bars that Faith goes to, he eats and drinks at only one restaurant two blocks away from our home. If I invite Faith there, he would probably know it's not coincident." 

       "Do you shop at the Central Mall?" 

        "Yes, why?" 

        "Faith said she is going to pick something there after work. Maybe, you should ask Doug to pick you up and stop at the Central Mall." 

        "That's a perfect idea. I'll call Doug right away." 

        Nora sighed and fixed her gaze on something behind Charlie.  "I just want her to be happy. She is going through a lot." 

        "She is a strong woman, she has not snapped out of her last chain of sanity, I would have, if I go through all of those." 

         Faith walked around the mall without knowing what to buy exactly. She had not made a list from home and didn't know what was at home and what was not. She thought of calling Ethan and asking him to help her check them out, but she decided against it. She didn't want to put him through such trouble. So she decided to pick whatever she thought would be necessary. It wasn't a bad idea to have an extra commodity at home after all. 

       Her mind wandered to different thoughts as she shopped, but the one that kept coming to her head were the words that Belle told her under that cold rain. She kept seeing her face and those words kept echoing in her head. Then, she would hear the soothing words of Ethan. She wondered why she had thought the worst of him at first. He almost knew how to salvage every situation. 

       As Charlie shopped with Doug, he looked around for Faith, trying to make sure Doug didn't notice. When Doug wasn't looking, he would search for her. But it was almost as if she wasn't at the mall. He picked everything he wanted and even picked extra, but Faith was nowhere to be found. Nora said she was going to be there or maybe she changed her mind. They picked everything up and were wheeling their cart to go and pay when he finally saw Faith in front of them. 

     Faith saw them and stopped, they approached her and Charlie looked at Doug, he looked like he had not seen anybody. Faith stood there watching his brother as he approached her, his eyes were on her, but his face was not smiley. When he was close enough, she raised her hand to wave at him. 

       "Joshua," she called, but he removed his eyes from her and focused it ahead and passed her like he didn't see her. 

      To Faith, it seems everything was in slow motion because her gaze followed him as he passed. Charlie who was wheeling the trolley gave her a small wave with a sorry look on his face and passed.

     She stood there watching them until they went to the counter and paid for the items they bought and left the mall. Charlie looked back the whole time, apologizing to her with a slight nod of the head. 

     "That was your sister in there, Doug," Charlie said once they were at the parking lot. 

    Douglas looked at him and took a few steps away from him.  "This is the distance between sinners and saints." 

      "Come on, Doug." 

        "That is what their Bible tells them. She can never see me differently so why do I have to kill myself?" 

         "She doesn't even believe in God anymore!" 

     Doug went over to the driver's seat and before he entered he said.  "Please, I have a headache, can we not have this discussion." 

        "You can choose not to have this discussion, but Faith is my friend and I will keep speaking with her!" Charlie snapped and went into the passenger's seat. 

    Douglas wen t in. "You can do whatever you want, while I do mine." 

       "I will do what I want," Charlie snapped. 

   Doug smiled lopsidedly and ignited the car.