progress

they sat across the booth from me.
both with their arms on the table
exactly the same. they didn't know.
but i noticed.
they were incredibly alike in some ways.

and then they started teasing.
exactly the same.
with the same facial expressions.

somehow they started on the devil
wanting my guy's soul. my guy turned
to his son......'why would the devil
want MY soul?'

his son squints at him and says quietly...
'that's what the devil does. he likes souls.'

my guy looks sideways at me across the table.
hmmmmm....he squints.
'i AM dating an angel.'

his son looks sideways at me just like his pop.
squints and says 'hmmmmm.....that makes your soul
all the more valuable'

again the sideways look from my guy...
'he could get close to the angel thru my soul...'

again with his son copying the look....
'it would be good for him.'

my guy turns his sideways look to his son...
'that's sick.'

his son turns his sideways look towards his
dad 'it IS the devil.'

i just burst out laughing.

how did they do that???

they never even knew how alike they were.
they never even knew what an incredible
rhythm they had goin'.

they were like clones and they had no idea.

all the tough spots, all the pain, all the
hurt between them vanished for a few moments
in the bantering. they were family. with that
family rhythm and timing and copying that only
family can do.

and i knew that things were gettin' way better
as they never could have pulled off the natural
imitating joking thing without it getting better.

it's funny how some of the stupidest moments
are the most profound.

i watched them across that table and relished
every second of it.

it's been a long road.
about time we took a turn in the right direction...

by the time we left, we had hit another hurdle.
actually, more than one.

but progress had been made......
and that in itself felt good. i'm just gonna hold
that for a bit before we try the next hurdle...