Chapter 71

Yet, all that good lifted Brian out of his funk by only a few inches. He was no longer jovial by nature. He forced it. Then felt guilty about that.

As they worked, they chatted. Rico asked, “You still feel bad, huh?”

“Ah, Rico, lay off me.”

Rico kept at it. “Are you afraid of all the knives here?”

“No.”

“Why not? Knives are a real threat, yet you do not fear them, while the dark by itself cannot hurt you. Neither can the past, unless you give it permission. When something makes us afraid, we analyze when it started, how we can change it, and sometimes we just stand up and face it. It’s never as bad as we imagine.” He stared into Brian’s eyes. “My friend, before anything improves, you must make a decision. If you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same results.”

Brian sighed and returned his gaze to his chopping. “Why do you care?”

“I care because we are friends, and I had too many problems as a child with no one to help me or talk to.”