He was trapped in the stairwell. Just as I was on my way out to the waiting area outside the elevators on my office floor, I got a call on my cell.

"The elevator wouldn't go to the 6th floor, so I had to get out at the 4th and take the stairs, but now I can't get in. Can you come to get me?" Being the sometimes slow-on-the-uptake girl that I am, I had to think where the stairwell was (I ended walking right past it the first time), but eventually I found it. I opened the door and there he was just like I remembered, but changed somehow too.

Having had a series of e-mail exchanges and a couple of brief phone conversations, I already knew that the air between us is clear and that he's not nursing a grudge, but I did worry that the exchange would be awkward--more so because there would be another person involved the very first time I saw him in 3 months. An acquaintance of mine was also coming down to my office to pick up the painting he brought to sell to her as well as the one he brought to me. By God's grace, he arrived first and that allowed us several minutes to establish the tone with just the two of us.

I had only a brief time before an office meeting was due to start, but it was a very full feeling 20 minutes, at the end of which he suggested we go out for coffee at some point. Just as I was walking him out to his car, he got a call that he needed to take, and I walked ahead of him to give him some privacy, but he tapped me on the back of my neck to get my attention, so that he could suggest hanging out. I encouraged him to have me over to his new apartment (not far from my place) soon.

Mulling over the particular rift that occurred between us this winter, I have decided that at some point we must talk about what happened. I am praying for this to happen,and for it to begin with him. But for now, I'm just happy I have my friend back. Happy he was happy to see me. He really was.