"You have no idea how glad I am that we are acquainted," I say as Sarah and I exit an ice cream shop.

Sarah laughs, "Well," she says, stuffing a scoop of her dessert into her mouth. "Daniel made me promise that I would be around you. He knows that, technically, you are not alone, but he wanted you to be in good company."

"You are very close in age, right?" I ask, licking my spoon.

"I was born ten months later," Sarah replies with a nod. "But Mom kept me in the same grade as my brothers. Also, Daniel was always my secret chaperone when I went on dates. Jacob was the muscle. Mess with his girls, that is the last thing you ever want to do."

"You, and who else?"

"Jacob was good friends with a girl named Karen. Their friendship was very much like your friendship with Daniel. They confided in each other, spiritually . . . Karen passed away shortly after college. It tore Jacob apart, but he said that Karen had done her job. She lived her life to the fullest in Christ. Jacob is courting Karen's sister, Morgan."

"How did . . ." I pause and start to laugh. "Nevermind, I just answered my own question. God planned it that way."

Sarah smiles softly, nodding. I sigh and then I am laughing again.

"What?" Sarah asks, amused by my expression.

"I just thought of something Daniel said," I reply as we stop at the street corner. "The day before he left, we went to the docks to connect the stars. He said that if he could fit you into his gear pack, he would bring you along."

"He told me that too! But you know what he said about you?"

I shake my head, raising an eyebrow.

"He said that he felt a tad jealous about your co-worker driving you home."

"Really? He didn't show any signs that he felt that way. He never brought up that topic once."

Sarah giggles, "He will never admit he said that," she says, leading the way as we cross the street. "I suspect my parents will be receiving that important visit soon, concerning Daniel's situation. However, I do not know if we should tell them first. And Jacob will clam up, as he usually does. He takes the twin connection thing to a whole new level."

"Sarah," I say slowly, thinking of Daniel's picture in my wallet. "This is probably an irrelevant question, and I probably know the answer . . . You and your brothers are all older than twenty-one. How come you all still live with your parents?"

"God has not led us to fly the coop yet," she replies, smiling softly. "Besides, the only reason we would ever leave home is if we either get married, or God sends us to minister in a foreign country. If this is His plan in our life right now, then we are more than willing to obey Him."

"I wish I still lived with my mom," I say, "but it seems God took me out for a reason. If I had not left my mom, we would not be having this conversation and I would never have met Jesus."

Sarah smiles and gives me a one-armed hug.

"Daniel is going to be fine," she whispers, squeezing my shoulder. "He is in God's hands, and found in favor in God's eyes."

I nod and take a deep breath, feeling the lump in my throat again. Sarah pulls me into a tight squeeze and then leads the way back to her house.

A military vehicle is parked out front when we arrive. Sarah and I exchange a knowing look. I freeze in my tracks and close my eyes. I feel Sarah squeeze my arm gently.

"We're going to be alright," she whispers.