Through the Wire

I told him everything that had happened since Monday night. I was driving back to my office, trying to not cry again. He sat on the other end of the line and just listened.
When I was done telling him the whole awful story, he offered his condolences.

"Where are you right now?"
"Pulling into the lot at my office."
"Do you still have a lot of work to do?"
"Not really. I just don't want to go home; I'll keep thinking about it."
"Do you want to do something? "
"Yes."
"We could have drinks or grab dinner. Or we could see a movie."
"Dinner...then we can see what we want to do. And thanks for asking. I wanted to do something but just couldn't ask."
"Why?"
"Because sometimes I just don't have the strength to ask for what I really need."
"Well sometimes you don't have to ask."

I could hear him smiling and I smiled as my eyes started to water.

"I'll pick you up in an hour and we'll go to that Italian place you love."

An hour later we walked into the resturant, put our name in for a table and headed to the bar. As we waited for our drinks he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a long hug.

"I'm not sure if you needed this but I didn't want you to have to ask."

Once in a blue moon, someone says something so perfect it makes you feel completely understood.