"Cool," Marie said. "My favorite group."

"How long have you been back in the states?" Joe asked.

"I just got home yesterday," she informed him. "It is sooo nice to be able to wear real clothes again."

Joe grinned. Obviously, real clothes to her were faded blue jeans and a peasant blouse. "I kind of know what you mean," he said. "I hate having to dress up too. Jeans are definitely the most comfortable item of clothing ever made."

"True, but I meant anything besides a uniform. They are a horrid burgundy and yellow. Bleah!" she shuddered at the thought.

Joe wrinkled his nose. They did sound nasty. "Well, maybe you can convince your dad to let you stay here."

"I hope so," she agreed. "So, tell me about you," Marie said, leaning forward and tucking her chin in her hand as she gazed at him.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Why has it taken you two months to go out with another girl?" she wanted to know.

"You sure you want to hear this?" he asked her, quirking an eyebrow at her. "Isn’t there some unwritten law about discussing your former girlfriend on your first date with another girl?"

"Don’t consider this a date, then," she said, her eyes twinkling. "Come on. I’m curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Joe informed her smartly.

"Satisfaction brought it back," she retorted.

Joe laughed. "You win," he said, leaning back against his seat. "Truthfully?" She nodded. "I was kind of afraid."

"What? Why?"

"Vanessa was my second long-term girlfriend," Joe began. "Before her, I dated a girl named Iola. I was so in love with her. I was sure we would finish high school and get married and have a large family."

"What happened?" Marie asked softly.

"She died," Joe told her. "Someone planted a bomb in my car and she got there before I did," his eyes misted a bit at the memory.

Marie reached over and took hold of his hand. "I blamed myself for a long time. It was my car. I should have been the one who died. Not her."

"Did you put the bomb in the car?" Marie asked.

"No," Joe replied, his face breaking into a scowl.

"Did you know someone had put a bomb there?" she asked.

"Of course not!" he declared hotly.

"Then why did you blame yourself?" she demanded. "It wasn’t your fault. You said you loved her. You would never have let her get hurt."

"But she did," Joe said.

"But you didn’t let it happen," Marie pointed out. "It just did. No one can control the future. Not even a guy who believes he is Superman."

"I don’t believe I’m Superman," Joe disagreed. "Robin, maybe," he amended with a little smile. "Anyway, after Iola died, I was lost. I felt I didn’t deserve to be happy."

"Until you met Vanessa?" guessed Marie.

"Until I met Vanessa," agreed Joe. "She made me realize that it was all right to love again. She made me want to be alive again."

"I can see why you would miss her," Marie said. "But I still don’t understand why you would be afraid to date again."

"I’ve had two perfect relationships and both of them are over. I don’t think I could handle falling in love again," Joe admitted. Did I really say that out loud? he wondered silently. I haven’t even told Frank!

"Hearts are wonderful organs," Marie said, rubbing the top of his hand with her thumb. "They are very resilient. But," and she stressed the word and waited until he looked into her eyes before continuing. "But you have to use it or it will harden and be completely useless."

"I love," Joe insisted. "I just don’t want to fall in love with anyone else. At least not for a while," he amended. He still wanted a family.

"Going out with someone doesn’t mean you have to fall in love," Marie pointed out.

"But the chance is there," Joe argued.

"And here I thought you looked like a risk taker," she teased.

"I am," Joe stated.

"Just not where it counts."

"You think I’m being a coward?" Joe asked.

"No," Marie replied, shaking her head. "Just human. No one wants to get hurt but it’s a part of life."

"Have you ever lost someone you love?" Joe asked.

"No," she answered. "I haven’t been lucky enough to fall in love. But, if I ever do, I won’t hide away once its over," she stated with certainty. "To have true love even for a short time is better than to have never had it at all."

Joe looked at her thoughtfully. "You’re saying I should be grateful I had it twice and stop trying to avoid it in case I’m lucky enough to find it again."

"Exactly," she affirmed.