Sighing, she retreated to the living room and picked up the magazine she had already flipped through three times. She now understood exactly how Joe had felt in the days after she had been raped. He had wanted so badly to help her, to take away her pain, but there was nothing he could do to ease the overwhelming fear and panic that had taken control of her. Somehow he had known what she needed was a little bit of space. He didn’t hover, he didn’t push her to talk, didn’t assume he understood how she felt. He waited until she came to him for support and comfort and then gave it to her in an endless supply. She was prepared to do the same for him when he asked for it, but she knew it still wouldn’t be enough.

‘Damn you, Frank!’ she thought angrily, and immediately felt guilty.

"Sorry." She said out loud, although there was no one in the room but her. She knew if there was any possible way he could have been here, he would. She just wished he hadn’t been so adamant he’d be home tonight. He’d gone to Tucson, Arizona two days earlier to speak to old friends and neighbors of Angela Taylor. Up until that point he had been hitting dead ends everywhere. He had finally located some people who had known Angela Taylor when she lived in Tucson. She had moved away a few years earlier but a few of the people had kept in touch with her at least for a while. He had planned all along to come back to Bayport for the first day of Joe’s trial even if he hadn’t spoken to everyone on his list, saying he could always return to Tucson later in the week.

Frank had promised Joe he would be home by tonight, no matter what. He had given Joe his word that he would be by Joe’s side on the opening day of the trial. However, when Frank had arrived at the airport in Tucson early in the day to come home, he found all the flights had been cancelled due to severe weather from a slow moving storm system. The airport had been shut down and wasn’t expected to re-open until the morning.

When his father had come by earlier to tell him the news, Joe had been devastated. He had tried his best to hide it, but as soon as his father left, Joe retreated outside to the balcony and hadn’t moved since.

Cursing Tucson, the weather, the airlines, the airport and even the meteorologist on the local news who had reported the unusual weather in Arizona, Vanessa felt an overwhelming urge to hit something. She smiled inwardly, finally understanding all those times Joe had hit a wall or a door in anger. Recalling how he sometimes felt better afterwards, she was giving serious thought to taking out her frustration on the wall when there was a knock on the door.

Startled, she glanced at Joe on the balcony and briefly considered asking him to answer the door. Anyone coming to visit them should have to announce themselves on the intercom and have Joe or Vanessa buzz them in. It was unusual, though not unheard of, for someone to just suddenly knock on their door.

‘Just go look through the peephole. The deadbolt is locked and Joe is only a few feet away.’ Vanessa told herself, sternly.

Another knock prompted her to get up and walk to the door. She peered through the peephole and gasped. Not really believing her eyes, she quickly unlocked the door and flung it open, then stood there open-mouthed, shocked into silence.

"Are you going to let me in or do I have to stand out here all night?"

She stepped aside, still too stunned to speak. Finally she managed a few monosyllables. "How…when…"

"Planes, trains and automobiles." Frank grinned.

Finally believing she wasn’t hallucinating, Vanessa threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Thank God! Oh, Frank, he’s a wreck. He really needs you!" the words tumbled out in a rush of relief.

"I know, Van. That’s why I’m here." Frank released her and looked around the room. "Where is he?"

"Out there." Vanessa nodded towards the balcony. "He was ok until your Dad came by and told him you were stuck in Tucson. As soon as your Dad left, he went out there and hasn’t moved since."

"Have you talked to him at all?" Frank asked, studying his brother’s silhouette.

"Uh-uh. There’s only one person he wants to talk to right now and it’s not me. See if you can get him to come inside. It’s cold out there. I’ve got some things to do on the computer." She turned and headed down the hall.

"So you accepted Phil’s job offer?" Frank asked, knowingly.

Vanessa turned and flashed a smile that lit up her whole face. "Are you kidding? That kind of opportunity comes along once in a lifetime – if you’re lucky! Of course I accepted. But I did tell him I couldn’t officially start until the trial was over and Joe was cleared of all charges." She said confidently.

"Good for you, Van. You’ll do a great job."

"See you tomorrow." She said, going into the next room and closing the door behind her.

Standing in his brother’s apartment, with Joe right in front of him on the balcony, Frank finally allowed himself to relax. He hadn’t been joking when he told Vanessa he had gotten home via planes, trains and automobiles. He had even hitchhiked part of the way. He encountered a few obstacles along the way and at one point really thought he wouldn’t make it. But he had given Joe his word that he would be home tonight. He had never broken a promise to Joe before and he wasn’t about to start now; not with what was probably the most important promise he had ever made to his little brother. Reaching out, he opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the balcony.

Joe heard the door open and knew it was Vanessa coming to ask him to come in. It was cold out tonight, but Joe didn’t feel it. He didn’t feel anything at all after his father told him Frank wouldn’t be home tonight. He had felt numb for quite a while. And then the pain started. Pain like he had never felt before in his life. Was this what a broken heart felt like? Frank had never broken a promise to him. Ever. He couldn’t believe this night was going to be the first time Frank wouldn’t be able to keep his word. In his entire life, Joe had never needed his brother more than he did right now.

After his father had left, Joe felt the walls closing in on him. He had come outside to escape that feeling of being …imprisoned. It had worked for a little while. But then he felt the walls again, even out here in the open. The hope he had allowed himself to feel recently, that he might not be going to prison, had vanished hours ago. Frank was the one who had kept that hope alive for him.

When Frank told him he was absolutely certain there was evidence out there, somewhere, that would clear him, Joe believed it. When Frank told him there was no way he would let Joe set one foot in prison, Joe believed him. When Frank told him he would find the evidence and prove to everyone Joe was innocent, Joe believed him…until tonight.

‘You can’t even find a flight home, Frank.’ Joe thought bitterly. ‘How can you find evidence that we don’t even know for sure exists?’

Joe had been absolutely certain Frank would show up tonight, no matter what his father said. Logically, he knew it was impossible with the airport shut down and the weather so bad in Tucson that only emergency vehicles were allowed on the roads. But Frank had promised and Joe wanted desperately to believe him.

‘Maybe if I stay out here just a little longer, he’ll come.’ Joe bargained with himself like he used to do when he was a child.

He just could not bring himself to go back inside. Joe felt that if he went back into the apartment and went to bed, he would be giving up on his brother and he wasn’t ready to do that yet.

Vanessa hadn’t moved since opening the sliding glass door. Joe assumed she was waiting for him to get up and come in, but he couldn’t. He had to give Frank a little more time.

"I’m not ready to come in yet. Just give me a few more minutes, ok, Babe?"

"Sure, honey, but I’m going to wait inside. It’s cold out here."

Joe jumped up and whirled around, stumbling over the chair he had been sitting in. Standing there looking utterly exhausted but grinning from ear to ear was Frank. Joe felt disbelief, yet at the same time knew he’d been right. He knew if he just waited long enough, Frank would show up.

"You’re here." Joe said with a shaky smile.

"I’m here, baby brother."

"You promised."

"And I’ll never break a promise to you."

Joe flung himself at his brother and hugged him tightly. "I knew you wouldn’t let me down."

"Never." Frank said, hugging Joe just as tightly.

"How did you get home?" Joe asked, still not releasing his brother. He thought he might just be hallucinating, so he kept a tight grip on Frank. He heard Frank laughing softly.

"One of your favorite movies."

Joe smiled and finally released his brother, looking him in the eyes.

"Planes, trains and automobiles." They said in unison.

Joe realized those prison walls that were closing in on him just a short while ago had magically disappeared.