Would she be able to smile? Lucy was nervously walking down the aisle of the bus that was dropping her off in a little town. Her friend would pick her up from the bus stop to take her to his farm, where she wanted to stay for a week to get away from all the troubles and hassles of her life. Her friend’s name was Gabriel, she had known him for a bit more than five years but had not seen him for almost four years.

Lucy didn’t know what to expect and whether they would still get along – so much had changed... she had changed. She was the only person leaving the bus at this station and when she stepped out she could immediately see Gabriel. She picked up her backpack and walked over to her friend who had been talking to someone who was now taking her place in the crowded bus. She did not have to worry about forcing a smile because seeing her friend made her feel good – better than she thought she could feel these days – and she smiled. They greeted each other with a short hug and then moved to his car.

It was already evening because her bus trip had taken seven hours. While they were driving to the farm – which was another 15 minute drive – they talked about how life has been during the last few days. Lucy knew that they would also have to talk about what happened during the last few years, but now was not the time yet. She was relieved that her friend still seemed to be the same even though his appearance was a little different from the last time she had seen him. He was now sporting a beard and looked like he could star in one of the “Lord of the Rings” movies.

Even though she had not seen Gabriel for such a long time and only had very limited email contact to him for a while, she felt quite safe in his presence. During the car drive, she already regretted that she didn’t come and visit him earlier. It was only four days until his wife and two kids would return back to the farm from their holiday to Australia.