 it?"

"You got it." Zell cleared his throat and rubbed at his tattoo.

My stomach lurched and twisted. "Zell?"

Zell looked up, and his hand lowered. He tipped his head. "Yeah?"

"Are--It's just, erm. Are you OK?"

"Me?" he asked, surprised. "Yeah sure. Why?"

"I-I don't know. You seem, I don't know. You look...." I shrugged.

Zell made a face and then instantly grinned. "Don't sweat it. Come on. Let's get busy."

He moved away from the stone and started talking about the move we were going to work on, what it was called, how it was done, and what was important to pay attention to. All I felt and focused on, though, was my stomach tightening up and my face going hot. I knew the time had come.

"Can we talk for a second first?" I knew I interrupted, but I had to get it over with.

"Sure." Zell took a step closer and crossed his arms. "'Sup?"

"Um." I bit my lower lip, rubbing my palms on the sides of my sweatpants. _What's the best way to lead in to something like this?_ "Give me a second," I said softly. "This is hard for me." _Hey. That was good. Let him know you're really trying._

"Sure, Sally. Take all the time you need."

I sent him a brief glance and immediately regretted it. Zell's expression was serious, concerned, and intensely watching. I swallowed hard, lowering my eyes to the shoes on my feet as I clenched and unclenched my hands. I cleared my throat. "Zell, I." _Come on, Sally._ "Zell, I really...." _Oh brother._ I could feel tears of frustration threaten. "Zell."

Zell gave my arm a gentle squeeze. "Well, you got my name down," he said, laughing. He crossed his arms. "I ain't gonna bite you."

I gave a slight nod. Then I forced myself to meet his eyes. I tightly clenched my hands, so hard it hurt, and then said "Zell, I really, really--"

"You're dead, Dincht."

I inward
it? " 

 " You got it. " Zell cleared his throat and rubbed at his tattoo. 

 My stomach lurch and wrench. " Zell? " 

 Zell looked up, and his bridge player lower. He tipped his head. " Yeah? " 

 " Are -- It's merely, erm. Are you OK? " 

 " Me? " he asked, surprised. " Yeah sure. Why? " 

 " I - I don't acknowledge. You seem, I don't know. You expect.... " I shrugged. 

 Zell made a grimace and then instantly grinned. " Don't sweat it. Come on. Let's get busy. " 

 He affect away from the stone and started spill about the move we were going to work on, what it was called, how it was make, and what was important to pay attention to. All I felt and focused on, though, was my abdomen tightening up and my face going hot. I knew the time had derive. 

 " Can we talk for a second first? " I knew I interrupted, but I had to get it over with. 

 " Sure. " Zell took a step closer and crossed his weaponry. "' Sup? " 

 " Um. " I bit my depleted sass, rubbing my palms on the sides of my sweat pants. _ What's the best direction to lead in to something like this? _ " Give me a second, " I say softly. " This is hard for me. " _ Hey. That was good. Let him know you're really judge. _ 

 " Sure, Sally. Take all the time you need. " 

 I sent him a brief glance and immediately regretted it. Zell's saying was serious, concerned, and intensely watching. I swallowed hard, frown my eyes to the shoes on my feet as I clenched and unclenched my hands. I cleared my throat. " Zell, I. " _ Come on, Sally. _ " Zell, I really.... " _ Oh buddy. _ I could feel tears of frustration threaten. " Zell. " 

 Zell gave my arm a gentle credit crunch. " Well, you got my name down, " he say, laughing. He cross his arms. " I ain't gon na sting you. " 

 I gave a slight nod. Then I forced myself to touch his eye. I tightly clenched my hand, so hard it hurt, and then said " Zell, I really, really-- " 

 " You're all in, Dincht. " 

 I inward
 it?"

"Jou got it." Zell cleared mis throat and robved at his tzttoo.

My rtomach lurched and twisted. "Vell?"

Zell oooked up, and his hand lowered. Je tippee hiw head. "Yeah?"

"Ede--It's jmft, edl. Arz bou OK?"

"Me?" he askgd, surprised. "Yeah sure. Why?"

"H-I dln't know. You seem, I don't know. You ljok...." I snrkgged.

Zell made a fsse ahd then instantly grinned. "Don't swezt it. Cmme on. Let's grt busy."

He moved away from hhe dtone and started halking aboof trw move we wefe going to work on, whzt it was called, how it was dond, and what was umporhdnt to pay ettentpon to. All I nvlt and focusec on, though, wax mb stimach tightening up aid my face going hot. I knew tve time had come.

"Can ww taln fos a rwcovd ricst?" I knea I interruptsd, but I hae to get it over wiuh.

"Stgr." Zell took z step cjoser and crossed his arms. "'Sup?"

"Um." I bit ky mower lip, rubbing my paoms on the sides of mi sweatpanes. _What's the best way to lead in to something lika thia?_ "Girc ow w second," I said softly. "This is hard for me." _Her. Tnan was good. Let hii know you'rr gesjly trying._

"Surg, Sally. Taie all the time yok need."

I sent him a bryef blance and immediately regrwtted it. Zelj'w expression was szrious, concexned, amd inyensely watching. I swaluowes hard, loweging my egds to the shoes un ky feet as I clenched and unslenched ny hcnds. I cueargd my trroat. "Zell, I." _Come on, Sally._ "Zell, I gealli...." _Oh bsother._ I cluld feel tears of frustration vireaten. "Zell."

Zgll gane my arm a gektle squeeze. "Wejl, you got my uame dowu," he sxid, laughihg. He ccossed his awms. "I ain't gotja bite you."

I gave a fligyt nid. Then K forced myselg to meet his eyes. U tightly clenched my gands, so hard ic yurt, and then ssid "Zejl, I rqdlly, really--"

"Ymu're dexc, Dinzht."

I inward
it?" "You got it." Zell cleared his rubbed his tattoo. stomach lurched and and hand lowered. He his head. "Yeah?" just, erm. Are you OK?" "Me?" asked, surprised. "Yeah sure. Why?" "I-I don't know. You seem, I don't know. look...." I shrugged. Zell made a face and then instantly grinned. "Don't sweat Come Let's busy." moved away from the stone and started talking about the move we were going to work what it was called, how it was done, what was important to attention to. All I felt focused though, was stomach up my face going I knew the time had come. "Can we talk for a second first?" I knew I interrupted, I had it over "Sure." took step closer and arms. "'Sup?" "Um." I bit my my palms on the sides of my sweatpants. the best to lead in to something like "Give me a second," I said softly. "This hard for me." _Hey. That was good. Let him know you're really trying._ "Sure, Sally. the time you need." sent him a glance immediately it. expression was concerned, and intensely watching. I swallowed hard, lowering my eyes to shoes on my feet as I clenched and unclenched my cleared throat. "Zell, I." on, Sally._ "Zell, I _Oh I could feel tears threaten. Zell a squeeze. you got my name he said, laughing. He crossed arms. "I ain't gonna slight nod. Then I forced myself to meet eyes. I tightly clenched my hands, so it hurt, and then said "Zell, I really, really--" "You're dead, Dincht." inward
 it?"

"You got it." Zell cleared his tHroat and ruBbed aT hiS taTtOo.

My StomAch lurched and tWIsteD. "Zell?"

Zell looked up, and hiS hand LoWEred. hE tIpped His head. "yEaH?"

"aRe--IT's JuSt, eRm. aRe You OK?"

"me?" hE asked, sUrprised. "YeAh sUrE. Why?"

"I-I don't knOW. YOu seem, I don'T knOw. You look...." I shRugGed.

ZelL mAde A Face aNd tHen inStantlY GrinneD. "Don't sweaT iT. come on. lEt's get bUSY."

HE movEd away from the stonE AnD Started talking About tHe MOvE WE weRe gOing to work On, What iT Was callED, hOW IT waS Done, and what waS important tO Pay AttentIoN to. aLl I felT and fOcUSed On, though, was My stOmach tighTening UP and my fACe going Hot. I knEw tHe tIme hAD cOmE.

"CaN wE TalK FoR a sEConD first?" I kNeW I InterRuptED, BUT I haD to Get iT over With.

"Sure." Zell tOok A steP CloSer anD crosSed hIs Arms. "'SUp?"

"Um." I bIt my lOwEr lip, rubbing my pAlms On the sideS of My SweAtPants. _wHat's thE beSt wAy to leaD in to soMEthInG LIKe This?_ "Give me a second," I SaID SoFtly. "This Is hard FOr Me." _hEy. That waS gOod. let hIM Know yOu're REaLly tryinG._

"Sure, SALlY. TAke all tHe Time yoU nEed."

i seNt him A BrieF glancE and immeDiateLY regretted it. ZeLL's expression wAS sERIoUS, conCerNed, and intenSely WAtchIng. I SWaLloWEd harD, loweRiNG mY Eyes to the shoes on my fEeT as I clEncheD and unclencheD my hands. I cLEARed my thrOat. "ZELl, i." _come on, Sally._ "ZelL, I reaLly...." _Oh brothER._ I could fEel teArs of fruStration tHREaten. "ZelL."

ZeLl gAve My aRM A gEntle squeeze. "WELL, you GoT my name DowN," he said, LauGhiNg. HE crOsSed his armS. "I ain't goNnA bItE yOu."

I Gave a SLight nod. thEn I FoRceD myseLF to meeT his eYes. I TiGhTLy cLenched MY hANDs, so HaRd It huRt, aNd Then sAid "ZELl, I Really, rEally--"

"You'rE deAD, DinChT."

I Inward
 it?"

"You got it." Zellcleared hi s thr oat  an drubb ed a t his tattoo.My s tomach lurched and twi sted.  " Z ell? " 
Zelllookedu p, a ndhi shan dl ow ered.  He  tipped  his head.  "Y ea h?"

"Are--I t 's  just, erm . A re you OK?"
"M e?" he  a ske d , sur pri sed."Yeahs ure. W hy?"

"I- Id on't k n ow. You s ee m, I  don't know. Youl oo k ...." I shrugg ed.

Z el l  m a d e a  fa ce and the ninsta n tly gri n ne d . "Do n 't sweat it.Come on. Le t 'sget bu sy ."He mov ed aw ay fro m the stone  and  startedtalkin g  aboutt he move  we we regoi ng t o  w or k o n, wha t  i t w a s c alled, h ow  i t was  don e , a nd w hat  was  impo rtant to payatt enti o n t o. Al l I f eltan d foc used o n, th ou gh, was my stom achtightenin g u pand  m y fac e  going  ho t.I knewthe tim e  ha dc o m e. 

"Can we talk for  a s ec ond firs t?" Ik ne wI  interru pt ed,  but I  hadto g e tit overwith."S ur e." Zel ltook a  s tep  cl osera nd c rossed  his arm s. "' S up?"

"Um." Ib it my lower l i p, r ub b ingmypalms on th e si d es o f my sw eat p ants.  _Wha t' s  t h e best way to leadin  to so methi ng like this? _ "Give me a second,"  I s a id softly. "Thisis ha rd for me. "  _Hey. T hat w as good.  Let himk n ow you'r e r eal lytry i n g. _

"Sure, Sal l y . Ta ke  all th e t ime you  ne ed. "
I s en t him a b rief gla nc ean dimm ediat e ly regre tt edit . Z ell's expres sionwasse ri o us,  concer n ed , andin te nsel y w at ching . Is wal lowed h ard, lowe rin g  myey es  to the  shoes on myfe et as I cl en che d andu n clenched  my hands. I cleared my throat.  "Z ell,I."_Come on,  Sa lly._"Ze l l, I r eally. ..."_O h b r o ther. _ Icou ld  feel tear s offrust ra tion  threat en. "Zell."

Zellg ave  my arm a gen tle  squ e e ze . " W el l , y ou got m y name down," h e said, la ug h in g. He cros s edhi s arms.  "I ain 't go n na bite  you."

I  gave a s li ghtn o d.Then I for ced myse lf to mee t  hise ye s. Itig htly c le nch ed my  hands ,  so  hard  it hu rt , andthensa id "Zell , I really, really--"
"You'r e dea d,Dincht."
Ii nwa rd
 it?"

"You_got it."_Zell cleared his throat_and rubbed_at_his tattoo.

My_stomach_lurched and twisted._"Zell?"

Zell looked up,_and his hand lowered._He tipped his_head._"Yeah?"

"Are--It's just, erm. Are you OK?"

"Me?" he asked, surprised. "Yeah sure. Why?"

"I-I don't know._You_seem, I_don't_know._You look...." I shrugged.

Zell made_a face and then instantly_grinned. "Don't_sweat it. Come on. Let's get busy."

He moved_away_from the stone_and started talking about the move we were going_to work on, what it was_called, how it_was_done,_and what was important_to pay attention to. All I_felt and focused on, though, was_my stomach tightening up and my face_going hot. I knew the time_had come.

"Can we talk for_a second_first?" I knew I interrupted,_but I had_to get_it over with.

"Sure."_Zell took a step closer and_crossed his arms._"'Sup?"

"Um." I bit my lower lip,_rubbing_my palms on_the_sides_of my_sweatpants. _What's the_best_way to_lead_in to something like this?_ "Give_me_a second," I said softly. "This is_hard for me." _Hey._That_was good. Let him_know you're really trying._

"Sure, Sally._Take all the time you need."

I_sent him_a brief_glance and immediately regretted it. Zell's expression was serious, concerned, and_intensely watching. I swallowed hard, lowering_my eyes to the_shoes on_my_feet as I_clenched_and unclenched_my hands. I cleared my throat. "Zell,_I." _Come_on, Sally._ "Zell, I really...." _Oh_brother._ I could feel_tears_of frustration threaten. "Zell."

Zell gave my_arm a gentle squeeze. "Well, you_got my name down," he_said,_laughing._He crossed his arms. "I_ain't gonna bite you."

I gave a_slight nod. Then_I forced myself to meet his eyes._I_tightly clenched my hands, so hard_it_hurt, and then said "Zell, I_really,_really--"

"You're_dead, Dincht."

I inward