Helen hadn't hugged anyone in a long while, certainly not since coming here to the village, but the embrace from Beverly was welcome. It had been a long time since she could have friends she could truly count on and share emotional intimacies with and having Beverly to count among them was a rare treasure indeed.

"Think nothing of it, Beverly. I will keep your confidences and hopefully, someday, if I have confidence to entrust to you, you will be able to do the same for me."