[email protected]
�I�m sure you were there for her, even if you didn�t know it, Harm,� Mac said gently.
Harm sighed deeply. �I hope so.�
�Hey,� Mac said, gently prodding Harm�s shoulder, �I know first hand that you�re always there for the people you care about. It took me years to admit to Uncle Matt that drinking was a mistake. You got me to realize that I wasn�t just hurting myself in about two seconds flat. When you told me I was a mean drunk� I don�t think I ever really thought about what I said to the people I love when I drink. Part of that might be because it�s hard to think when your pink elephants are seeing pink elephants, but I can�t just blame that on the alcohol. I don�t know if you meant to snap me out of my self-destructive patterns with that comment or not, but you did. I haven�t even felt the desire for a drink since then. That�s something I haven�t been able to say since I was about fourteen.�
Mac leaned over and wrapped her arms around Harm�s shoulders. �I didn�t even get the chance to thank you for that. With everything with Coster� well, thank you, Harm.�
�You�re welcome,� Harm said softly, returning her embrace.
They held each other for a few minutes before he pulled back and looked at her carefully, deciding that maybe it was the right time after all.
�Mac, there�s something I did lie to you about tonight,� Harm said.
�Besides having a letter in your apartment to show me?� Mac asked with a frown. Harm looked down at his hands, contrite. Mac reached out with icy fingers and tilted his chin up, forcing him to look her in the eyes. �Hey, none of that. It�s okay, really. I understand why you took off like you did. I would have appreciated it if you would have let me get my umbrella from your apartment first, but I still understand why you took off. I probably would have done the same thing in your situation.� Harm smiled softly, but it didn�t quite reach his eyes. �You said you lied to me about something tonight,� Mac prodded gently before grabbing a tissue to blow her nose again. She was thankful that she didn't sound like a moron anymore, but she still wished the cold would go away.