Devin’s suspicions about Paul’s ex were confirmed by Paul’s words. Not only that, a bad dating experience would have reinforced any negative things Paul’s ex had said. Devin felt an unusual urge to kick the asses of the men who had managed to heap more injury on top of the accident that had cost Paul his leg. If Paul had been part of the Walker clan, anyone who’d tried it would have found themselves in far more hurt than they’d ever want to face.
“Fear is hard,” he said. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, and it was cruel for anyone to add to what you were dealing with by hurting you. But they’re the ones who are truly crippled, Paul, don’t you see that? You might be missing a limb, but they’re missing a part of their souls. You could never be diminished, not in my eyes or the eyes of anyone who can truly see.”
Paul blinked rapidly and looked away, and when he faced Devin again, his answering smile was small and wobbly. “Thanks for saying that.”
“It doesn’t take many words to speak the truth,” Devin said softly. He rested his hand on Paul’s arm and gave it a small squeeze. “Don’t give those jerks power over your life by letting their pettiness limit your world.”
“I’ll try.” Paul drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “Shall we look for some more shells?”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Devin replied. He wished he could keep his hand on Paul’s arm—not for support, but just because hewantedto—but Paul obviously needed some space. So he gave Paul’s arm one last squeeze, then stooped down and picked up a piece of smooth, pale green sea glass. It was narrower at one end than the other, and it reminded Devin of a teardrop.
He thought for a moment, then held out the glass to Paul. “Here, I think you should keep this.”
Paul accepted the glass with a puzzled frown. “Okay…. Why?”
“So it can be a reminder,” Devin replied. “To some people, that’s simply a piece of broken glass, rejected and worthless. But to others, it’s a gift of the sea, polished by the sands, a treasure to be sought after and cherished, a thing of unique beauty. Whenever you feel like you’re less than perfect in the eyes of some people, look at that, and remember that to many more others, you are a gem.”
Paul slid the smooth piece of glass between his fingers, caressing it slowly. “I’ll try to remember that.” He slid the piece of glass into his pocket and offered Devin a small but genuine smile. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” If Devin had wanted any payment for the glass, Paul’s smile was more than enough. He returned it in kind, hoping he could earn more of those smiles, which warmed him even more than the tropical sun.
