"But what if it's not going to be ok?" he asked. "Things don't have to work out, do they?"

The reply was hasty. "Of course not, of course not. But you have to have hope, right? Don't you? You just can't give up!"

"I don't know. I mean, I guess."

He looked up uncertainly and then spoke quickly, accusatively.

"Where'd that come from anyway? All this hope business?"

They didn't look at each other.

"I don't know. The Bible? Shakespeare? But you know, there are things, like maybe your friends, and little pleasures. Like watching TV."

He brightened and smiled on the verge of a tired laugh.

"There is always TV."