William lay on the sofa, fully dressed and ready for the day, but covered with a blanket, resting.
It was 6:37 when I came downstairs.
“How are you?” I asked, sitting next to him on the sofa’s edge.
“Tired,” he said, and smiled sleepily at me.
“Mondays are hard,” I said.
“Tuesdays are better,” he replied, still smiling.
We talked briefly about soccer. He has a game today, but missed all games and practices last week because he was sick. In fact last week– our first full week of school– saw William at school only two days, and on each of those days he had to go home early due to sickness.
“I could have used another day this weekend,” I said, thinking of the five hours I spent in Bostock Library at Duke on Saturday. It was good time and well spent, but it didn’t feel like enough.
“Only four more weeks until fall break,” he reminded me, and I knew that this is the sort of thing many people are keeping their eye on. In fact, I am keeping my eye on it too, a wary eye. Four weeks from now, I’ll have only one month left.
“When you think of it,” I said, “I need you to pray for me. I have two months to finish my thesis.”
“How many pages does it have to be?” he asked, the perpetual question of every writing student.
“Sixty,” I said.
“How many have you written?”
“About four.”
He didn’t say anything then. He just gave me a hug.
Give us this day our daily bread.
