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"I'm just tired," Abby sighed heavily. "It's good to have you guys back. Did everything go okay?"

"We've had better trips," smiled John.

"Sweetheart," suggested Izumi, "maybe you should take a few days off from training, and forget about fly fishing for awhile."

"That's easier said than done," said the young woman with a laugh. "Dennis has me entered in a tournament next month."

"So soon?" asked John. "Don't you need more time?"

"It's one of the last tournaments of the season," replied Abby, brushing her long hair away from her face.

Just then, Dennis came over and welcomed back John and Terry.

"I see you have our Abby hard at work," smiled Terry.

"She drives herself harder than I ever could," replied the man, setting Abby's tackle box on the table. "I keep trying to tell her that her roll cast is just fine, but Abby insists on reworking it over and over. I'm afraid she's going to pick up bad habits that will ruin her technique."

"It doesn't feel right," she answered him.

"That's because you're not following through with the backward motion," he informed her. "You know this. I've seen you do it dozens of times the right way, and now suddenly you're trying to change it. This is only a roll cast! It's not rocket science!"

"I'm the one who's going to be judged next month, not you," Abby pointed out. "I want it down perfectly."

"I'm the one who's qualified to tell you what the proper technique is!" exclaimed Dennis. "I make a living at this, remember?"

"So, how are things at the marina?" asked John, trying to break up the disagreement.

"A whole lot easier than here," laughed Dennis, shaking his head at Abby's determination to do things her way. "I don't know how Jake does it."

"Does what?" asked Abby.

"Manages to live with someone as decided as you," finished Dennis. "I'll see you tomorrow-- that is, if you're still in training."

"Believe it or not, I'm not trying to be difficult," she sighed. "You've been spending all your free time to prepare me for next month, and I appreciate it. I promise, I'll try to give in a little more often than I do now."

"I'll remind you of that promise," smiled Dennis, walking away with his fishing gear and target rings.

The training continued and the days flew by, until one day late in July when Abby saw a strange change in Jake.

She first noticed it a little after Jake had spent time reading his Bible, as he was in the habit of doing every morning. Jake had emerged from his room with a very troubled look on his face, and absolutely refused to tell Abby why. For about a week, Jake's behavior became increasingly distressed, even withdrawing from Abby's company when she fished. In the midst of all this unspoken anguish, Jake's nightmares steadily grew worse. Abby found herself running to his room sometimes as many as two times a night, to wake him from the dreaded flashbacks. Abby reminded God that if He could calm the waves with "Peace, be still," then He could also quiet the storm that was raging inside of Jake.

This went on for a week, until one Saturday morning, when Jake made an early bus trip to Chaumont to see Dr. Jacoby for an emergency session. The therapist was never one to turn away a patient in need, and was even a little gladdened that Jake was showing the symptoms of one who was finally willing to open up. From the minute the ex-convict stepped into his office, Dr. Jacoby knew something was weighing very heavily on Jake's mind.

"How have you been doing?" began Dr. Jacoby, with the same question he usually asked at the beginning of therapy.

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