I was on Supernatural Alert the moment I saw Marla.  Cabin doors swing in, not out.  This had allowed me to open the door undetected. As a result, Marla had no idea I was there.  As Marla and Sherry walked past my room, I had missed her by a split-second.  She was so close I could have taken one step and touched her shoulder with my left hand. 

Unaware of my presence, the ladies continued towards the elevators.  I wanted to say something or chase them, but I was too astonished to move.  Caught in the grip of Supernatural Awe, I just stood there staring at Marla and Sherry in amazement.  The coincidence of having Marla cross my path the exact moment I found the courage to open the door was a "fall to my knees" moment.  I believed I had just witnessed a small miracle.  This was the Force of Fate, this was Divine Intervention.  I was sure of it.

Still paralyzed, I took note that there was no Darren.  Stunned by my good luck, I felt dizzy with relief.  Following an hour of despair and three failed attempts to go find Marla, my Dark Night of the Soul had just come to a merciful end.  Or maybe not.  I was about to call out to Marla, but stopped when another disturbing thought hit.  What if the ladies were headed to Darren's cabin?  Unsure of myself, I began to silently trail them down the hallway.  But then I lost my temper and stopped cold in my tracks.  Angry at myself for behaving like a stalker, I decided to put a swift end to my cowardice.   

"Richard Archer, this fear has to stop now!  The Universe has placed Marla in front of my eyes!!!  How much more help do I need?  Go tackle the woman if necessary and find out once and for all who Darren is!"

Due to my hesitation, Sherry and Marla were now fifty feet ahead.  Feeling sheepish, I ran to close the distance, then slowed down as I drew near to present the appearance of dignity.  I did not want them to think I was sneaking up on them even though that was exactly what I was doing.  Just as they were about to turn the corner to reach the elevators, it was time to announce my presence. 

"Hey, Marla and Sherry, wait up!"

Now it was Marla's turn to be shocked.  She whirled around in surprise, then stared in wide-eyed wonder like I was an apparition.  "Where did you come from?" she exclaimed.

What should I say?  There was little to gain by revealing my Dark Night of the Soul.  Fearful I would reek of desperation if I told the truth, there was no reason for Marla to know I had just spent the past hour alternating between tears and rage.  Nor did she need to know about my bewildered debate over her virtue, veracity and sanity.  Why let the truth spoil this joyful reunion?  What Marla did not know would not hurt her.   Instead I pretended there was nothing wrong.  In particular, I avoided bringing up Darren even though I was dying to learn the truth.  Save it for later.

"Hi, Marla, hi Sherry, what a pleasure to run into you.  Where are you headed?"

Marla smiled, then added, "Sherry and I are headed to the show.  Would you like to join us?"

Overwhelmed with relief, yes indeed I would like to join them.  A sweeter offer have never been heard.  The absence of Darren was equally gratifying.  Still not sure where where I stood, I risked reaching for Marla's hand.  I was overjoyed when she accepted with a smile.  Goodness gracious, there was hope for me after all.  I had just spent the past hour fearing she hated me.  Now with this simple gesture, my despair was replaced by a powerful belief that today's ordeal had been a spiritual test.  Believing things were going to work out after all, my eyes were filled with tears as we walked to the theater.

Finding Marla in the hallway had been weird.  Wonderful to be sure, but weird, very weird.  Totally in the dark regarding what had caused this Day of Confusion, I assumed there would be a difficult reckoning later on.  However, I was certain of one thing.  Two straight nights of chance meetings, first in the Disco, now in the Hallway, had me convinced Marla and I were Fated to be together.  That belief would sustain me in the long talk ahead.

What would have happened to Rick and Marla without the Hallway Coincidence?  It goes without saying that both of us were completely in the dark as to the other's person's motives during the Day of Confusion.  Marla's actions at dinner suggested to me she was no longer interested me.  That turned out to be untrue, but how was I supposed to know that unless we spoke? 

So why not walk four doors and knock?  You don't know me very well.   To understand the degree of my dilemma, as I sat alone in my room I was totally convinced Marla was still with Darren.  What if I knocked and discovered Marla was in there with Darren?  I would die a million deaths.  Terrified of further rejection, never in a thousand years would I have found the guts to knock on Marla's door.  

My only hope was to scour the ship.  If I spotted Marla with Darren, game over.  I would either return to my room in misery or jump off the ship, whichever comes first.  But if Marla was unattached, I would speak to her.  What were my chances of finding Marla?  Slim and none.  Marla was headed for the theater.  Of course I would have checked the theater, but I doubt seriously I would have spotted her.  Once seated, she would have been shrouded in darkness amidst a throng of 400 spectators.  Unwilling to disrupt the show by roaming up and down the theater corridors, I would wander the ship in vain for an hour and a half.  Disgusted and full of despair, no doubt I would have assumed the worst.  Marla was out of sight because she was with Darren, perhaps in his cabin, perhaps in hers.  Either way, I would conclude the whole thing was hopeless.  Depressed out of my mind, I would have given up and returned to my room. 

Here is my point.  There is an old saying that a Lie goes halfway around the world while the Truth is still putting on its shoes.  Letting a Lie go unchecked is similar to the danger of letting a snake bite go untreated.  Never give poison time to spread.  Following the Darren Incident, Rick and Marla both operated under serious misconceptions regarding the other person.  As our fears spiraled badly out of control, what would have happened if we had not reconnected as swiftly as we did? 

Given how unlikely it would have been for our paths to cross if I had been forced to search for Marla throughout the ship, imagine how miserable I would have been alone in my room all night long.  It would have been breakfast the next morning before we had an opportunity to speak again.  Twelve hours would have passed.  Given the degree of paranoia circulating in my mind, I shudder to think if my hostility had been allowed to multiply unchecked throughout the night.  Plagued by rampant distrust, would I want to speak with Marla in the morning?  Maybe yes, more likely no.  Same for Marla.  Why didn't Rick come find her?  Who was he with last night?  Do you see my point?  There was a strong chance Marla's disgust was so great that she would choose not to speak to me again.

In other words, Marla and I were both very fortunate to be handed a chance to clear the air in a timely fashion.  That was the Impact of the Hallway Coincidence.