You, Me, and the Stars by Michelle Dykman

Author:Michelle Dykman [Dykman, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Ambassador International
Published: 2021-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Twelve

Sunday morning brought a beautiful sunrise and a new day. Willow smiled and stretched her arms above her head. She couldn't remember the last time she'd sleep so well. Her thoughts lingered on Christian, her smile turning down. She would never forgive herself if she did anything more to hurt him. But she could dream what it would be like to be someone special to a boy like Christian.

An urgency she couldn't explain pushed her from her thoughts and bed. She dressed quickly before hurrying downstairs to grab a quick breakfast. Her mom and dad were in their usual places on a Sunday morning, side by side, coffee cups in hand, reading the morning paper. She used to think it was cute that they did that, and she found that she still did. Where did all this sentimentality come from?

“You're up early,” her mom said, surprise coloring her tone. Her gaze slowly trailed down Willow's body.

Willow shifted under her scrutiny, butterflies dancing in her stomach.

“Are you going somewhere?”

“Just out for a bit.” She hoped her mom wouldn't see what a mess she was. It seemed that crying had become her new favorite past time, and she'd had a hard time hiding the puffiness of her eyes with makeup.

Her mother nodded and returned her attention to the paper. Her dad didn't even look up.

Breakfast bar in hand, Willow raced out the door, her heart thumping with nerves. Opening the GPS app on her phone, she set it for Hallelujah Gospel Church.

The parking lot was filled. After parking near the entrance for easy exit, she braced her dancing nerves and headed to the church.

“Hello, dear, is this your first time here?” A kind lady asked as she walked through the door.

Her face felt stiff and she tried to arrange a smile on it. “No, I was here last night to hear Pastor George speak.” Her voice sounded breathless even to her ears.

The woman smiled back. “What a lovely message don't you think? I hope you enjoy today's service.” She handed Willow a folded paper and ushered her into the church auditorium.

The familiar feeling of terror filled her. Who was she kidding? What was a girl like her doing in a place like this? The urge to run tugged at her, but her heart told her that she needed to be here. Pushing down the urge to flee, Willow settled into a seat.

The band took the stage, followed by the choir, and lively music filled the room. Willow wasn't a fan of singing; she hadn't sung anything in her life worth mentioning, but she found her voice lifting with the others around her. A warm, loving presence enfolded her; and in that moment, she knew God loved her. Despite her wretchedness, He loved her.

The tears that had gathered earlier spilled out, first in ones and twos then in torrents. She closed her eyes and asked God's forgiveness for every selfish, nasty, unthoughtful, prideful thing she'd ever done. Repentance for the parties, the drunkenness, and the reckless lifestyle fell from her lips.

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