A Season of Firsts

Chapter 22 - Sisters

After December 31st

AIDEN

Sometimes I wish I could go back and redo that whole year. Stop myself from messing things up and doing it all wrong. Other times I accept that what has happened has happened and that God has a much bigger plan.

I just can't see it yet. But I will, one day.

Still, it would be nice to be able to travel back in time and give my younger self some hard earned advice.

In the end, I guess I wouldn't have changed a thing, though, if it came down to it. Because that was the year I found what I had been looking for. A new hope, a new future, a new love. I found all of that in Jesus.

~ ~ ~

Before December 31st

CLEO

"You what?" I ask of Aiden, who stands in front of me as I put my books away in my locker.

I have been trying to concentrate on what he's saying, but it's a struggle, what with my mind relentlessly returning to the subject of Daniel. After ignoring so many of my calls and messages, he finally replied, asking me to meet him outside his mom's apartment tonight at nine. I'm as nervous as a cat about it, and have no idea why he wants to meet up with me now.

I guess I'll have to wait and see. I do my best to focus on my friend who stands right next to me now.

Lately, Aiden has been coming to me about all sorts of things. He's full of questions, and he also likes to talk about things that God reveals to him in his morning devotions. The other day he told me that he talked to his mom about all of it and that she wants to read the bible too. That bit of news made the whole day for me.

I have a feeling he's just told me something very important, and I could kick myself for not listening properly.

"I asked her out." Aiden repeats his sentence.

"You asked her...out? Who were you talking about again?" I close my locker and turn to face him full on.

"Emma. I thought you two were friends?" he says.

"Emma?" I squeak.

He nods, cocking his head to one side at my surprise. "She said yes."

Without meaning to, I put a hand to my forehead. Aiden eyes me, curious and confused. "Is that a bad thing?"

Yes. No. Yes. Of course yes.

I should have taught Aiden more about the bible. After all, I have had two weeks since he became a believer. And I didn't get around to covering one of the very important parts of the bible with him.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14.

The verse is going around and around my head and Aiden is still waiting for my answer.

I know Emma better than anyone. I know that she is an unbeliever, even though she tries to hide it from me. I have been praying for her, every day and every night. She is damaged and jaded and she has turned her back on the God who only wants to help her. I've been begging Him to open her eyes. But she is stubborn and her heart is locked away.

I know all of this about her, and more. I know what Blaze did to her, I know about that December night. I know about the faint, faded scars on her wrists, because she showed them to me. I was the one who made her promise to never harm herself again.