Breathe

Chapter One - Sunday Morning

Opal looked around her surroundings. She seemed to be in a park. She wasn't completely familiar of where she was. Suddenly, a soft voice called her name. "Opal?" She turned to see her mother sitting on a park bench.

Opal wasted no time running to her mother. She hugged her tightly. "Mommy, I miss you." She said softly.

"I miss you too...dearly." Her mother said with a smile. "But I had to go home. You can't be mad at my Father for taking me where I belong." Her mother said as she rubbed Opal's hair like she used to when she was little.

"But...but you belong with me and James." Opal said as she looked up at her mother's face. Her mother's face seemed so perfect. She didn't look worried or stressed like she had seen her be so often before her death.

"No, Opal. I belong with my Father now. I want you to be with me soon, my little gem. But you can't be with me while you're angry with my Father." Opal noticed her mother's voice fading away.

"Mommy, please don't go!" Opal said as she held onto her mother's hand.

"I have to go back home. I love you, my little gem. I can't wait until you're with me." Her mother kissed her on the forehead.

Opal jerked herself awake and noticed she was laying in bed. She felt tears on her face as she looked around her room. She was angry all over again. She laid back down and sighed heavily.

Then, she noticed gospel music playing throughout the house. She then groaned as she pulled the covers over her head. That meant only one thing: it was Sunday morning, and James should be in her room at any moment to wake her up and drag her to church.

As if on cue with her thoughts, James knocked on the door and let himself in. "Opal, it's time for church." He said softly as he tapped her bed. "Opal?"

"I'm up, I'm up." She grumbled as she moved her covers from over her face.

"There she is!" James said playfully. This made Opal smile as she stretched and rubbed her eyes.

"Can't you turn your music down some?" She asked as she got out of bed.

"Nope." James said with a smile. "Just come on downstairs in about fifteen minutes for breakfast." He turned to leave her room.

"You know, I'm sixteen now. I should be able to decide to not go to church." Opal said as she got out of bed and walked pass James towards the bathroom.

"Well, when you turn eighteen, you can make that decision." James said with a smile as he ruffled Opal's messy morning hair.

Opal smiled as she entered the bathroom. "Did you have that decision when you were eighteen?" She said as she put toothpaste on her tooth brush and started brushing her teeth.

"Well, yes. Auntie Krystal gave me that option when I was thirteen. But, by the time I made it to eighteen, I loved going to church. Maybe it'll be the same for you." James said softly.

Opal spat out the toothpaste. "Fat chance." She said as she rolled her eyes.

James sighed softly before walking back downstairs. He remembered being in Opal's shoes. Full of hate and anger. Hate for his father for killing his mother, anger at God for not restoring his family, no matter how much he prayed.

He realized as he got older that living with his aunt and little cousin was the best thing that could've happened to him, and that God has a reason for everything he does. When he came to a peace about what happened with his mother and forgave his father, his relationship with God became stronger than ever.

He went to church more often and worked with the sound ministry of the church. He didn't know that by the time he was twenty-seven, he would be the youth pastor at Purpose and Destiny Community Church.

James was in his thoughts when Opal came downstairs. Opal waved a hand in his face. "Earth to Pastor James Pearson!" She said loudly with a soft laugh.

James shook his head as he was snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh?" He looked at his little cousin.

"Food? You said be down for breakfast." Opal said as she held a plate towards him.

"Oh, right!" James said with a chuckle. "I'm sorry, Opal. Just thinking about some things." He said as he fixed her plate. He handed it back to her and fixed his own plate.

Moments like this, when they would just eat and talk together, James loved. Sometimes, it was just like when Opal was younger. But what always reminded him that she was different, that she wasn't little Opal anymore, was when he looked in her eyes. Even when she smiled, he could still see the anger and hurt in her eyes. He didn't know how he could, but he knew it hurt him to see Opal like this.

"Okay, you go and get dressed and do something with...that." James said with a laugh as he pointed to Opal's mess of hair.

"Yeah, yeah." She smiled and rolled her eyes as she walked back upstairs to her room.

James did the dishes and sighed softly. "God, help me find a way to help her. I want her back like she used to be. Happy, kind, at peace...I hate seeing that stuff in her the way she is now. Just help me bring her back close to You." He prayed as he washed his hands and went upstairs to his own room to get ready for church.

After about thirty minutes, James was fixing his tie in the mirror. "Opal, you ready yet?" He asked from the hallway.

"Are you?" Opal said as she straightened her curly hair. "You're still in the hallway mirror, and I'm almost done." She had been in the bathroom for a while now. She said as she put her flat iron down and put her hair in a ponytail.

Opal walked out of the bathroom in a black and white blouse, black jeans, and black dress shoes. She put in some pearl earrings and walked up to James. "I'm ready."

"Me too." James said as he turned to look at her. "You know, wearing a dress to church once wouldn't hurt you." He said with a smile.

"And my jeans don't hurt you." Opal shot back.

James couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, little cousin, let's head to church."
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I know, still kinda short. But it'll get better, I promise.
See you in the next chapter.
Bye for now! 💕
PrincessNightWolf