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Because of her? She, who’d been full of lectures and lessons, who’d let her terror conquer her love? Addisyn wasn’t making sense. Avery shook her head. “I—how?”
“Because.” Addisyn’s voice rang with a depth that told Avery she meant every word. “I thought I was too broken, too messed up for God to forgive. I thought I had lost every chance of redemption.” She pressed a hand to her mouth for a moment and glanced down, as if roaming shadowy corridors in her mind. When she looked up again, tears stood in her eyes. “It’s—it’s been dark, Avery.”
Her poor sister. Alone in the darkness, struggling with fears too big for her. Avery couldn’t let her worry another minute. “Addisyn, forgiveness is always—”
Addisyn held up her hand and continued. “I know that now. You showed it to me.”
“I wasn’t even with you! What do you mean?”
“I started to have hope God would forgive me. I met a—a friend who told me about Him.” Addisyn tipped her head to one side. “But I still felt unworthy—until today.” Joy beamed forth dazzlingly from her face. “Today, I saw God love me.”
“How?” Avery didn’t even dare breathe. This was a sacred moment.
Addisyn gripped her sister’s hand tighter as a few tears traced her cheeks. “I saw you running across LaGuardia toward me. No questions, no comments, no lectures. Nothing except pure, real, unconditional love. For me. Not for what I could do or what I could be.” Addisyn leaned forward and spoke straight to Avery’s soul. “So, Avery, if you can forgive me—” She suddenly smiled, like a sunbeam piercing a raincloud. “I truly believe the God you always told me about can too. Because He sent you to me.”
Like a flower bursting into bloom under a glowing sky, the full impact of the miracle finally unfolded in Avery’s mind. What a divine appointment this had been! Addisyn had truly been found—in more ways than one.Thank You, Lord!She bowed her head for a moment, then smiled at Addisyn. “He’s the God of restoration. And redemption.”
“Yes. He restored us!”
Avery nodded. “I didn’t even want to still be here! My flight was supposed to leave at five thirty.”
“Really?” Addisyn grinned. “See, God couldn’t let you leave then. I didn’t even get to the airport until five o’clock.”
“So He sent the fog.” Avery’s mind was whirling with the goodness of El Shaddai, Who had so meticulously orchestrated this event.
“Right.”
“I saw you out the window of my plane.”
“Really?”
Avery nodded. “Yup. I was already on a flight to Boston. I was heading to Chicago because that’s where I thought you were.” Even now, thinking about how close she’d come to missing her sister made her shudder. If she had left on that plane, she might never have found Addisyn. “I’m sure people thought I was crazy when I came barreling out of the plane and started clawing my way down the jet bridge! It was like a salmon swimming upstream!”
Addisyn giggled. “Iwasin Chicago...but I left. Did you know I came to New York just for the purpose of finding you?”
“What?”
“I wanted to apologize.” Addisyn looked pensive, sad for a moment. “I wanted you to know I had changed.”
“Oh, Addisyn...”
“And I couldn’t find you!” Addisyn groaned and leaned back. “I just expected you would be at our old apartment. When you weren’t, I had no idea where to look.” Her eyes showed that the panic of that moment was still fresh.
Something didn’t add up. Avery frowned. “Wait, did you talk to Maggie?”
“I couldn’t. She retired—just six weeks ago!” Addisyn looked at Avery seriously. “I almost lost you entirely.”
Peace spread through Avery again—the peace of serving a God Who held every coordinate of time and place in His hands. “No, that wouldn’t have happened. El Shaddai knew we needed to be together. And He made it possible.”
The light had never glowed more strongly in Addisyn’s eyes. “You’re right. And now neither one of us can ever be lost again.”
“WELL, THAT’S OURflight, Ads.” Avery hopped off the bench and held out her hand to Addisyn. “Ready to go home?”
Ads.The old, comforting nickname made Addisyn feel completely safe and completely happy. And completely loved. Happiness crashed through her like a wave. She was going home, indeed.
She stood and grabbed her sister’s hand. Smiled into Avery’s familiar kind face. “Completely ready.”
As they headed to the gate, Addisyn was sure her feet weren’t even touching the ground. The tumult of LaGuardia couldn’t shake the peace inside her heart. The whole world was a fresh beginning, waiting for her, and she was wrapped in a cocoon of love. Love from Darius—from her sister—from God, Whose light had thawed all the frozen corners of her soul.
