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“Redemptive love.”
“God’s love?”
“Yes—and also the redemptive love of another human being. It’s what your mom’s love was to me. She saved me in so many ways and now, your love has saved me.”
I reached over and held my dad’s hand. “I love you.”
“I love you too, daughter.”
“And I’m telling you right now that I’m gonna be sitting in the front pew to listen to your sermon on your first Sunday back.”
My dad lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Good.”
After we got back to the parsonage and devoured our tacos, my dad said he needed to take a nap because it was the only way that he was going to be able to stay awake until the new year rang in. He’d just started walking toward the hallway when he stopped, turned around, and looked at me.
“What time did you say Graham is coming over?” he asked.
“Around eight.”
“Okay. I’ve really enjoyed getting to see him again.”
“I know you have.”
“You seem to have also.”
“I have, Dad.”
He slowly walked back over to me and studied my eyes.
“But there’s something missing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can see how much Graham is still in love with you and I know you love him too, but what you and he are feeling for each other doesn’t match. I know why—and so do you.”
I looked down at the floor.
“Stevie?” my dad continued. “Stevie, look at me.”
“Don’t say it.”
“I have to speak the truth and the truth that I see in you is you’re still deeply in love with Zac Buchanan.”
All at once, I felt the sting in my eyes and the lump in my throat, then I slowly nodded in agreement.
“I am still deeply in love with him,” I choked out. “I’ve tried letting go of him and I just can’t. I miss him so much. What am I supposed to do, Dad? I have to move on. You know Graham wants a second chance with me. He’s just waiting for me to say yes.”
My dad canted his head to the side and looked over my face. “I don’t know what you’re supposed to do, daughter, but God does. There’s incredible power in a prayer that you make from the seat of your soul for direction in life. It beckons the universe to set in motion a chain of events that begins steering you in the right direction whether you realize it or not. Then, before you know it, you wake up one day, look around, and know beyond any doubt that you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be and with whom you’re supposed to be.”
“With whom?”
“Yes.”
“You mean Graham or Zac?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Dad, Zac does not factor into this other than I’m still in love with him. There is no future with him for me,” I said, throwing my arms up into the air.
