Faithful Horizons

Chapter 5: A Glimpse of Her World

Ethan and Grace stepped outside the church into the chilly night air. The sounds of laughter and music faded behind them as they walked together toward the parking lot.

"Thanks for coming tonight," Grace said, her voice light but sincere. "I know it wasn't exactly your thing."

"It wasn't bad," Ethan accepted, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "Your friends are... nice. Almost too nice."

Grace laughed, the sound cutting through the chill. "What does that even mean?"

Ethan hesitated. "I don't know. It's just... I'm not used to people being that friendly for no reason. Makes me think they're hiding something or they want something from you."

She glanced at him, a flicker of understanding crossing her face. "I get that. Some people are like that. But the ones you met tonight? They're the real deal. No hidden agendas, no strings attached. Just people who care."

Ethan let out a small snort. "People who care. Right."

Grace slowed her pace, looking at him curiously. "You don't believe people can just care about someone without a reason?"

"Not really," he admitted, staring straight ahead. "Nobody does anything for free. There's always a catch."

Grace didn't respond right away. Instead, she tucked her hands into the pockets of her oversized sweatshirt and gazed up at the stars. The silence stretched between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Ethan found himself glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering what she was thinking.

"I guess that must've been hard," she said finally, her voice soft.

Ethan scowled. "What?"

"Growing up feeling like you couldn't trust people to care about you."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut, even though her tone was gentle. He opened his mouth to retort but closed it again, unsure of what to say. She wasn't wrong, but hearing it put so plainly made him feel exposed, like she could see right through him.

"I manage," he said gruffly, brushing off the comment. "Besides, it's not like everyone's lives are perfect. I'm sure you've got your own problems."

Grace nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I do. Or I did, at least. My dad left when I was twelve."

The admission caught Ethan off guard. He glanced at her, noting the calm way she spoke like it was just another fact about her life. "What happened?"

Grace shrugged. "One day, he just... walked out. No explanation, no goodbye. It was just me and my mom after that."

Ethan frowned, unsure how to respond. "That must've sucked."

"It did," Grace said simply. "For a long time, I was really angry. At him, at my mom, at God - pretty much everything. I didn't understand why it had to happen to us."

Ethan hesitated. "So... what changed?"

Grace stopped walking and turned to face him. The church lights behind her cast a faint halo around her hair, and her eyes held a quiet strength that surprised him.

"I realized that being angry wasn't going to fix anything," she said. "It wasn't going to bring him back or make my life any easier. So instead of holding onto all that pain, I decided to let it go. I gave it to God."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Gave it to God? What does that even mean?"

"It means I stopped trying to carry it all by myself," Grace said, her voice steady. "I told Him I couldn't handle it anymore, and I asked Him to help me. And slowly, He did. My mom and I got through it together, and now I can look back without all that anger weighing me down."

Ethan stared at her, his skepticism battling with something deeper - something he couldn't quite name. "That sounds... nice. But I'm not sure it works like that for everyone."

Grace tilted her head, her smile soft but unwavering. "Maybe not. But it could work for you if you let it."

Her words hung in the air, challenging him in a way that felt both frustrating and comforting.

They continued walking, the faint crunch of gravel under their feet filling the silence. Ethan caught himself stealing glances at Grace, trying to figure her out. She was so... calm. Like she didn't have the same chaos in her head that he did.

"What about you?" Grace asked suddenly, breaking his thoughts.

"What about me?"

"You mentioned your mom earlier. Is she... okay?"

Ethan hesitated, his hands tightening in his jacket pockets. "She's sick. Has been for a while. Some kind of autoimmune thing. The doctors haven't really figured it out yet."

"I'm sorry," Grace said softly.

"Yeah. Me too."

They walked a little farther before Ethan spoke again, his voice quieter. "It's just me and her, so... I have to pick up the work. Work, pay some of the bills, make sure she's okay. "It's... a lot."

Grace stopped again, her eyes searching his face. "That's a lot for anyone to handle, Ethan. Much less a teenager on their own."

"I manage," he said quickly, his tone strong and defensive.

"I know you do," Grace said. "But you don't have to do it alone."

Ethan frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that... it's okay to ask for help," Grace said, her voice gently. "Form people, and from God."

Ethan let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Yeah, well, God hasn't exactly been around to help me out."

Grace didn't flinch at the bitterness in his tone. Instead, she said, "I get that. I felt the same way for a long time. But maybe you just haven't given him a chance."

Her words unsettled him in a way he couldn't explain. He didn't want to believe them, but a small part of him wondered if she was right.

By the time they reached the end of the parking lot, Ethan's mind was spinning. Grace stopped by her car, turning to face him one last time.

"I'm glad you came tonight," she said, her smile as warm as ever despite the growing chill. "I hope you'll come again sometime."

Ethan shrugged, trying to play it cool. "We'll see."

"Goodnight."

He watched as she climbed into her car and drove off, the tail lights disappearing into the darkness. For a long moment, he stood there, staring at the empty street. When he finally walked home, her words played over and over in his mind.

A/N:

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