Redemption

Chapter 5

"Sadly, I didn't grow up in a Christian home," Mrs. Trenton said, smiling faintly as she stared down at her tea. "My parents were mostly good to me; I certainly didn't lack for anything. Growing up, I went to a nice enough public school and had an older brother who watched out for me. I thought I was happy, and I didn't think there was anything in the world that I could possibly want or need. But I did need something — someone, to be more precise — and that something wasn't anything I could get on my own.

If God hadn't gotten ahold of me in my senior year of high school, I likely wouldn't be sitting here telling you my story at all," Mrs. Trenton admitted.

Kat frowned, but she didn't say anything to interrupt Mrs. Trenton's story. Truth be told, she was rather intrigued by the woman's storytelling even if she didn't yet believe that God was real or as good as Mrs. Trenton seemed to think he was. Crossing her arms, she sat back in her chair and listened to the tale unfold as the moments ticked by.

***

The day was cold and blustery. Felicity Trenton pulled her coat closer to her as she trudged wearily up the steps to her front porch. She dreaded telling her parents the news; they wouldn't receive it well. Really, what parent would want to hear that their eighteen-year-old daughter had given away her virginity and ended up pregnant as a result?

She almost didn't believe it was true herself, and the realization that she was going to lose her ability to go to college because of her foolish mistake wasn't something she'd quite accepted yet. When she did, she felt certain that the fear and despair would set in to replace the cold emptiness she felt inside.

After all this, what had it really been worth? Nothing. That one night of drunken pleasure hadn't been worth a thing, and all that was left was an ashen taste in her mouth and a child she didn't want or know how to raise. It had been roughly a month and a half since the party, and she had regretted her decision to go, drink, and then sleep with the first guy to flirt with her ever since. She'd known it was a bad choice even before she'd found out about the baby.

Well, I'm stuck with this now. I have to at least tell Mom and Dad. Even if I abort the baby, I can't face them ever again if I don't 'fess up to what I did. She bit her lip nervously as she walked up to the front door. She stared at the cool, frosted glass exterior of her home's entrance; she didn't recall ever feeling so much anguish at the thought of entering the house. It was a cheerful place overall, and she hated that it now filled her with trepidation and discomfort.

Steeling herself, she grasped the handle and opened the door, knocking the light dusting of snow from her boots as she walked in. A shiver ran down her spine as she reluctantly removed her boots and coat at the door. Everything in her seemed raw and fragile. Her fingers twitched with an unspoken desire to turn the knob and release her from this misery. She could just disappear. She could run away and never face the ignominy of admitting to her parents that she'd done something they would be ashamed of.

Deeper inside, she wondered why she should feel her behavior had been wrong. Her parents had warned her against unprotected sex, and they had mentioned that she really ought to stay pure for her husband, but they hadn't explained why. They didn't have an excuse. A few of her friends at school were religious; they had a reason for their chastity. Felicity didn't believe in God; why should she remain pure if there was no God setting right and wrong? She was the owner of her own life. She had a right to do as she pleased with her body, didn't she?

Somehow, that answer fell flat and crumbled to dust inside her mind. She disregarded the unease that came with the guilty feeling as she forayed on into the warmth of her home. Wrapping her arms around herself, she wandered reluctantly into the kitchen, each step dragging as she headed for the table where her parents and brother would already be eating dinner.