Saving Grace: The Glory of Love - FINISHED

Saving Grace: The Glory of Love

Chapter 1

Jeremiah 29:11"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Being yourself isn't always easy. Especially when you have lived in a small town your whole life! Everyone knows you, everyone knows your business. There are no secrets collide, well it can be very dangerous!

Life is not all it is cracked up to be. Two more years of school and I can head off to college and out of here... for a while, anyway. We had spent the whole summer working on our tan's by my best friend Hope's pool. Yes, our parents, who have been best friends their whole lives, had a sense of humor when we were born weeks apart naming me Grace and my best friend Hope. Anyway, with one week left in summer vacation, the boredom was exhaustive. There was absolutely nothing to do in Okeechobee unless you want to go to Wal-Mart and people watch. Why couldn't we live in a city where there was at least a mall? It is sad when teenagers are anticipating returning to school just to have something to do!

We really did not need any more sun! We probably had the best tans in Okeechobee, besides the kids on the reservation of course! Okeechobee is home of a large Seminole reservation in Florida...actually one of the largest in the state. The kids there are pretty cool and they make money just living on the reservation! I had a few friends that lived on and off the rez, but no one was as close as Hope and I!

We were always together...since birth practically. We lived next door to each other and we were always together. I was normally her shadow. You see, Hope is more exciting, beautiful and all around great person. She is like a sister to me and we are never far apart. Every weekend, I would spend at her house while my mom worked long shifts at the hospital as a charge nurse. Every summer we would take turns sleeping over at each others house. Even though we lived next door to each other, we would stay up nights talking and goofing off. I had always been the quiet one, but I felt like I was coming into my own and out of my shyness. Hope was encouraging me the whole way! I was dying for excitement. "Come on Hope! Let's do something that's FUN!" I said with excitement trying to get her to go along.

Hope started to laugh, alot! "Grace, we are talking about Okeechobee! We can't get very FUN here."

"Then, let's get out of Okeechobee!" I begged. "We could go to Vero Beach and hit the beach or the mall." We just needed to do something!

So, we decided our best chance for fun was shopping. We decided we could always use a few more school supplies and clothes. Dr. Gilcrest gladly gave Hope his credit card and told us to buy whatever we needed, it was on him! The Gilcrest's have been friends of my family for...forever I guess. Dr. and Mrs. Gilcrest grew up here with my parents and graduated from college together at the University of Florida. The plan was that Dr. Gilcrest and my dad would come back to Okeechobee to open their practice together. Two hometown boys that came back to help the community and all.

But, plans are never as easy as they seem. When Dr. Gilcrest and my dad were in their final internship, mom and Mrs. Gilcrest were pregnant with Hope and I. Dad was called into the hospital at 2 am for an emergency. A drunk driver hit his car and he never made it to the hospital, at least not alive. Mom already had her nursing degree and since then, Dr. and Mrs. Gilcrest have sort of adopted me into their family. Hope and I were raised as sisters and the Gilcrest's treated me as their daughter. Mom works weekend nights at the hospital and during the week at Dr. Gilcrest's office. So, it was not unusual for Dr. Gilcrest to include me in the shopping spree that was about to take place.