No. The question now was what would she be willing to do to save Julian from his prison?
FRIDAY, JULY26
Things had not gone as planned. Anna looked at him with such...
Horror.
Well, not him, but Damian. Even so, it hurt. After Damian locked Anna in the basement, Julian had gone back to his garden and cried himself to sleep.
When he awoke, his head ached. Mary’s ribbons were clutched in his hand.
He sat up and put his hands over his eyes. Great big sobs shook his shoulders. Why had he done it? Why? What was wrong with him?
Mary had been wonderful to him. She’d been his friend. He hated that she was no longer here. They’d been destined to be together.
But that day...
Oh, that day.
Mary had never touched another boy at school. Never. He’d watched her.
Then little Evan’s dad died. He’d cried all day at school after the funeral. Mary sat by him on the steps of the school. All during recess. At one point, she even shared her lunch with Evan.
And then?
He fought against Damian’s fury, refused to let him out, but he couldn’t stop his brother’s mockery.
“She wrapped an arm around that other boy and allowed him to cry on her shoulder! She betrayed you!”
Something inside Julian had snapped.
He invited Mary to look at some flowers in his garden. She did love his flowers. He brought her some every day.
But when they arrived at the garden, he left her. With Damian. His brother asked her why she hugged Evan.
Her eyes grew wide at the rage in Damian’s voice.
The Walker boys had always been larger than everyone else. Just like their giant of a father. But he’d never raised his voice with Mary. Not once.
Damian did that day.
Mary never went home after that.
And Julian was never the same.
The darkness had come to stay.
The bustle of the train station in Green River did little to keep Josh’s mind on the task at hand. What he wouldn’t give to be done with medical schoolnowso he could marry Anna and start their lives together. He didn’t want to leave.
To make it worse, things weren’t the best between them. Again.
But he had to return to school or forfeit everything he’d worked for all these years. Was he doing the right thing?
Last night he’d hashed it out with Dad. This was clearly the Lord’s will for his life. God had provided in miraculous ways and had given him the extra time with Anna this summer to reconcile.
It was beautiful. So there was a little more time apart ahead. They could handle it. Their love would survive.
God’s will...
