Page 142 of Healing Eleanor

“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” she says, her voice sincere.

I smile. “I deserved it.”

She chuckles, shaking her head. “You did. And when we leave, you better not get up to purge, or so help me, I’ll place your crutches so far away you’ll have to beg me to come get them—capiche?”

Heat rises to my cheeks. “You don’t have to worry. I won’t get up. And to be fair, I can barely walk with these things anyway.”

Lily gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Good girl. Now, don’t forget to call my mom. I’m also a phone call away if you need anything.”

“Same here,” Dillon adds, picking up a blanket and draping it over my bed.

“And me too,” Gabriel chimes in, tossing the last of the trash into the bin.

“Thank you, guys, for everything,” I say, looking between the three of them. “And for dinner.”

“It’s our treat,” Gabriel says, stepping in for a hug. “We missed you.”

Dillon hugs me next. “We’ll try to visit as often as we can. You know how crazy performance season gets.”

I hug him back. “I know, don’t stress yourselves out.”

Lily hugs me last. “I love you. Please take care of yourself.”

There it is again—love—but in an entirely different, warm, caring way. “I love you too, Lily,” I say, meaning every word.

“Can we pray for you?” Gabriel asks.

My gut clenches—not in a bad way, but in a curious way. Nik always prays before rehearsals, and he never hides his faith. I know Lily, Gabriel, and Dillon go to the same church as him, but I never actually heard them pray out loud. They’ve always shown their faith in other ways. By staying by my side, by offering forgiveness instead of hostility.

I nod, gripping my blanket a little tighter. “Yeah, sure,” I answer quietly.

The three of them look at each other, then Gabriel speaks first. He reaches for my hand, then Lily’s, and Lily grabs Dillon’s, who takes my other hand.

“Lord Jesus, we thank You for Eleanor,” Gabriel prays, his voice steady but tender. “Thank You for bringing her to Hollingford and allowing us to know her. Thank You for our friendship, and for the chance to share Your love with her…” His words trail, and Dillon picks it up.

“We thank You that she’s still here with us,” Dillon says, squeezing my hand gently. “And because of who You are, Lord, we know You’ll keep her near. We don’t know her whole situation, but in Romans 12, You tell us to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”

Then Lily’s voice breaks the circle, quiet but sure. “We pray for healing, Jesus. For Your healing over Eleanor—restore her to full health and strength. Comfort her, ease her suffering, Lord. Guide the people who will walk with her, and bless their words and treatments. Please grant her peace of mind, and hope for the future. Amen.”

The swelling in my chest grows until it hurts, and I have the sudden urge to cry. Not because their words are hurtful or anything; because they aren’t. But because they’re so kind, so undeserved, so real. I have never had anyone pray over me like this before. It’s wholesome, selfless, and true.

“We’ll lock up on our way out. Take care, Eleanor,” Gabriel says as they head toward the door.

I wave goodbye and sink back into my bed, feeling lighter than I have in days.

Even though Nik isn’t here now, I’m not ready to let him go. I’m all in, ready to do whatever it takes to get him back.

I set a reminder on my phone to call Lily’s mom in the morning, determined to take my healing seriously. I won’t let someone like Nik slip through my fingers. He means too much.

As does Lily, so I keep my promise. I don’t throw up.

26

Fact vs. Truth

Eleanor

“When do you think your problems with eating began?” Evelyn asks gently, crossing one leg over the other. She holds a pen poised above her notebook, ready but patient.