heart beat harder than before.
“My director is quitting. She’ll be around for another week, and then she’s moving to Chicago.” Katy sat back and crossed her arms. “We should probably sell it, what with this little one on the way.” She rested her hand on her abdomen. “But I can’t rush into a decision like that.” She looked straight at Bailey. “Basically I need a director in a hurry. Someone to take over before we audition for the spring show in a week.”
A week?
Bailey swallowed. “So what were you thinking?”
“Well,” Katy handed Sophie her cup of milk. “What are
you
thinking? You still see yourself moving back at some point?”
“Probably.” Bailey felt a wave of sadness. “I haven’t talked to Brandon yet. I go back and forth. We can handle long distance, but it’s not ideal.” She let out a shaky sigh. “At the same time … this isn’t where I want to be.” She stopped herself, dizzy and sick over the way the pieces seemed to swirl around. “All I’m sure about is Brandon.”
“Good.” Katy let that settle. “He loves you … very much.”
“I love him too.” Bailey’s stomach still hurt at the thought of leaving him. She stared at the floor. What did her willingness toleave say about her? If she loved Brandon, shouldn’t she be willing to stay? To sacrifice?
Katy leaned her forearms on the table so she was closer to Bailey, her eyes kind and understanding. “What are you thinking?”
“I should be willing to stay.” She hesitated. “I mean, isn’t that what love’s supposed to look like? Two people sacrificing everything for each other?”
Katy’s smile was gentle. She didn’t need to answer, really. After all, Katy had made the sacrifice to move to LA for Dayne. Her answer took a few seconds, and during that time she gave Sophie some broken pieces of a graham cracker. The little girl was being so quiet she almost seemed caught up in the conversation. Katy faced Bailey. “Sometimes love looks like that.”
Bailey hated this, feeling so scattered. One minute certain she should leave LA and return to Bloomington, take time to think through her life. The next desperate to stay here or wherever Brandon might be. She leaned her elbow on the table. “What’s that mean? Sometimes?”
Again Katy took her time. “I remember when I was dead set against living here.” A sad, quiet laugh came from her. “It wasn’t really about LA or Bloomington for me. Back then … I loved Dayne, but I was scared too. I wasn’t sure if I could spend the rest of my life in the limelight. I guess … love changed my mind.”
The truth in Katy’s words wrapped itself around Bailey and helped her see clearly for the first time in days. She loved Brandon, but did she love him enough to live in LA? To spend the rest of her life with him wherever that might be?
“See …” A new depth shone in Katy’s eyes. “When you love someone for life, when your souls are at rest because they’ve spent a lifetime searching for each other, the places become irrelevant.”
“Hmmm.” Bailey blinked and stared out the back window at the distant sea.
“Because when you love like that, just being with that personmeans you’re home.” Her smile filled her face. “Home becomes a person, not a place.”
Bailey and Brandon had discussed that very truth only a few months ago. She stood and hugged Katy. “Thank you.” She pulled back and looked into her friend’s eyes. “I needed to hear that.”
“It’s okay to not be sure.” Katy’s tone remained empathetic. “God will show you, Bailey.”
“Whether it hurts or not.” Bailey stepped back as Sophie clapped her hands and then slapped them on her high-chair tray. Bailey leaned down and kissed the little girl’s cheek. “When you’re older, listen to your mommy, Soph. She’ll know what you need.”
Katy looked touched. “Thank you.” She stood and ran her hand over her daughter’s head, then paused. “If your decision
“My director is quitting. She’ll be around for another week, and then she’s moving to Chicago.” Katy sat back and crossed her arms. “We should probably sell it, what with this little one on the way.” She rested her hand on her abdomen. “But I can’t rush into a decision like that.” She looked straight at Bailey. “Basically I need a director in a hurry. Someone to take over before we audition for the spring show in a week.”
A week?
Bailey swallowed. “So what were you thinking?”
“Well,” Katy handed Sophie her cup of milk. “What are
you
thinking? You still see yourself moving back at some point?”
“Probably.” Bailey felt a wave of sadness. “I haven’t talked to Brandon yet. I go back and forth. We can handle long distance, but it’s not ideal.” She let out a shaky sigh. “At the same time … this isn’t where I want to be.” She stopped herself, dizzy and sick over the way the pieces seemed to swirl around. “All I’m sure about is Brandon.”
“Good.” Katy let that settle. “He loves you … very much.”
“I love him too.” Bailey’s stomach still hurt at the thought of leaving him. She stared at the floor. What did her willingness toleave say about her? If she loved Brandon, shouldn’t she be willing to stay? To sacrifice?
Katy leaned her forearms on the table so she was closer to Bailey, her eyes kind and understanding. “What are you thinking?”
“I should be willing to stay.” She hesitated. “I mean, isn’t that what love’s supposed to look like? Two people sacrificing everything for each other?”
Katy’s smile was gentle. She didn’t need to answer, really. After all, Katy had made the sacrifice to move to LA for Dayne. Her answer took a few seconds, and during that time she gave Sophie some broken pieces of a graham cracker. The little girl was being so quiet she almost seemed caught up in the conversation. Katy faced Bailey. “Sometimes love looks like that.”
Bailey hated this, feeling so scattered. One minute certain she should leave LA and return to Bloomington, take time to think through her life. The next desperate to stay here or wherever Brandon might be. She leaned her elbow on the table. “What’s that mean? Sometimes?”
Again Katy took her time. “I remember when I was dead set against living here.” A sad, quiet laugh came from her. “It wasn’t really about LA or Bloomington for me. Back then … I loved Dayne, but I was scared too. I wasn’t sure if I could spend the rest of my life in the limelight. I guess … love changed my mind.”
The truth in Katy’s words wrapped itself around Bailey and helped her see clearly for the first time in days. She loved Brandon, but did she love him enough to live in LA? To spend the rest of her life with him wherever that might be?
“See …” A new depth shone in Katy’s eyes. “When you love someone for life, when your souls are at rest because they’ve spent a lifetime searching for each other, the places become irrelevant.”
“Hmmm.” Bailey blinked and stared out the back window at the distant sea.
“Because when you love like that, just being with that personmeans you’re home.” Her smile filled her face. “Home becomes a person, not a place.”
Bailey and Brandon had discussed that very truth only a few months ago. She stood and hugged Katy. “Thank you.” She pulled back and looked into her friend’s eyes. “I needed to hear that.”
“It’s okay to not be sure.” Katy’s tone remained empathetic. “God will show you, Bailey.”
“Whether it hurts or not.” Bailey stepped back as Sophie clapped her hands and then slapped them on her high-chair tray. Bailey leaned down and kissed the little girl’s cheek. “When you’re older, listen to your mommy, Soph. She’ll know what you need.”
Katy looked touched. “Thank you.” She stood and ran her hand over her daughter’s head, then paused. “If your decision
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