She fluffed the pillows and sat them up against the headboard of her bed. Grabbing a devotional magazine off the nightstand, she slid under the covers and turned to the correct date. She read the first paragraph and realized she had no idea what the author had said. She read the paragraph again and then closed the magazine in frustration. She stared up at the ceiling, anger swelling within her at what her sister had just relayed. Eustace was such a busybody. She savored the latest gossip, then relished her disdain for whomever she deemed sinful. Shifting on the bed, she punched the pillow behind her to plump it up better. She covered her face with her hands before raking her fingers through her hair. I didn’t want this for Mel. She gripped her hair at the base of her neck. Her mind replayed the looks cast in her direction from eighteen years ago. Pity. Anger. Disgust. Disappointment. One face after another flitted through her brain. Mel had graduated. At least she had that. She wouldn’t be a kid in high school sitting in metal desks lined in a row and raising her hand for permission to use the restroom...
