Anna knew from praying all week that Lorena needed her, and it was crucial she make herself available.
No problem. Come anytime. ❤
A sad waif of a girl showed up on Anna’s doorstep the next day. Lorena looked like she carried the weight of the world on her two frail shoulders.
She avoided all eye contact. Her hair hung limp over rounded shoulders, and she kept her head down. Her once glossy auburn locks were dyed a dark black that stripped the hair of its natural shine. Her eyes were lined in a thick layer of black, her clothes predominantly black, and her fingernails painted a complimentary black. A deep concern to Anna was the dark circles that hung beneath Lorena’s sad eyes and the weight she had lost on an already thin frame.
Anna felt scared to see her niece so depressed and dark. The heaviness Lorena carried resembled that all too familiar look Anna remembered in herself not that long ago.
“Come in, my dear,” Anna opened the door wide.
“I tried to keep Melody awake so you can say hi. She’s a little grumpy right now, but that’s because it’s nap time.”
Lorena followed her into the nursery. Anna had just put Melody down, and already the baby’s eyes were drooping. She opened them one last time to give her mother a smile.
Giant tears rolled down Lorena’s cheeks causing a stream of black makeup to follow. She swiped the tears away hard enough to take off a layer of skin.
Anna wanted to pull her into her arms and hug away the pain, but knew she had to take things slowly.
Anna lightly placed her arm around Lorena’s shaking shoulders and ushered her out of the nursery. They made their way to the kitchen. “Sit.” Anna waved to the barstool. “I have your favorites—my famous hot chocolate and some freshly baked sugar cookies.” She slid a mug in front of Lorena and pushed the plate of warm cookies closer.
“Lorena, you can trust me, I’m here to help. What is it?”
It took a few minutes of silence before Lorena opened up.
Anna prayed.
“I just couldn’t do it!” she cried. “Joel is calling me a coward and has broken up with me, and I don’t know what to do.”
Guttural sobs made it hard for Anna to make out what Lorena was trying to say. She came around the kitchen island and pulled Lorena into her arms.
“It’s going to be okay, Lorena. Whatever the problem is, we can find a way through,” Anna said reassuringly.
Lorena cried into her shoulder, and Anna held on tight, knowing that a hug could speak a thousand words.
Slowly the tears abated, and Anna could feel Lorena gain control.
“Mom will hate me.” Her words came out in an agonizing tone. “She’ll rant and rave how I disgrace and embarrass her and care only about what her self-righteous friends think. It’ll be all about her, and I can’t face that.”
Her face twisted into a stormy scowl, and her voice grew edgy. “Mom is a hypocrite and a phony.”
“Lorena, what is it? It can’t be that bad. Honey, we’ll work something out, I promise.” Anna smoothed a hand back and forth across Lorena’s shoulders in hopes of settling her frazzled state. “Talk to me.”
“I’m pregnant,” Lorena said, her eyes staring at the floor.
The words fell like lead raindrops. They battered the roof of Anna’s heart. The room felt hollowed of air, as Anna contemplated the graveness of the situation.
Oh my gosh, Lana called this, and now that I’m involved helping Lorena. She’ll really hate me.
Think only of Lorena. I have sent her to you, for good reason.
Anna could hear the words spoken into her Spirit as clear as if God spoke them audibly.
She pushed her shock into her pocket and ushered her niece into the living room. Once she was settled on the couch, Anna began to question.
“Lorena, when you said you couldn’t do something, what was that?”
Lorena’s eyes shifted around the room. Her head sunk lower as she mumbled, “I couldn’t go through with the abortion. We were at the clinic and everything. Suddenly, I got freaked out.” She placed her hands on her stomach and whispered. “I knew this was not just a blob as Joel said … I just couldn’t—”
Anna couldn’t contain her joy. She threw her arms around her niece. “Oh Lorena, you did the right thing. I’m so proud of you. I too contemplated abortion. I wrestled with the dark angels of hell on that one. I wanted to hide my sin from the world, but God wouldn’t let me. You heard my story, Lorena. Trying to hide the truth never works … not with lies, nor with abortion. I speak from experience and truly understand your torment.”
Large frightened eyes rose to meet Anna. “What do I do now? My boyfriend wants nothing to do with me or ‘the blob’ as he calls it, and my mom’s going to kill me.”
“Your dad—”
Lorena interrupted. “Dad never stands up to Mom. He rolls over like a wounded puppy every time they disagree. I can’t count on him. He cares more about keeping the peace than standing up for what’s right.”
Her words spit out with conviction. “I also know everything she’ll think of me, because I’ve heard the way she talks about you.”
Anna tried to hide her hurt but wasn’t successful. Lorena stopped. “I’m sorry, Auntie.”
Anna gulped back the knot in her throat and turned to quickly stem the flow of tears that threatened to spill. This wasn’t about her. She had to stay focused on her niece. If she was going to help Lorena, she couldn’t get sidetracked with her own hurt.
“Lorena, you’ve done the right thing, first at the clinic and then in telling me. I have lots of room in this old house and care about you deeply. You’ll always have a place to live, but I know that your mom and dad love you a
