Page 53 of Love in the Storm

“I get it.” The words were a hollow whisper. She couldn’t feel anything anymore. Her fingers weren’t cold, and her feet weren’t throbbing, but her head was spinning.

“If you can’t pay by Wednesday, you need to be out by Friday.” With that friendly farewell, Russell scurried down the stairs.

A half breath escaped her parted lips. Why couldn’t she get it together? Why was it so hard to rebuild her life from the ground up? It had been five years. Why hadn’t she been able to pull herself out of the hole yet?

Fumbling her keys, she finally got the door unlocked and the bags inside. She hefted them onto the small counter in the kitchen and stared at them. There wasn’t any point in taking the groceries out of the bags. She’d be packing everything within these four walls into boxes and bags starting tonight.

This morning, she’d had a home but no food. Now, she had food but no home.

Everything was messed up, and she wanted to scream until her throat was sore.

Instead, she crumpled to the floor and rested herback against the cabinets. Sunday mornings were quiet in this part of town, and Lyric listened to the beat of her heart. Stupid, useless heart. All it did was pump blood that kept her alive. Why did she even need to be alive? She didn’t have anything.

Lyric burst into sobs at the first memory of Asa. He’d said she could have him, but that was a lie. She didn’t have anything, and she missed him–missed the carefree and happy time they’d spent together last week. She’d gone from cloud nine to rock bottom in two days flat.

Her phone dinged with a text, but she didn’t move. It was either Kendra or Asa. Kendra texted her every Sunday morning offering her a ride to church, and she’d been avoiding Asa’s texts. True to his word, he’d texted her as soon as he got off work. She hadn’t worked up the courage to respond yet.

Lyric wouldn’t be going to church or even answering the text. If she had more than five dollars in her pocket, she’d make a run to the liquor store right now.

Her chest swelled with each heaving breath. Where was God when things got tough? Was He in the church with the Christians? Would He be with her on the streets later this week? Why did she feel so far away from Him when she needed someone so badly right now?

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting on the kitchen floor when someone knocked on thedoor. If she stayed quiet, whoever was on the other side would go away.

Kendra’s words were muffled through the door. “Lyric, I know you’re in there. You can either let me in or I’ll let myself in.”

Shoot. Kendra had a key.

“You have five seconds,” Kendra warned.

Not bothering to beg for more time, Lyric pushed off the floor and wiped her eyes on her way to the door.

There wasn’t any shock when the door opened. Kendra looked Lyric up and down and snapped her fingers. “Get dressed.”

“I’m not going.”

“I didn’t ask if you were going. I said get dressed.”

Lyric wailed as the tears started anew. Kendra’s arms were around her in a second, and the door was closed behind her, locking them away from the world for a moment.

Kendra rubbed a soothing circle on Lyric’s back. “Shh. Shh. It’s okay. Everything is okay.”

“No, it’s not. Russell is kicking me out.”

“When do you have to be out?” Kendra asked, clearly unfazed by the revelation.

“Friday.”

“Then we’ll find you a new place or the money to keep this one before then. Right now, you need to get dressed.” Kendra grasped Lyric’s shoulders and pushed her away.

“I’m not going to church. I just found out I’m being evicted!”

“You’re going to church.”

“Ugh!” Lyric huffed in anger. “Why?”

“Because it’s better for you than anything else you could be doing this morning. Trust me.”

Lyric didn’t wait a second before turning toward her temporary bedroom. She’d get dressed in record time and get church over with so she could wallow in pity for the rest of the day.

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