Not much to report, except that I have checked in with Mary and Kayla. Both are doing well—Kayla’s mother is filing for divorce, and Kayla is reassured by the decision that her stepfather will likely serve at least one year in prison for what he has done. It is possible that the two of them will move out of the town before he gets out—not only do they want to avoid him, but they both want a fresh start. If…
A quick update with two hopeful things. First of all, Pamela and Lee are doing quite well. They have not spoken about where their relationship is going, but both seem to feel that there is a relationship between them. Since their conversation in Pamela’s apartment, they have been on four official dates, and all of them have been delightful for both. There is a softness between them now, a peace that gives them both comfort. I am glad of this,…
Many of you have showed a great deal of concern for Kayla, for which I thank you. Inca says that she is doing well—she and Mary have moved their usual conversations to text, and though things were a bit awkward for a while, they have fallen back into the rhythms of trust. Kayla is beginning to believe that she really is safe, which is wonderful. Inca is staying with her, just in case; she also thanks you for your concern…
Well, tonight was more eventful than I thought it would be. It is prom night at Mary’s high school. While the dance was a source of great excitement for many of the students, both Mary and Jordan are too young to attend. Instead, they were planning to have a date at Mary’s house. Mary was very excited about it, but I expected the evening to be quiet—she had prepared dinner for him, and her mother had helped her set up…
Today was one of those days for my charges that was filled with emptiness, if such a thing can be. It was a day in which the passage of time is felt, and yet on looking back one can see nothing but weariness and struggle with emotions and difficulties that are beyond explanation. Grace felt this, and Jonathan felt this—even Pamela had a rough day, beginning to feel a low-lying fear of the coming change in her life. I did…
In the whole scheme of things, the concerns of one small town may not seem very significant. When we have an entire world to tend to, sometimes we do not regard the troubles that come to one or two people alone. But to me, these are the most important matters of all. The ties between two hearts, the hurts that they share, the joys that they bring to one another—how can that not be enormous and miraculous and amazing? Today…
Many of you have asked, but Grace has not made her decision yet. I spend much of my time with her, though I do not have any guidance to give her. It must be her choice. Another event, however, has called me away from her for a bit. It has come out that Mary and her friends are the authors of the website they call Strugglebus. Aaron used it as his final project for one of his classes, presenting it…
It is such a terrible shame when something that is supposed to be joyful becomes tainted by the shadows of this world. In other circumstances, I might have rejoiced to inform you of something that instead weighs down my heart. Grace has learned that she is pregnant. I was with her when she received confirmation of it—before the test came up positive, she did not want to believe. But now she is certain, and her heart is breaking all over…
Grace has not been feeling well—she took off from work yesterday. I stayed with her for a while, radiating comfort, and she seemed better in the afternoon. Pamela has gone on two dates with Lee since their conversation. They have been nice dates, but she is in no hurry to make the relationship serious. He is aware of this and has not been pushing her. His feelings for her are true, and he has no wish to hurt her any…
I spent the day today with Arthur, and it was a pleasant day. Arthur is a very thoughtful young man, with many ideas and dreams. He has a talent with computers—if he lived closer, I might try to connect him with Mary and her friends—but his real love is math and science. He cannot decide whether he wants to be a rocket scientist or a research biologist. Either would be a noble cause, I think. He has a girlfriend, Amy,…