In the Midst of Tribulation (26 page)

"So, why are we here?"
"I want to walk it."
"And the point would be?"
"To get some closure."
"Why?"
"As you walk, let your mind drift on all the things that are affecting you. When you reach the center, give yourself permission to be free of those worries. As you retrace your steps, let go."
"Very hippy, dippy."
"True but I won't deny that walking these has helped me out of some pretty daunting problems. It's how I broke out of the downward spiral when my folks died." Jay took a deep breath and, with her eyes on the ground began to follow the turns of the trail. When she reached the center area, she opened her arms wide and leaned back. She smiled when Piper joined her.
"Am I doing this right?"
"There are no wrong turns." The smile came easier to her face. Jay took another series of deep breaths and made her way back out of the labyrinth. She waited for Piper to join her before heading back in the direction of the house.
"That's it?"
"You want angels and trumpets, you'll have to go somewhere else."
"No, it just doesn't seem like much."
Jay could feel that the knots of tension in her neck were already releasing their grip. "It was enough for me." She rotated her shoulders. "I realized several things when I walked. For a long time, I've been really angry at Harmony for leaving me. I didn't want her to go." Jay kicked at a pinecone.
"That's entirely normal."
Whispering, Jay confessed. "I almost felt that she got what she deserved."
"I can understand that. Going to LA was a dangerously stupid thing to do." Piper raised her hands. "I don't know her but I don't think she was thinking rationally when she left."
"We both knew that she was risking everything."
"It's amazing that she ran into somebody that knew of her brother."
"You're telling me. It's a small world, sometimes."
"Made smaller by the fanatics that tried to bring on the second coming."
"And those that prey on the survivors." Shrugging, Jay dismissed all them. "I accept that Harmony is gone. She left me long before she died. I've just stayed in limbo for so long because I didn't want to be alone."
"You're not alone anymore."
"No, I'm not. I've got a house full."
"I hope that one day, you can find a place for me in your heart." When Jay would have spoken, she shook her head. "You don't have to decide anything now. I'm not going to be going anywhere, anytime soon."
"What if I'm never ready?"
"We'll still be family. That won't change."
"And friends?"
"Of course." Piper walked a few steps. "You know what they say?"
"What?"
"Love is just friendship set on fire."
The smile that Jay bestowed on her rivaled the sun. Joining hands, the two friends walked back toward home, helping each other over the rough patches on the road.
The End