Neverending Mercy

Neverending Mercy is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Character mentions of celebrities, products, and/or brands do not necessarily express the author’s personal belief. 2023 Coffee & Grace Publishing, LLC 2709 N. Hayden Island Dr. STE 344856 Portland, Oregon 97217 www.latishasexton.com Copyright © 2023 Latisha Sexton All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Scripture quotations are from ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Cover Design by Kelli Taylor ISBN [979-8-9871768-4-9 ]: / ISBN [979-8-9871768-5-6 ]: Printed in the United States of America First Edition 2023 "Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over." Octavia E. Butler "A friend loves at all times…" Proverbs 17:17a One Ruth, 11 Years Old Lavender Falls, West VirginiaThere was nothing memorable about the day I first met Haley Burnham. School had just let out for the summer, and my best friend, Stella, and I were excitedly making plans for all the things we could fit in before school returned with its mundane days. When I learned Mom’s childhood best friend would be moving to Lavender Falls with her husband and daughter, Haley, I’d begun including Haley in all of our summer plans. I talked nonstop to Stella about her, fully believing she would become the third member of our little friend group, effectively making us a trio of best friends.The Burnhams arrived the week after school was out, moving just down the block from us. I kept imagining how Haley would welcome me with open arms, as if we’d always known each other. We would become best friends. Just like our moms.As Mom and I walked down the sidewalk, the sticky May air clung to my skin. My heart raced with excitement the closer we got to the Burnhams’ two-story colonial house—the largest in the neighborhood.Mom knocked on the door, and a tall, well-dressed woman with dark brown hair and large brown eyes greeted us with a wide smile. She had more makeup on than my mom owned, and her hair was twisted back in a sleek low bun.Rebecca Burnham was the complete opposite of Mom, who was barely five foot three, with natural blonde hair that she rarely pulled up, preferring it falling in loose waves around her shoulders. Mom almost never wore makeup. That day was no different. Her face was fresh and makeup-free, showing the small wrinkles around her eyes and the corners of her mouth.“Abigail!” Mrs. Burnham threw her arms around Mom, and the two clung to each other for a minute before Mrs. Burnham turned to me. My feet itched, but I forced myself to stand still while she studied me.“And you must be Ruth.” Her warm smile traveled all the way to her eyes, making me like her instantly.“Yes, ma’am,” I replied, offering a shy smile as I twirled my braid nervously.She pressed her hand to her heart. “Abigail, she’s gorgeous and so polite!”Mom smiled at me and inclined her head, indicating that I should thank her.“Thank you, Mrs. Burnham,” I said in a soft voice.“Oh, I can’t wait for you to meet Haley. Let me go tell her you’re here.” And then she was off, her high heels clicking a fast rhythm on the hardwood floor.A few minutes later, she returned, her face looking pinched. “She’ll be down in just a few minutes, Ruth.” She gave me a strained smile, and I wondered what had changed.An array of unexpected emotions suddenly welled up inside of me, the overwhelming one being fear. It twisted my heart. What if Haley and I weren’t able to create a friendship like our moms shared?Mom and Mrs. Burnham had taken a seat at the island bar, leaving me standing awkwardly alone at the kitchen entrance while I battled the various thoughts filtering across my mind.What was Haley like?Would we have an instant connection because of our moms’ shared friendship?Was she as eager to meet me as I was to meet her?I twisted my fingers together, my chest tightening with anticipation. Loud stomping drew my attention, and my breath hitched in my throat when Haley walked in and stopped in front of me.My mind whirled with every emotion possible. First jealousy, then intimidation, followed by a strong desire to be just like her. They all wound themselves together in an intricate tangle until I wasn’t sure where one started and the other ended.Turns out, our relationship would end up being even more complicated than all my tangled emotions.If I’d known then what I learned later, would I have turned around, shaking the dust off my feet in the process? I’ll never know for sure.All I knew at that moment was that I wanted to be best friends with her. And I would do whatever it took to make that happen.Although this was our first time meeting in person, I’d known about Haley for as long as I could remember. Mom even had pictures of her hanging on our fridge. The pictures didn’t do her justice. At least not in my eleven-year-old mind.When she walked into the room, my mouth dropped at the stunning brunette. Haley looked like she’d just stepped out of a Seventeen magazine, with her red babydoll top and high-waisted shorts that barely covered her upper thighs. Dark brown hair fell in soft layers down her back, and her makeup was done to perfection. Mom’s eyebrows rose the tiniest bit when she saw