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"There aren't many girls your age who would stop, who would want it to be so special," he whispered.

"Maybe it's because of the way I was brought up. Maybe I've got to break free of so many things first. Maybe I've got to stop seeing Grandad in the darkness, making me feel guilty. I can't help being afraid-- not of going to hell, but of becoming like him, spending my life hurting people so I would feel less guilty about myself. Does that make any sense?"

"Yes," he said. "Tomorrow, you will start to leave it all behind. I believe in you. Honey, more than I believe in myself.'"

He put his arm around me so I could cradle my head against his shoulder and we looked up at the stars again. A cloud drifted along, blocking the Seven Sisters.

"Get off there," Chandler cried. "Go on with you." The cloud moved away.

And we laughed and held each other and filled our hearts with the faith that we could always do that, always blow away the clouds that threatened our stars.