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“Jenna? We need to talk, honey,” said her father.

He had a pained expression, and Jenna knew exactly why. As the oldest of the four girls, she’d taken on a lot of responsibility over the years, often acting as a second mother to the younger girls.

“It’s alright, Dad. I already know. You’ve lost your job, Mom lost her part-time work, and there’s no money left for college.”

Her sisters made sure that she knew what was coming. They’d been scared, crying, and unsure of their futures. With Jenna being the oldest, they prayed she would have an answer for them.

“Jenna, I’m so damn sorry,” said her father, shaking his head with embarrassment.

“I should have planned better. We thought we would be able to make a life here and provide for you. Provide for your sisters, but it just hasn’t worked out that way.

Honestly. Honestly, I thought there might be something coming this way that would help us. ”

“Dad, I’ll figure something out,” she smiled. “There’s more than one way to get a college degree, and I’ll find a way to make it happen.”

She’d prayed on it. Slept on it. Researched it. And then prayed again. When that didn’t work, she went to the church to speak with Father George.

“I’m sorry your family is suffering, Jenna. I’ve spoken to your mother, and I know it’s hard on all of you, but especially on you being the oldest.”

“I’m not sure what to do. I can get a job at the grocery store or the mall, but it won’t allow me to live on my own and feed myself, plus help Mom and Dad. Without a college degree, I’ve got nothing.”

“There could be another option,” he said with a sad expression. He pushed the brochure for the Sisters of the Carmelite Convent.

“A nun?” she frowned.

“Yes. You are still a virgin, aren’t you? I mean, it honestly doesn’t matter as much any longer, but it helps,” he asked nervously.

“Of course,” she blushed.

“Well, you could become a nun, earn your degree, and work for the convent. It’s not a lot of money, but they would support you while you were there.

All of your pay could go to your parents.

It’s not uncommon, Jenna. I was the oldest son, and it was normal in my family for the first son or daughter to go into the church. ”

“I-I know,” she stammered, “but a nun? I love my religion, I love my faith, but I never intended to devote my life to it.”

“Well, you have some time to think on it. A few weeks anyway. Maybe you could visit one of the convents and get a sense of what it’s like.”

“Maybe,” she said quietly. “Thank you for your time, Father George.”

Every time Jenna saw her high-school crush, Nash, her heart would stop, and she wanted to run to him, beg him to marry her, and allow her to go away with him while he was serving in the Marines.

But it was a ridiculous, school-girl thing to dream of.

They’d never even kissed or held hands. They were just buddies.

No, this wasn’t something you shared with the kids you went to school with. Not even someone that you knew was a special boy. Young man. That’s what he was. A young man.

Nash was someone special, and that had never been more clear than the day she saw what he did at the reservoir. She couldn’t prove it, but she knew that somehow Nash had parted that water and allowed Josie to survive a near drowning.

It made sense. Superheroes were humble, always in the background, and that explained Nash to a tee. Kind, generous, an athlete, and great student. He was the guy everyone wanted to be friends with. In her case, she hoped for more than friends but couldn’t bring herself to do anything about it.

“Honey, are you sure?” asked her mother.

“I don’t think there’s any other way, Mom. This is a good vocation for me.”

“Jenna, women become nuns because it’s a passion, a calling, not because they need the money. You could continue to live here, find work, and we’ll all be okay. Your father and I will think of something else. We’re going to be okay.”

“I’ve made up my mind,” she said with a forced smile. “I’m ready for a new chapter in my life.”

On the last day of school, Nash and Jenna promised to write to one another. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she was going to become a nun. He thought she was going off to college.

He promised to write, and he did.

What Jenna didn’t know was that the convent wouldn’t allow letters from men who were not family members. She never received one letter sent in the care package by her parents. She never saw Nash again.

That is until the worst event of her life had him sitting directly across from her, attempting to hold her hand. The one thing she’d wished for her entire high school career was happening, and she couldn’t stand the thought of this man touching her.

“Nash,” she mouthed without a sound.

“Jenna. Jenna Brooks,” he grinned, slowly walking toward her. Irene quickly moved toward him, whispering to him.

“She’s scared and skittish, baby. Take it slow. Let her lead.” He nodded, then continued toward her.

“We can stay if you like, Jenna,” said Angel.

She turned, smiling at the two very sweet protectors sent for her. Although she believed the older woman might be the one to truly fear, she knew that she was safe.

“No. No, he’s an old friend from Arizona. A very old, very dear friend,” she smiled with pain, embarrassment, and trepidation.

When Nash stopped in front of her, she looked him in the eyes, memories flooding her soul, filling her with joy, fear, terror, and regret, then crumbled to the floor, sobbing. Nash kneeled beside her, gently placing an arm around her shoulders.

“It’s alright, Jenna. You’re safe now,” he said softly.

Bree kneeled beside them, along with Doc, both of them introducing themselves to the woman.

“Let’s get her to the private clinic space in the office,” said Bree.

“No. No, I’m okay now,” she sniffed. “I’m sorry.

It was just such a shock seeing Nash. It’s been almost forty years.

You joined the Marines. You went off to protect our country.

I should have stayed in touch with you, but the convent wouldn’t allow letters to males unless they were relatives. ”

“I did join the Marines,” he nodded. “I became a Special Forces Marine, and I’ve thought of you so many times over the years.”

“Oh,” she smiled. “Well, that makes sense, about the Marines, I mean. You were always special, Nash, and handsome. He was the most handsome boy in school.” Nash could only shake his head at his old friend.

“Why don’t we get you two off the floor,” said Doc.

“A good plate of food will make you feel much better. When you’re done, Nash can show you to your cabin on the private island where we all live.

No one gets on the island or this property without us knowing about it. And no one knows where it is.”

It was a few days before Nash was able to get Jenna alone again. She’d been speaking with the legal and medical teams and trying to determine what her future might look like.

“May I join you?” asked Nash.

He’d been watching Jenna sitting near the fountain in the gardens for nearly an hour. They were all watching her, concerned that she might harm herself.

“Of course, Nash. I actually owe you an apology.”

“Me?” he frowned. “You don’t owe me an apology. You’ve done absolutely nothing wrong.”

“You reached for my hand out of friendship, and I shunned you,” she said, looking down into the fountain. Nash shook his head.

“Jenna, a man attacked you. The touch of a man will set you off for a while. I should have been more considerate. I know it wasn’t about me. It was about your attackers.”

“Thank you for saying that,” she said. “You always were the nicest boy in school. I remember when your family was transferred to Arizona. You were only in eighth grade, I think.”

“That’s right,” he smiled. “We had been at a base called The Depot. In fact, many of the people here were there.”

“Really? That seems odd,” she frowned.

“Yes,” he laughed. “I suppose it does feel odd. We’re all different, Jenna. We were exposed to something while at this strange base and now have unusual skills.”

“Like what you did at the lake when we were in high school?” she smiled. Nash’s face showed shock and disbelief.

“You remember that? You saw that?” he asked. She nodded. “I never meant for anyone to see me. If I hadn’t done what I did, Josie would have died.”

“I saw it as a miracle from God, Nash. I never thought you were strange. You lifted that water like it was nothing, and there she was, crawling her way along the bottom of the reservoir. You saved her life.”

“I can’t believe you saw me. I wish you had told me,” he said, smiling at her. “I felt alone during that time. I couldn’t tell everyone what was happening to me.”

“I’m sorry. I should have come to you. You were my friend, my dearest friend. I hated that we lost touch after I went to the convent.”

“Why did you go?” he asked. “You were one of the smartest people in school. Surely you had scholarship offers.”

“I wish that were true,” she said. “My parents were so poor at that time they didn’t even have the money to submit my college applications.

I knew that I needed to go to work and help support them.

But if I took a job, I wouldn’t be able to support them and myself, and I needed to be out of the house, not another mouth to feed. The convent seemed logical.

“I was a devout Catholic. So were my family members. The convent allowed you to live there rent-free, and when I became a nun, all of my small salary went to my parents. It was enough for a while, then everything just crumbled.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, reaching for her hand again. He hovered above her, then pulled back, but this time, Jenna reached for him.

“We shouldn’t be afraid to touch when we’re old friends,” she said. He nodded, smiling at her.

“I’m sorry about what happened to you, Jenna, but I’m so glad I’ve found you again. I’ve thought of you many times over the years.”

“Same,” she smiled. “I had a terrible crush on you when I was in high school.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” he asked.

“We were such friends, buddies almost. I didn’t want to ruin that. All the girls wanted to date you, and they were so beautiful and dressed perfectly. I was the poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks.”

“No. No, you weren’t,” he said, shaking his head. “You were my best friend, and I had a crush on you as well.” He squeezed her hand, and she smiled, nodding at him.

“Funny how the world works, isn’t it? All those missed opportunities for us, and look at us now.”

“We’re the same people, Jenna.”

“No. No, I’m not,” she said. “What that man, those men, did to me left me a shell of myself. I’ll never be alright again. Never.”

Jenna left him sitting there alone. Alone except for a ghost.

“Give her time,” said Nathan.

Nash thought to himself, she can have all the time in the world.