Felicia stared at her friend with a mixture of admiration and conviction. Something in her heart shifted—this wasn't just a conversation anymore; it felt like a call. A call to step into light. A call to lay down the guilt she had buried for so long.
"Ann," she whispered, her voice trembling, "do you think God could still want me… after everything I've done? I've prayed before but I keep falling. I feel so fake."
Ann's face softened. She gently pulled Felicia into a hug. "You're not fake. You're human. And yes, God wants you—completely. That's why Jesus came. Not for the perfect ones, but the broken. The falling. The ashamed."
Tears streamed down Felicia's cheeks. "But I knew better. I was raised in church. I've preached to people before. And yet…"
"And yet He still loves you," Ann interrupted. "You're not too far gone. You don't have to clean yourself up first—He does the cleansing. You just need to come."
Felicia wiped her face. "I don't want to hide anymore. I'm tired of pretending. Tired of making jokes to cover the shame."
Ann smiled. "That's the beginning of healing."