That night, sleep felt far away.
I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, the stillness pressing against my chest. The room was too quiet, no music, no messages, no trace of laughter. Just me and the sound of my own thoughts looping back to the look on Charlie's face when I walked past him.
I told myself to stop thinking about it, to let him go. But my heart wouldn't listen. And somewhere between that ache and exhaustion, I drifted off.
The dream began like a memory.
I was standing in the school courtyard, but it didn't look the same. The walls were softer, glowing faintly like the world was made of light instead of brick. The sky stretched endlessly, painted in colors I didn't have words for.
Then I heard it, a voice. Calm. Gentle. So full of love that it made everything inside me go still.
"Coral."
It wasn't loud, but it carried through me like a heartbeat. I turned, and there He was.
Jesus.
He didn't look the way the paintings said He would. He looked familiar. Like warmth after a long winter. Like home after being lost too long.
His eyes met mine, and I couldn't move, not out of fear, but because I didn't want to look away. There was something in His gaze that saw everything, the mistakes, the guilt, the loneliness, and loved me anyway.
"I love you," He said simply. "I always have."
My throat tightened. "But why? After everything I've done… after how far I've drifted?"
He smiled, soft, knowing.
"Because I've been waiting for you. Even when you thought you didn't need Me. Even when you tried to find love that couldn't last, I never left."
His words fell over me like light. I wanted to say something, to apologize, to explain, but nothing came out. I just stood there, tears burning in my eyes as He stepped closer.
"The love of people will change," He said. "It will fade, break, or be lost. But My love, it's the same yesterday, today, and always."
Then He reached out His hand. When I took it, the light around us deepened, not blinding, but warm, pure, alive. Every ache, every question, every heavy piece of my heart felt weightless in that touch.
"You were never alone, Coral," He whispered. "You just forgot who was walking beside you."
I closed my eyes and breathed in the stillness. It felt like peace was finally something I could touch. When I opened them again, we weren't in the courtyard anymore.
We were by a quiet lake. The water shimmered with light, every ripple reflecting colors that didn't exist in the waking world. Jesus stood beside me, the wind brushing against His robe, His expression gentle, patient.
"Why does it hurt so much?" I asked quietly. "Why does love fade? Why do people leave?"
He looked out over the water before answering.
"Because people are learning, just like you. Their hearts are fragile, their fears loud. They love with all they have, but sometimes they forget that love was never meant to be carried alone. It was meant to be shared with Me."
I swallowed hard. "But I thought love was supposed to be enough."
"It is," He said. "But not without truth. Not without Me."
His voice didn't sound like rebuke. It sounded like understanding, like He had seen every mistake I'd made and still called me by name.
"You've been trying to fill an emptiness that only I can hold," He continued. "That's why it always felt like something was missing. Not because you weren't enough, but because you were never meant to live without knowing how deeply I love you."
I looked down at the water, watching our reflections ripple and blur. "I keep thinking about Charlie," I admitted. "About everything I said, everything I didn't say. I thought what we had was real."
"It was," Jesus said softly. "Real doesn't always mean forever. Sometimes I place people in your life to teach you how to love, and sometimes to show you what love is not. But every love that ends can still lead you closer to Me."
A tear slid down my cheek. "Then why does it still hurt?"
He turned to me then, His gaze steady, kind.
"Because your heart was made to love deeply. Hurt is just proof that you cared. Don't be ashamed of that. But don't let pain convince you that you are alone in it."
I wanted to believe Him. And in that moment, I did. Because when He spoke, something inside me finally let go.
"Do you remember the night you cried alone?" He asked gently. "You thought no one heard you. But I did. Every word. Every whisper. I never left your side."
The lake shimmered brighter. I felt warmth on my skin, not like sunlight, but like being held.
"Why me?" I asked quietly. "Why love me?"
His smile deepened, soft as light.
"Because you are Mine. You were always Mine. Even when you ran, even when you doubted, I never stopped calling your name. You are loved, Coral. You are chosen. You are seen."
The words sank deep, filling the cracks that had been splitting inside me for so long.
"Let Me love you," He said. "Not because you've earned it, but because it's who I am."
I closed my eyes again, and this time, I saw flashes — moments of my life.Me laughing with Charlie.Me sitting alone, angry at God.Me pretending I didn't care.Through it all, that same quiet presence was there, watching, waiting, loving.
When I opened my eyes, Jesus was still beside me, the light soft around Him.
"Will it always hurt this way?" I asked.
"Pain fades," He said. "But love remains. When you give your heart to Me, even what breaks can become beautiful."
We stood in silence for a long time, the kind that heals instead of empties. The sound of the lake was steady, rhythmic, like a heartbeat.
Finally, He spoke again.
"When you wake, remember this. You are not defined by who stays or who leaves. You are defined by My love. That's the truth you've been searching for."
And then, He reached out, placing His hand over my heart.
"Come back to Me, Coral. Not in fear, but in love. I've been waiting."
The light began to rise again, glowing brighter until the lake, the sky, even the air was wrapped in gold.
Before everything faded, I heard His voice one last time.
"I am with you. Always."
Then I woke up.
Morning light spilled through my window, warm against my face. My pillow was damp with tears, but I didn't feel broken. I felt still. Whole.
The same room. The same walls. But something in me was different.
For the first time in a long time, I didn't reach for my phone. I didn't replay the things I couldn't change. I just sat there in the quiet, breathing, knowing He was there.
And for the first time, the quiet didn't feel empty.It felt like peace.