CHAPTER 6: SPEAKING THE TRUTH
After service, Tessa approached her.
“Are you okay?”
Clara met her eyes.
“My mother didn’t have an affair.”
Tessa froze.
“I didn’t say—”
“You didn’t have to.”
Clara’s voice stayed calm.
Stronger that way.
“My dad left us with debt. The church helped. My mom worked two jobs.”
People nearby grew quiet.
“They were meetings for survival—not secrets.”
Tessa nodded quickly. “Okay.”
No drama.
No applause.
But something shifted.
Clara didn’t need approval.
She had truth.
And that was enough.
CHAPTER 7: A DIFFERENT KIND OF STRENGTH
