Luke’s house was fairly bursting at the seams with people coming to say good-bye and wish him luck. Since he was one of the first from his graduating class to leave on a mission, it seemed that half the school had turned out to hear him speak. They had filled the chapel overflow clear back to the stage in the cultural hall!
Luke’s talk had been inspirational, and his enthusiasm to go out and serve was obvious. I knew a few of his friends who were still on the fence about whether or not they wanted to serve missions, and I hoped that after hearing Luke’s talk, they’d catch the vision and commit to go.
“How are you doing?” Jill made her way to me through the crowd and touched my hand with a sympathetic smile.
It was so nice to have Jill back! These past few months had been tough for her. She’d come to me crying more than once about how much she missed Nick and how hard it was to move on. For the first few weeks after she broke up with him, he’d still call and text her, begging her to come back. I knew it was incredibly difficult for Jill to stay strong each time he contacted her, but she did it.
She blocked his number from her cell phone and deleted him from her Facebook and e-mail accounts. I admired her determination to stay on track, and I did everything I could to help distract her from her broken heart.
Now that she was sixteen, we got jobs together at a local smoothie shop. Jill was also “officially” available to date, and since things were over between her and Nick, a weekend never went by without some guy calling to ask her out. We’d been on a few group dates together, and I loved to see her happy and interacting with people the way she used to. Thanks to the help and guidance of our bishop, she was working through the repentance process, and it was incredible to see the light and joy slowly returning to the life of my best friend.
“I’m good, thanks,” I answered as I put on my bravest smile.
The truth was, my insides felt like a giant volcano just waiting to erupt. On the one hand, I was so happy and excited for Luke. There was nothing better he could be doing in his life, and his strong desire to serve the Lord by preaching the gospel spoke volumes about his character and testimony. I was proud of him and elated that he would finally be able to reach the goal that he’d striven for his entire life.
On the other hand, the past few months I’d been able to spend with Luke had been the most incredible months of my life. True to our agreement, I’d dated other people and only went out with Luke once a week. Even though we always dated in a group or with a designated chaperone, I’d looked forward to those dates as if they were a lifesaving substance! Every minute in his presence was magical, and I knew from the way he looked and talked to me that he felt the same way. It was painful to know that something so special would have to be put on hold for two years. And then who knew what would happen when he came back?
I worried incessantly that he wouldn’t feel the same way about me when he returned, or that some horrific circumstance would keep us from being together again.
He’d been called to the Mexico Hermosillo Mission. I knew it was in a relatively safe area, but there was always that little “what if” that haunted the back of my mind.
“Liar,” Jill accused as she looked at me more intently. “Don’t worry, Liza, I know this next little while is going to be tough, but I’m here for you. We’re going to have so much fun the next two years that the time will simply fly by, just you wait and see!” She put her arm around me and said jokingly, “Guys . . . who needs ’em?”
I couldn’t help but laugh as she repeated the phrase I’d been chanting to her the past few months to make her feel better. “That’s right, who needs ’em?” Now the hard part was actually making myself believe it.
“Hey, Jill, mind if I steal Liza away for a few minutes?” Luke appeared from behind me, and when his arm touched my elbow, a shock wave of joy went through my body.
Jill beamed at me, then at Luke. “Not at all. By the way, you did a great job today, Lucas. You’re going to be an awesome missionary!”
I smiled at the nickname Jill had given Luke. It made me happy that the two of them got along so well.
“Thanks, Jillian,” Luke retorted as he winked at her.
He took hold of my arm and quickly scooted me through the crowded hallway. We had to stop every few feet because everyone wanted to talk to Luke, but somehow he finally managed to edge us close enough to the door that we could slip outside.
He took both of my hands and pulled me to the side of the house where no one could see us. “We probably only have a few minutes before my mom comes and hunts me down, but I just had to see you.”
The sincerity in his eyes made my heart melt. I loved the feeling of having his hand in mine and knowing that at least for this moment, he belonged to no one but me.
Suddenly, we heard the front door open. Luke put a finger to his lips and led me down the side porch and out into the backyard.
He took me back into the old barn and slowly slid the door shut. I relished the faintly sweet scent of hay combined with leather that permeated the air. Luke’s horse, Flame, nickered a gentle greeting from his stall. I went over and affectionately rubbed behind his ears.
“You did such a great job today; I’m really proud of you.” I spoke to Luke but kept my attention on Flame. I was afraid that if I looked at Luke, he’d see the sadness I was fighting so hard to mask. “It’s crazy to think that in no time at all you’ll be Elder Matthews and on your way to the MTC. I’m so excited for you—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Luke gently grabbed me from behind and spun me around to face him. The gold in his brown eyes seemed to burn like embers as he stared at me. “I have something for you,” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny velvet pouch.
“Oh, Luke, I told you that you didn’t need to . . .” I started, but he held his fingers to my lips to cut me off. I’d given him a silver CTR ring and a new tie to take with him on his mission, and I’d made him promise not to get me anything in return. He was paying for his mission almost entirely on his own, and I didn’t want him to spend any of his hard-earned cash on me.
“Liza, this is something I’ve been waiting to give you, but I don’t want you to take it the wrong way.” He looked a little anxious, and my stomach flip-flopped with curiosity.
He placed the pouch in my hand. I smiled at him before gently unfastening the string. I reached into the bag and pulled out a ring. It was a simple gold band with delicate filigree on top that surrounded a single red stone. It was so perfect and so beautiful that I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
“Luke, it’s gorgeous!” I breathed as I turned the ring in my fingers. “But you know I can’t accept it. This looks like an expensive ring, and I don’t want you spending your money on me.”
Luke grinned at me as he took the ring from my hand and slipped it over my right ring finger. “It’s a ruby. When I saw it in the store, I thought of you. I wasn’t sure whether to get a silver or gold band, but then I remembered your necklace and thought they’d go well together. Do you really like it?”
As soon as he said the word “ruby,” my mind went back to the last dream I’d had with Grandma and the scripture she’d quoted from Proverbs. I instinctively reached for the Young Women medallion that I now wore proudly around my neck. I’d worked at a furious pace to complete my Personal Progress and had received the medallion a few weeks ago. The fact that Luke knew how much the necklace meant to me, and that of all the rings to choose from, he’d picked a ruby, sent shivers down my spine. It was the perfect symbol for our relationship, and although my heart was already his, he won it all over again in that moment.
I threw my arms around him and felt him sigh in relief. “It’s absolutely perfect,” I said. “Thank you so much!”
Luke hugged me back. “I’m so glad you like it. I was worried you’d think it was weird or something.”
I pulled away from him and frowned. “Weird? Why would I think that?”
He looked at the
ground and scuffed his shoe in the dirt. “I don’t know, I was worried that you’d think it was like a promise ring or something, and that’s totally not why I bought it,” he said quickly. “You know I want you to date as much as possible while I’m gone, and we agreed that we’ll wait and see what happens when I get home, but these past few months have meant a lot to me, and I just wanted to leave you with something to remember me by.”
Reaching up, I took his chin in my hand. “Luke, there is no chance that I could ever forget you. This ring is the nicest gift anyone’s ever given me and I love it, but I am worried about how much it cost.”
He shook his head. “No more talk about money! I’ve got plenty so you don’t need to worry. If you really like the ring, then keep it—but you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to.”
I caressed the ring. “Are you kidding? I’ll wear it every day! I only wish I’d gotten you a better gift; I’ll have to find a way to pay you back somehow.”
Luke’s eyes narrowed roguishly, and he stepped closer to me. “Hmm, now that’s not a bad idea. Maybe when I get home we can come up with something.”
“Oh, you think so?” I smiled at him playfully, trying to keep my breathing steady. He often flirted with me in a teasing way that made me ache to kiss him, but true to his word, he’d done nothing more than hold my hand and give me an occasional hug. I admired his self-control, but sometimes I had to fight back the thought that maybe I wasn’t attractive enough—that maybe he really didn’t want to kiss me.
When the barn door slid open, we both looked up, and Luke took a step back. His mom popped her head in. When she saw us together, she gave a knowing nod. “I thought I might find you in here. Sorry to cut things short, but some people are asking for you, Luke.”
“Okay, I’ll be right in.”
Sister Matthews smiled warmly at me. “Eliza, I’m sure Luke’s already told you this, but please know that you’re welcome to drop by and visit anytime while he’s gone. We’d love to have you.”
I smiled back at her gratefully. “Thanks, I’d like that.”
Sister Matthews was such a kind woman, and I’d grown close to her over the past few months. She’d made me feel like part of the family, and it meant a lot that she would invite me to come over even when Luke wasn’t there.
“Good!” She winked at us and then slowly slid the door closed again.
Luke let out a slow breath as he turned and looked at me. “Well, I guess this is it.”
“Yeah . . . I guess it is.” I put on my bravest smile as I gazed at him. He looked so painfully handsome standing there in his suit that I wondered for the millionth time how I’d ever been so lucky to win his attention.
I concentrated on memorizing the sight of him: the way he stood, the slight wave in his hair, and the way his eyes lit up his entire face when he smiled. I wanted to remember every detail so I could savor them for the months ahead. Besides, focusing on the present helped numb the pain creeping up inside me at the thought of the near future.
Luke took a step closer to me until his face was mere inches from mine. He brushed a strand of hair away from my face and without warning whispered, “I’m going to miss you like crazy, you know that?”
Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulders and pulled my face to his. The world seemed to stand still, and it felt like my bones had turned to liquid. Every thought in my head vanished at the thrill of his lips on mine. I’d imagined what my first kiss would be like thousands of times, but this surpassed even my wildest dreams!
He kissed me almost fiercely at first, but then the kiss softened and he gently pulled away. The kiss hadn’t lasted long, but I was sure I’d never fully recover from the power of its spell.
Luke held my face in his hands. “I’m sorry that I broke my promise, but I just had to do that before I left.” His eyes were suddenly intense. “I love you, Eliza,” he whispered.
“I love you, too.” The words came from the depths of my heart, and it felt so good to finally speak them. We stared at each other for a few more moments before Luke took my hand and we slowly walked toward the door.
I no longer felt in danger of crying. Knowing that Luke loved me just as I loved him had strengthened me, and now all I felt was excitement for the future.
I was determined to help him be the best missionary possible by writing only encouraging letters. I wouldn’t distract him by telling him how much I missed him or of things that would make him miss home. I wanted these next two years to be the best two years of his life—and of mine. I wanted to grow spiritually, too, while he was gone.
As we walked hand in hand toward Luke’s house, I looked again at the ring on my finger and smiled. Who knew what the future would hold?
Discussion Questions
1. In the story, Eliza has powerful dreams which have an impact on her life. Have you ever had dreams or strong impressions at night that changed the way you felt the next day? Have you considered keeping a journal to write them down?
2. In seeking information about her great-grandma Porter, Eliza discovers more about herself. How much do you know about your great-grandmother? Your great-great-grandmother?
3. Which woman’s story from Eliza’s dreams affected you the most? Why?
4. Eliza learns about the impact of having too much technology in her life. How do you think technology affects your life? Do you think technology can interfere with the ability to receive personal revelation and feel the Spirit? Do you ever take time to “disconnect” for a while?
5. Eliza befriends Keira, a new girl in school, who asks her some questions about her beliefs. Do you think you would be prepared if someone were to ask you questions about your beliefs? How would you react if their questions were unfriendly?
6. Eliza ends up doing an act of service for someone she had once considered her enemy. Can you imagine doing something nice for someone who isn’t your friend? How do you think that might alter your attitude towards him or her?
7. Eliza finds some special keepsakes that belonged to her great-grandmother. Does your family have any heirlooms passed down from past generations? What makes these items special?
8. In learning of her divine nature, Eliza realizes that she’s been given special gifts and talents. What gifts do you have? Which talents would you like to develop?
9. After the series of dreams that she experiences, Eliza makes the goal that she will be married in the temple someday. Do you think having a goal can change the way you live your life? What goals have you made for yourself?
10. In a few of her dreams, Eliza sees glimpses of the lives of certain women from the scriptures. If you could choose to witness a scene from the scriptures, which scene would you choose?
11. Eliza notices two different girls who are in need of a friend (Keira Davis and Sierra Holbrook). She makes an effort to get to know them and in the process gains new friends. Have you ever noticed someone who often sits alone? What did (or could) you do about it?
12. Eliza learned to incorporate the Young Women values into her everyday life. If you had to pick one value to focus on today, which would you choose?
About the Author
Holly J. Wood is an avid reader. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University, where she pursued a degree in health science. Holly has a passion for travel and has lived briefly in Israel and Mexico. True to her name, she enjoys watching classic movies and musicals. She currently lives in Mountain Green, Utah, with her husband and two young children. You can visit Holly at www.hollyjwood.com.
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