Sent By Sophia

Chapter 3: Theme Stated

A Transgender Coming of Age Adventure

A Story from THE ONE

Ariel Montine Strickland

How will Starry start her mission that she was sent on by Sophia? What will be the reception by Hope Rome, mother of critically ill Jeremy?

The morning sun cast long shadows across the Rome estate as Starry stood at the ornate iron gates, her heart hammering against her ribs with such force she wondered if it might be visible beneath her modest blue sundress. The mansion beyond the gates was even more impressive than the photos she'd found online, three stories of red brick and white columns, with manicured gardens stretching in every direction and a circular driveway that could accommodate a dozen cars.

She'd spent twenty minutes walking back and forth along the country road, gathering courage and rehearsing what she might say. Hello, Mrs. Rome. I'm Danica Smith, but you can call me Starry. I know this sounds impossible, but I'm here to help Jeremy. No, that was too forward. I'm a friend of Jeremy's from online, and I heard he was sick. Too vague. THE ONE sent me to save your son. Definitely too much.

Just be yourself, she reminded herself, echoing Sophia's gentle guidance. Let truth flow like a river.

The intercom button beside the gate looked innocuous enough, but pressing it would change everything, for Jeremy, for his family, and for herself. Once she announced her presence, there would be no turning back, no returning to the safety of hiding.

Starry closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. "Sophia, give me words that build bridges instead of walls. Help them see past my appearance to the love in my heart."

She pressed the button.

The response came quickly, a warm female voice tinged with curiosity. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Rome? My name is Danica Smith, but most people call me Starry. I... I know this might sound strange, but I'm here about Jeremy. I'd like to help if I can."

A long pause. Then: "Help how, dear?"

Starry took a deep breath. "I know he's sick, and I know the treatment program rejected him. I don't have medical training or money to offer, but I have faith that THE ONE specializes in the impossible. Sometimes the help we need comes in packages we don't expect."

Another pause, longer this time. Through the intercom, Starry could hear muffled conversation, Mrs. Rome speaking to someone else, probably her husband.

Finally: "How old are you, sweetheart?"

"Fourteen."

"And you're here alone?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm staying at the cottage down the road. I promise I'm not here to cause trouble or ask for anything. I just... I have a strong feeling I'm supposed to be here right now, to help however I can."

The silence stretched so long that Starry wondered if the intercom had cut off. Then came the mechanical hum of the gates beginning to open.

"Come up to the house, dear. But I should tell you, Jeremy is very sick, and we're quite protective of him right now."

"I understand completely," Starry said, her voice barely steady. "Thank you for seeing me."

The walk up the curved driveway felt like the longest journey of her life. Every step carried her closer to the confrontation she'd been avoiding for thirty years, closer to the man whose trust she'd shattered with her cowardice and deception. The gardens on either side were immaculate, rose bushes heavy with blooms, ornamental trees pruned to perfection, flower beds that looked like they belonged in a magazine.

The front door opened before she could knock, revealing a woman who took Starry's breath away with her graceful beauty and immediate warmth. Hope Rome was in her early seventies, with silver hair styled elegantly and kind brown eyes that seemed to look directly into Starry's soul. She wore a soft yellow cardigan over a floral dress, and her smile was both welcoming and cautious.

"You must be Starry," Hope said, stepping aside to gesture her in. "Please, come in out of the heat."

The foyer was magnificent, polished marble floors, a crystal chandelier, a curved staircase that seemed to float upward without support. But what struck Starry most was the sense of home that permeated everything. Family photos covered every surface, children's artwork hung alongside expensive paintings, and the subtle scent of fresh-baked bread drifted from somewhere deeper in the house.

"Thank you for seeing me," Starry said, suddenly aware of how young her voice sounded in these formal surroundings. "I know showing up unannounced like this is unusual."

"Unusual doesn't begin to cover it," said a deep male voice from the doorway to their left. Mark Rome stepped into the foyer, and Starry immediately understood where Jeremy had gotten his height and strong features. Even in his mid-seventies, Mark commanded attention, silver-haired and distinguished, with sharp blue eyes that seemed to catalog every detail of her appearance. "Hope, perhaps we should speak with our unexpected guest in the sitting room."

"Of course," Hope agreed, leading Starry through an archway into a room that managed to be both elegant and comfortable. Antique furniture mixed with family photos and well-loved books, and large windows overlooked the gardens they'd just walked through.

Hope gestured toward a wing-back chair upholstered in soft green fabric. "Please, sit. Can I get you something to drink? Water? Tea?"

"Water would be wonderful, thank you." Starry settled into the chair, acutely aware of how her feet barely touched the floor and how her fourteen-year-old frame was dwarfed by the adult-sized furniture.

Mark remained standing, his posture that of a lawyer examining a witness. "Starry, is that your real name?"

"It's what my friends call me. My legal name is Danica Amanda Smith." The truth felt strange on her tongue, but not untrue. It was her legal name now, in this new reality THE ONE had created.

"And you said you're here about Jeremy," Hope said, returning with a crystal glass of ice water. "How exactly do you know our son?"

This was it, the moment where she had to begin sharing truth without revealing everything at once. Starry took a sip of water to buy herself a moment, then looked directly into Hope's eyes.

"We were friends online several years ago. I know that probably sounds odd, but we spent a lot of time talking, about books, movies, faith, dreams for the future. He was going through a difficult time, and I was... well, I was dealing with some family issues of my own."

Mark's eyes sharpened. "Several years ago? You're fourteen now, which would make you..."

"I was very young when we first started talking," Starry said carefully. "My situation at home was complicated, and Jeremy was kind to me when I needed a friend. He probably doesn't even remember our conversations, they meant more to me than they did to him, I'm sure."

Hope settled into the chair across from her, leaning forward with interest. "But you remember him well enough to come here when you heard he was sick?"

"Yes." The simple truth carried weight that surprised even Starry. "Jeremy showed me kindness when I desperately needed it. When I learned he was ill, I felt... called, I suppose. Called to come and see if there was anything I could do to help."

"Called by whom?" Mark asked, his lawyer's instincts probing for inconsistencies.

Starry met his gaze steadily. "By THE ONE. I know that might sound presumptuous for someone my age, but I've always felt a strong connection to THE ONE's guidance. When I prayed about Jeremy's situation, I felt clearly led to come here."

Hope and Mark exchanged a meaningful look, the kind of wordless communication that came from decades of marriage. Something passed between them that Starry couldn't quite interpret, but she sensed it wasn't rejection.

"Starry," Hope said gently, "I appreciate your concern for Jeremy, truly I do. But I need you to understand how serious his condition is. He's been fighting this illness for years, and lately..." She paused, her voice catching slightly. "Lately, he's been losing ground quickly. He sleeps most of the time now, and when he's awake, he's often in considerable pain."

"I understand," Starry said. "I don't expect to cure him or work miracles. I just thought maybe... maybe THE ONE sent me here for a reason. Sometimes the help we need comes in forms we don't expect."

Mark's eyebrows rose. "That's an interesting way to put it. And what form do you think your help might take?"

Starry looked down at her hands, then back up at both parents with all the sincerity she could muster. "I don't know yet. Maybe just sitting with him, or reading to him, or helping you with practical things around the house. I don't have money or medical expertise, but I have time, and I have faith, and I have..." She paused, searching for words that were true without being complete. "I have love for Jeremy that goes deeper than I can explain."

Hope's eyes softened at this admission. "Love often goes deeper than we can explain, dear. That's what makes it so powerful." She reached across the space between their chairs and patted Starry's hand gently. "Tell me about yourself. You said you're staying at the cottage down the road?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm... between living situations right now. My family circumstances changed recently, and I'm sort of on my own for the first time. The cottage was available for rent, and when I felt called to come here, it seemed like THE ONE was providing a way."

"On your own at fourteen?" Mark's protective instincts were clearly activated. "Who's your guardian? How are you supporting yourself?"

Starry had prepared for these questions. "I have a small inheritance from my grandparents, enough to live simply for a while. As for guardians... the people who were caring for me decided they couldn't continue, but they felt I was mature enough to manage independently with proper supervision. My homeschool coordinator checks on me weekly, and I have several adults in my life who help when needed. I'm emancipated via court order. "

It was technically true, if you counted THE ONE and Sophia as adults in her life. Hope and Mark seemed to accept the explanation, though Mark's expression suggested he might want to verify some details later.

"And school?" Hope asked. "Surely you have studies to keep up with?"

"I'm homeschooled through a Christian academy program. I can do most of my work online, and I'm actually ahead in most subjects. Taking some time to focus on service and ministry seemed like a good use of this season of my life."

Hope smiled at this, the first truly warm expression since Starry had arrived. "Service and ministry. That's a mature perspective for someone your age."

"My faith has always been important to me," Starry said. "And I've learned that THE ONE often asks us to step outside our comfort zones when he wants to accomplish something special."

"Indeed he does," Mark said thoughtfully. "Hope, perhaps we should—"

He was interrupted by a voice from the stairway, weak but unmistakably familiar, even after thirty years and filtered through illness.

"Mom? Who's here?"

Starry's breath caught. Jeremy's voice, the same voice that had said "I love you" through a computer screen decades ago, now calling from somewhere above them.

Hope rose quickly. "Just a young lady who wanted to meet you, sweetheart. Are you feeling up to a visitor?"

A pause. Then: "Sure, if she doesn't mind seeing me like this."

Hope turned to Starry, her expression gentle but serious. "Jeremy has been in bed for several days now. He's very weak, and his appearance has changed significantly. Are you prepared for that?"

Starry stood, her legs unsteady with anticipation and fear. "Yes, ma'am. I understand."

"Then come with me." Hope moved toward the stairway, then paused at the first step. "Starry, I want you to know, I don't fully understand why you're here or what you hope to accomplish. But there's something about you, something in your eyes when you talk about Jeremy, that makes me think THE ONE might indeed have sent you for a purpose."

She looked directly into Starry's eyes, and her next words carried the weight of prophecy.

"Love is the most powerful force in the universe, dear one. It can heal what medicine cannot touch, restore what seems permanently broken, and accomplish what appears absolutely impossible. If you truly love our son, and I sense that you do, in ways that go beyond ordinary friendship, then perhaps THE ONE has indeed brought you here for such a time as this."

Mark nodded slowly, his lawyer's skepticism giving way to something deeper. "Hope's right. We've learned not to dismiss THE ONE's workings simply because they come in unexpected packages. If you're truly here out of love for Jeremy, then you're welcome in our home."

The theme had been stated as clearly as if Sophia herself had spoken through Hope's lips: Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Love can heal, restore, and accomplish the impossible. And Starry, with her heart full of sacrificial love for the man upstairs, had just been welcomed into the place where she would have the chance to prove that truth.

As they climbed the curved staircase together, Starry felt the weight of destiny settling around her shoulders. Somewhere above them, Jeremy Rome lay dying, unaware that his former love had returned, not as the coward who had abandoned him, but as a fourteen-year-old girl ready to sacrifice everything for his healing.

THE ONE specializes in the impossible, Starry thought, her hand trailing along the polished banister. And love really can conquer death.

The theme had been stated. Now it remained to be proven.