“Why are you being so nice to me?” Flora made no move to accept the dress Rose held out.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
Flora shrugged. “I could list a thousand reasons. I’ve been horrible to you since you came to Leadville. I don’t deserve your kindness.”
With a long sigh, Rose sat on a nearby rock. “You’re right. You’ve made my life difficult in a number of ways. But you’ve apologized and I forgave you. I’ve seen the change in your behavior over the past few months, and I know that you’ve let the Lord work in your heart. The Lord has been kind to me. How could I not be kind to you?”
“You sound a lot like Pastor Lassiter,” Flora said, meeting the other woman’s eyes. “He’s been telling me the same thing.”
“And now I know why he specifically asked me to come on this trip.” Rose smiled again, and because Flora was observing her eyes, she could see the warmth lurking there. “After my scandal of having my son out of wedlock, I thought I’d accepted the Lord’s forgiveness. I did my best to hold my head up high, knowing that God didn’t hold my sin against me. But it seemed like there were so many who were constantly reminding me of my sin.”
“Like me,” Flora said, hating the way she could still remember how she smiled as she gossiped about Rose’s misfortune. One more thing Rose should hate her for.
Rose shrugged. “You weren’t the only one. But that is exactly my point. I’ve forgiven you. It’s time for you to forgive yourself.”
She made it sound so easy. Perhaps because she didn’t know all the details of what Flora had done. Things only Flora and God knew. Even so, everyone else in town made certain to remind her of all the reasons she didn’t deserve forgiveness.
“The rest of the town doesn’t seem to agree with you.”
“It doesn’t matter. Chasing after their approval is never going to bring you happiness. What matters is that your heart is aligned with God’s, and that you live out the forgiveness He’s offered you.”
Flora let out another long sigh. What Rose said made sense, but she didn’t understand how hard it was to put into action. “But people aren’t actively shunning you or laughing at you.”
“Not in our church.” Rose stood and held out the bundle. “But there are still homes I’m not welcome in, people who make snide comments in the mercantile. Just the other day, I was at the milliner’s, and one of the ladies there noticed me and said that if they were catering to fallen women, she wouldn’t shop there anymore.”
“But that’s ridiculous. You’re a respectable woman.”
Rose shrugged. “I still had a child out of wedlock, and for some, that’s a fact they can’t get past. But I’ve dealt with my sin. God forgives me. And if others can’t move on, that’s their problem, not mine.”
Rose continued. “Now let’s hurry and get you washed and changed. I’m sure they’re missing us.”
Doing as Rose asked, Flora quickly hid under the blanket provided, cleaning up the remaining mess. When she was ready, she emerged from the blanket and held up her soiled dress.
“Is it so terrible that all I want to do is burn this dress I once begged Mother for?”
Rose smiled. “When we get back to town, we’ll have Maddie take a look. If anyone can salvage it, she can.”
As blind as Flora had once been to Rose’s warmth, she couldn’t ignore it anymore. “You really are trying to be my friend, aren’t you?”
“I know what it’s like to be the most hated woman in our circle. And I know how hard it is, once you’ve realized the error of your ways and are trying to make up for it, to be free of the stigma. If I can help you through your pain, then everything I have endured will have been worth it.”
They started back up the hill. Flora tried processing Rose’s words, but all she could think of were the wrongs she’d committed.
“But I hurt you.”
Rose stopped and stared at her. “I forgave you. So let go of the past. Until you can, you’re never going to be able to move forward in freedom.”
The cabin came into view. Flora’s stomach knotted at the thought of having to face all the others, to listen to their laughter and mockery.
“What about them?”
“If there’s someone you haven’t offered an apology to, then make haste to do so. But if you’ve sincerely gone to those you’ve offended and asked forgiveness, you’ve done your part.”
As part of her restitution, Pastor Lassiter had told her to speak with the others she’d hurt and seek forgiveness. It had been hard, and while many said they forgave her, they still didn’t treat her any differently.
“What if it doesn’t make a difference? No one believes I’ve changed.”
Rose shook her head. “Then you keep living your life with the integrity of a woman whose heart has been changed by God.”
Stepping in line with Flora, Rose linked arms with her. “But you, my friend, have got to act like you’ve moved on with your life. Shame keeps us buried in the past, and your future is with people who love and care about you.”
Flora could tell the move was deliberate on Rose’s part. After all, Flora had done the same many a time. By walking with her arm linked with Flora’s, Rose was telling everyone that she considered Flora a friend.
Looking up at Rose, Flora realized what she’d been missing out on by fearing retribution instead of accepting friendship. “Thank you for not giving up on me. I’m grateful for your willingness to guide me during this difficult time.”
Rose gave her a squeeze. “I was fortunate to have family who refused to give up on me, so I could never give up on you. Now, let’s go see about that handsome gentleman I see standing beside the cabin. I’m not one to give credence to gossip, but I am wondering if he’s the same man you were seen with earlier this afternoon.”
Flora’s face warmed at Rose’s words. A year ago, Flora would have been the one to spread the tales, and the unfortunate young woman’s reputation would have been in shambles.
“N-nothing happened,” Flora stammered. “He was just helping me. It was all proper.”
Rose gave her arm another squeeze. “Of course it was. But with all those closest to me happily married, nothing gets me more excited than a handsome young man in pursuit of one of my friends.”
Friends. As many times as Flora had thought of others as friends, this was the first she’d seen genuine interest and compassion in one. Rose’s comments weren’t about trying to get a juicy little tidbit to share with the others, but about...caring.
Then Rose smiled at her. “I think you have a suitor.”
Finally following Rose’s gaze, Flora noticed George waving at them. A young boy stood beside him. The nephew he’d mentioned?
“Come
