Read How I Came to Sparkle Again for Free Online

cards, each with a brief philosophical message written on it.
    He smiled sweetly. “Hear from my sister lately?”
    “Mom wrote a few weeks ago to tell me she knows how it feels to lose a child because when I left the Church it was a spiritual death to her and that she cries herself to sleep every night because I won’t be with them in heaven.”
    He winced. “The good old Mormon Church, bringing comfort to the masses. I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “It wasn’t easy, you know, for us growing up. Your grandpa was a raging alcoholic. Your mom found that church because she wanted to spare you our experience. If you can, see her in the light of compassion. See her for her good intentions, for her resolve not to repeat the pattern. If that doesn’t work, see her for the bruised little girl she was. Just don’t for a minute let any part of you question your worth in God’s eyes.”
    “It’s hard, you know, not to wonder what I did to deserve this,” Jill said.
    “You didn’t do anything, Jill. You’re a good person. Don’t question that. Clear it. If you can, just believe that relationship served its purpose for a time, and then you outgrew it, so the universe helped move you out of there so you could authentically live the next chapter of your life.”
    Jill knew she was supposed to be comforted, but the prospect of starting a brand-new chapter of her life terrified her. “Oh, my God, Uncle Howard, what am I going to do now?”
    “Well, you’re going to stay here. You’re going to get strong. And then, when your mind is as empty as your glass, you’ll know what to do.”
    Jill nodded, ate her last two bites, and wondered what the odds were of her mind ever being empty enough for Uncle Howard’s level of clarity.
    Uncle Howard packed up the rest of his food, his cutting board, and his pocketknife, looked at his watch, and said, “I have to get back up on the mountain to get ready for the storm that’s coming in tonight. But I’m just a phone call away if you need anything.”
    Jill saw him to the door and gave him a hug. “I love you, Uncle Howard,” she said. “You’re my rock.”
    “I love you, too. I’ll find you tomorrow,” he replied.
    *   *   *
     
    Lisa remembered making Jill toasted cheese sandwiches back in the day, not long after she first arrived in Sparkle years ago. Jill was the skinniest girl Lisa had ever seen, and not in a good way at all. After four months and a hundred toasted cheese sandwiches, Jill started to look somewhat normal, and being Italian, Lisa found that satisfying. Now, they resumed their old spots, Jill on the stool at the counter and Lisa in the kitchen slicing cheese. It was comforting.
    “So I was thinking,” Lisa began, but a knock on the back door interrupted them, and without waiting for Lisa to answer, Eric and Hans stormed through the kitchen to the living room.
    “Don’t mind us,” said Eric, the shorter of the two. He was by no means short—only in comparison with Hans, who was nearly six feet eight. Both had brown hair and mischievous smiles.
    Hans went straight for the DVD player. “For my birthday, Eric got me some tasty new snow porn.”
    “It’s possible Hans was under the influence last night and wondered what would come on TV if he put a Kraft Single in our DVD player,” Eric explained.
    Hans corrected him. “No, dude. That was you. You thought it would reveal the secrets of plastic.”
    “Eric, Hans, meet Jill,” Lisa said. “Jill, these are my trashy neighbors—”
    “Hey! I resemble that!” Eric interrupted. Then he extended a hand to Jill and said, “Pleased to meet you,” in his most charming way.
    “That’s Slick Eric, and the birthday boy is Hans.”
    They flashed Jill sexy smiles.
    “You actually used to babysit Hans,” Lisa said. “Remember the Sorenson kid?”
    “Oh, yeah,” Jill replied, and smiled.
    “My penis has grown since then,” Hans said.
    “Super,” Jill replied.
    “Eric is the head