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else. But when the show closed, you still had a great setup with the Kellers, right?”
    “Yes.” Bailey ordered herself not to be defensive about the direction her mom was headed here. “No musicals were auditioning.”
    “Then maybe that would’ve been a chance to come home and take a month to see where God was leading. Finish up a couple of your online classes and pray about what might be next.” She paused. “Instead Brandon knew of a part, Dayne and Katy had a room, and almost immediately you moved to LA. I know you love Brandon, honey. But have you ever thought maybe it all happened a little fast?”
    Bailey stared at the blue sky overhead. “Yes. More than I want to admit.” Fresh tears filled her heart, but she refused them. She had to stay controlled so she could focus on her next step. “Right now I don’t even know what I’m doing here.”
    “I haven’t sensed you were at peace about it.” Her mom’s tone remained gentle. “I guess I wanted the realization to come from you.”
    Bailey used the back of her hand to wipe her cheeks. “Even though I was so sure God had brought me this opportunity.” She felt an ache deep in her heart. She’d never experienced something like this. The certainty of believing something was a blessing from God only to see it turn into a mass of confusion.
    “You’re crying.” The compassion in her mom’s voice rang strong. “I’m sorry. I wish I could be there.”
    “Me too.” Her words sounded small, buried beneath the hurt in her heart. She pinched the bridge of her nose, the sadness spreading through her. “I wish God would give the answers.”
    “He will.”
    The thought of staying in LA made her feel terrible. But the thought of leaving Brandon … she squeezed her eyes shut and fought a series of small sobs. “I want to come home, but I’m not sure if that’s the right decision.” She hesitated. “I should probably try to make it work here. I mean, I chose this — whether that was the right decision or not. Like maybe give it six months at least.”
    “That makes sense.” Her mom’s brief silence felt thoughtful. “It’s something only you and God can decide, honey.”
    They talked a few more minutes, and Bailey’s tears eased up, though the sting of salt in her eyes and on her cheeks remained. Before the call ended, her mom gave her a Bible verse. “It’s from Proverbs 16:9.” The sound of pages turning came across the phone line. “Here it is. ‘In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.’”
    The Scripture resonated as if God Himself were speaking to her. Along the beach, the college girls were closer now, their voices loud as they carried on the wind. For a long time Bailey remained quiet, watching the girls and remembering when she’d been at Indiana University. It felt like a lifetime ago, back when she and Andi Ellison first became friends. True friends didn’t come easily.
    “You’re quiet.” Her mom’s concern filled her tone. “What do you think of the verse?”
    “It’s confusing.” She walked to the railing again and watched the girls head away from her. Her words came slow and measured. Like she was still convincing herself. “I thought God had led me to Los Angeles. But maybe it was just me planning out my course. You know, so I could be with Brandon.”
    “And maybe in time being there with him is the right place, the right answer.”
    “I don’t know. I have a lot to think about.” Bailey let the possibility sway in the early afternoon air, just within reach. “I needto pray.” She wiped at a stray tear. “I love Brandon too much to leave. But here … this life — it isn’t what I really want.”
    “I understand.” Her mom’s voice wrapped around her like the hug she needed. “Hearing God’s voice … following His lead … it’s not an exact science.”
    Bailey agreed, and a strange kind of fear breathed ice-cold against her heart. She still didn’t know what she