Free The Secret Life of Daydreams by Lucinda Whitney Page B

mission?
    “There are religious education classes of Catholic doctrine in the schedule for preparatory and secondary school students.” She glanced at him. “I still had that class in my schedule in twelfth grade. When I started university, I was able to enroll in institute classes, but institute is not connected to school here in Portugal.” She dragged a chair out and sat down to a small table. “I mean LDS institute classes.”
    He had to turn the conversation back to her before it led somewhere he didn’t like.
    “What happened after I was transferred from Braga?” At the risk of discussing the past, he’d been curious to know about her whereabouts for the rest of his mission.
    Her brows knit in confusion. “What do you mean?”
    “You might remember that I was transferred out just before school started.”
    “I remember.”
    “About six weeks later I had a zone conference and met Elder Noble—he was my companion in Famalicão—” Sofia nodded, and Josh continued. “I asked him about you and he said that you’d stopped coming to church.”
    She sighed and trailed a hand across the top of a wooden table. “That’s true. About a week before school started, my parents forbade me to attend church.”
    Josh brought another chair and set it a few feet away from her. “What did you do?”
    “For a while, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have any friends in the branch or anyone else to talk to. I prayed about it. Eventually, I received an impression to stay where I was and obey my parents.”
    Josh nodded, urging her on, his gaze intent on her.
    “It was hard for me to understand at the time, but every time I prayed about it, the impression was the same. So I concentrated on my studies, finished twelfth grade with good marks, and kept up my study of the Book of Mormon in private. When I was accepted to the University of Minho at the Gualtar campus, my cousin Teresa said I could stay with her, to cut back on the commuting. Her baby was almost a year old. I helped take care of him and did light chores around the house.”
    Sofia tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “On Sunday mornings, both my cousin and her husband were home and didn’t need my help as much, so I started attending the branch meetings here in Braga. Luckily for me, my cousin’s apartment was within walking distance from the church building. By then, Margarida and her family had moved into the branch and we became best friends. She also attended the university so we saw each other a lot. Everyone dubbed us ‘The Two Anas’, for Ana Sofia and Ana Margarida.” A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Coming to church was easier after that.”
    Josh kept his eyes on her, unable to look away. How strong she had been. “And are you happy?” He couldn’t hold the question back.
    “You mean, am I happy in the church?” He nodded, and she continued. “Yes, I am happy. Things are not perfect, you know, but it’s easier to take the bad times when the good times mean so much more.” She lifted her hand to brush her fingers against a gold chain around her neck. “I can’t imagine my life without the gospel in it.”
    Josh swallowed. Hadn’t he thought the same thing at one point? But life happened and things changed. Messy things that proved how transient happiness was.
    He rose. “I’m glad it’s worked out for you.” His sentiment was sincere. He couldn’t begrudge her hard-earned testimony, even though he’d lost his. “I’m done here.” The way Sofia looked at him was too much to take at the moment, and he walked out of the room.
    The sound of the shutters closing and her hurried steps followed closely behind. He slowed his steps as she caught up to him under an archway.
    “I was expecting you at church yesterday.”
    He cut a glance in her direction. “Sofia.” He couldn’t hide the warning tone in his voice. That was the kind of conversation he didn’t want to have with her.
    Sofia lagged a step behind