The meadow grasses waved in the breeze, glistening with morning dew. Lily’s pant legs were soaked by the time they traipsed through the knee-high grass to the clearing where Gage stopped.

He rested the head of his guitar on his left foot and shook out the blanket with his right hand. But instead of spreading it on the ground as she expected, he draped it over her shoulders, leaving one arm around her to hold the blanket in place.

“It’s a little chilly,” he said, as if he needed an excuse to put his arm around her.

“Thanks. That feels good.” She didn’t mean the blanket, but he didn’t need to know that.

He pointed over her shoulder. “Here it comes.”

In front of them, like a giant yellow balloon, the sun lifted off the horizon and floated upward.

Her heart lifted along with it. “He is risen,” she whispered.

“He is risen, indeed.” Gage’s voice was husky.

It touched her that he knew the traditional response. He is risen, indeed. Thank you, Father.

They stood, not speaking, watching day break. The meadow came alive with birds of every kind, and they chirped out a hymn that sounded for all the world like an Easter anthem.

Gage pulled her closer. “I’d play something, but this would be a pretty tough act to follow.”

“It’s beautiful. And we made it just in time.”

He smiled down at her. “This wasn’t exactly the destination I had in mind. But maybe this was even better.”

“Do you want me to read the Easter story?”

“Did you bring your Bible?”

She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and held it up.

“Of course.”

She scrolled to the page she’d marked in the Bible app and began to read the story that had changed her life when she was only eleven years old. Reading the greatest story ever told, she was overwhelmed once again to consider the profound gift God had offered in this holiest of holidays. To share it with Gage—as their first official date—seemed odd, yet wholly fitting at the same time.

Lily was trying her best not to read too much into the way events were unfolding. She could almost hear her parents’ warnings in her ears. Whenever she did decide to tell them about Gage—about how they’d met, and what a short time they’d known each other—she knew Mom and Dad would both be leery. She should be too. Well, maybe leery was too strong a word. But…cautious.

Still, she couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that every moment since she’d met Gage was leading her closer to the future she’d begged God for a thousand times.

“You’re vulnerable, Lil,” Mom would say. “It only feels right because you want it so badly.”

“You can’t possibly know this guy well enough to be this serious,” Dad would say.

And they would both be one hundred percent right.

Lily gave an involuntary shudder. She didn’t want them to be right. She wanted…Gage. What was weird was that this man standing beside her didn’t check off every box on her list. Not even close. But he checked off boxes she hadn’t even known to draw.

She would go slow. She would be careful. Wouldn’t let herself get sucked into anything. She would pray about it. Often. And hard. She wouldn’t take a step unless she was sure God had blessed it. But wow…this man.

As if he’d read her thoughts, Gage tucked the blanket tighter around her shoulders and took a step away from her. He picked up his guitar and strummed a tune Lily didn’t know, one she suspected he was making up as he went. It was lovely. Even the birds seemed to change key and sing along as if they’d been in on composing the lilting melody themselves.

When the last note floated off on the breeze, they stood in silence for a few minutes before Gage took up the guitar again. This time she knew the song.

Gage’s interpretation was slow and thoughtful, his voice soft, yet strong and clear. He wasn’t a “show-off” musician—maybe because it wasn’t a show-off song. Instead, he sang it like the hymn it was. Lily sang along, not feeling self-conscious as she’d expected, but more mindful than ever of the words and the glorious weight of their meaning.

And as they sang, earth and heaven all around them seemed to echo the alleluia.

Lily closed her eyes and got a head start on those prayers she’d promised. Starting with a huge thank-you for all that this Easter Sunday represented in her life—for all those that had gone before. But mostly for those yet to come.

* * *

They’d only stayed in the meadow for twenty minutes, but Gage thought it was one of the most profound Easter mornings he’d ever experienced. And it wasn’t just because of Lily. Although her presence certainly had made the morning all the more pleasant.

His Easter Lily.

Gripping the wheel, he smiled to himself. He wouldn’t mention to her that he’d starting thinking of her by that name since last night at the grocery store. For sure he wouldn’t tell her that he’d started thinking of her as his. He didn’t want to scare the woman off. He was scared enough for both of them by the feelings she incited in him.

But something about Lily O’Neal had, almost overnight, given him courage to try again. Had made him start looking at his life more seriously. He’d worked harder than he’d ever worked in his life to put himself through school, and he didn’t doubt he’d chosen a career he knew he’d enjoy and be successful at. But standing in that meadow “praying” with his guitar, with Lily singing beside him, he realized that for too long he’d been floating through life without any real sense of purpose.

These last few days, thinking about a future with someone like Lily inspired a sense of purpose in him. One that felt truly important. Eternal even.

They passed through Cape Girardeau on their way back to Lily’s house in Langhorne where, she assured him, breakfast was only ten minutes from being on the table. “Five if you help me,” she’d said.

When he pulled into her driveway she rummaged in her purse and produced the keys to the house. “Let me put Fudge in the basement before you come in.”

“I feel bad banishing him to the dungeon.”

She laughed. “That’s where he spends most of his time anyway.”

“When he’s not prancing across the kitchen counters, you mean?”

She gave him a dirty look, but it didn’t take long for her smile to return. “His favorite windowsill is in the family room downstairs. He won’t even realize he’s a prisoner.”

After Fudge was squared away, Lily opened the front door and let Gage in. She slipped her sandals off by the door, and he did likewise. She led the way to the kitchen where a pan of frosted cinnamon rolls waited on the counter. It already smelled like breakfast in here.

“She handed him a knife. If you’ll slice a banana into this fruit salad, I’ll warm up the breakfast burritos. Do you want orange juice? More coffee?”

“Orange juice sounds good. Thanks.” He stood with the knife in one hand, banana in the other, not sure how to proceed.

“What’s wrong? You’ve never sliced a banana before?”

“I usually just peel ’em and eat ’em. Like a monkey.”

She laughed her musical laugh. “How about you pour the juice. I’ll slice the banana.”

She took the knife and banana from him and laid them beside the bowl of fruit and melon. She placed two small glasses on the counter, then went to the fridge and brought back a large bottle of orange juice.

He watched her put foil-wrapped burritos in the oven and arrange gooey frosted cinnamon rolls on two dinner plates. Her movements were graceful like a dancer’s, and he was mesmerized by the way her hair swung just below her shoulders and her dangly earrings bobbed to the same rhythm. He’d only seen her hair down once before. Usually she wore it tied up in a ponytail or pulled back in a bandana.

She turned and caught him staring at her, the unopened bottle of orange juice still in one hand.

She clucked her tongue and took it from him. “Or, I can slice the banana and pour the juice, and you can just stand there and look cute.”

It was his turn to laugh. But his face grew warm. He knew there was no hiding the expression she must have seen on his face. He shook his head, hoping it might chase the fog away. “Sorry. I think I can figure out how to pour juice.” He took the bottle back from her, shaking it before he unscrewed the lid.

She went back to the counter where she’d been preparing plates.

He went around the island and set the glasses of juice on the empty table, which reminded him… “I’ll be right back. I forgot something in the car.”

He jogged out to get Lily’s Easter basket from the back seat.

When he appeared in the kitchen with the basket, she oohed and aahed over it as if she’d never seen it before.

“Surprised, are you?”

“So surprised!” She winked and took the basket from his hands. “But seriously, I love it. These Stargazers are just gorgeous. Here…” She took the foil-wrapped flowerpot out of the basket and set it in the middle of the table. “It makes the perfect centerpiece.”

Her reaction pleased him more than it should have. What was it about this woman that tied him up in knots and yet felt like the most comfortable friendship he’d ever known? He was smitten. Twitterpated.

Lily carried two overflowing plates to the table. “I think that’s everything.”

He smirked. “Glad I could help.”

She smirked back, then pulled out her chair and sat.

Gage took the seat at the corner beside her, not wanting to be all the way across the table from her.

She looked over the tabletop as if taking inventory. “Okay. Would you mind asking the blessing?”

“Sure.” Without even thinking, he reached for her hand.

She took it, but gave him a questioning look.

“Oh… Sorry. We always held hands around the table growing up. Is that okay?”

She couldn’t help beaming and gave his hand a little squeeze. “We did too. I like that. I’ve…missed it.”

He liked it too. He bowed his head so she wouldn’t see just how much.