Chapter 87

IVY’S POV

The church was quiet and peaceful as Maria walked down the aisle, her footsteps echoing softly off the stone floor. She had always loved this place, with its high, arched ceilings and stained glass windows that cast a warm, golden light on everything below.

She took a seat in one of the pews near the front, her hands folded in her lap as she waited for the service to begin. She closed her eyes, letting the peace of the place wash over her, and for a moment, all of her worries and troubles seemed to fade away.

As the organ began to play, she opened her eyes and turned to watch the procession of the choir as they made their way down the aisle. She had always loved the sound of their voices, soaring and harmonizing in perfect unison, and today was no different.

The service went on as it always did, with hymns and prayers and readings from the Bible, and as Maria listened, she felt her heart fill with a sense of hope and peace. She knew that she wasn't perfect, that she had made