Graduation came with its usual chaos: flying caps, sweaty hugs, forced smiles. Teddy felt lost, like the stage he walked across had dropped him into the unknown. That summer, he got baptized. Not for show. Not because someone told him to. But because for the first time in a long time, he wanted to be better. Really better. Not just for his future but for his soul. Tina called him the night of his baptism. “I’m proud of you, Teddy,” she said softly. “You’ve come a long way.” From that day on, they talked every night. About everything. God. Forgiveness. The people they used to be. The people they wanted to become. She prayed for him. He prayed for her. Tina wasn’t just a friend anymore. She became his compass. When he felt like falling, she reminded him to stand. When he messed up, she reminded him to get back up not because he deserved another chance, but because grace was real. On his birthday, she surprised him with a gift basket. Inside were his favorite snacks, a hoodie with Psalm 51:10 embroidered on the sleeve, and a card that read:“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me you’re already becoming the man I knew you could be. Keep going.” He didn’t cry in front of her. But he kept the card in his Bible.