[August 2032]

Blu moves onto a new subject, but very related to the one at hand. 

Blu: Speaking of families… And many may not be aware of this, I was shocked when I found out, but Cleo is not the only famous one in her family. Her brother, Josiah, is the fearsome front man, well- only male in the band, for The King and His Swans! For some reason, the two siblings haven’t spoken to each other in years, and we don’t need to know why… On tour for their recent album, “Red Tinted Moonlight”, the band is in town and decided to drop by to play us their hit single, Birth Pains. But before they do that, Josiah wanted to have a heart to heart with his sister, because at one point, they used to be close and could talk about almost anything. Josiah, come on out please.

Josiah enters the stage and gets a warm welcome from the audience. Cleo, however, hated seeing him. Granted, he may be a different man today, but even after The Storm, how could he continue to ignore her. He missed her wedding, ON PURPOSE… At one point in the past, she would have forgiven him. But he walked out on his kid… when he did that, Cleo didn’t know who was anymore. He was raised better than that, everyone thought he was better than that…

Blu scoots over so Josiah can sit on the other side of him, keeping Josiah and Cleo apart−

Blu: Cleo, what is it like seeing your brother after what?

Josiah: Fifteen years…

Blu: Wow!

He gasps…

Blu: Why so long?

Cleo: He ditched his fiancée at the altar and walked out on his five-month-old daughter, to what, start a band in Vegas? I’ve forgiven him for a lot of things, but I can’t forgive him for that! Prim had so many problems because you haven’t been in her life.

Josiah: I’m here because I want to make things right.

Cleo: Who calls an album Red Tinted Moon and has a song called Birth Pains anyways…

Josiah: It’s about the last days… We were inspired by the Book of Joel and Acts… I’m finally living for Christ, who I ran from for, like, 15 years… Sure, I physically walked out on Paris and Prim, but I was really walking out on Jesus. I hated who I was and I didn’t think I could be fixed, I was a broken man. And I’m completely humiliated on this show, I’m doing this because I knew it was the only way you would see me−

Quivering with tears, he tried to hold it together to speak clearly−

Josiah: I want to make things right. Please, forgive me… Because if Prim is going to have any chance at all of forgiving me, her favorite Aunt needs to be on my side.

Cleo breaks out into tears too, because she knows he is right. And Cleo isn’t the stubborn person she once was. She forgave him the moment he described what his album was about. She’s so happy Josiah is finally fulfilling his call for the Lord, she’s been praying for that since the day she heard God’s voice for the first time. Cleo stands up, crosses before Blu, and scoops Josiah into her arms, crying with him.

Cleo: I forgive you.

[April 2033]

On Diego’s 1^st birthday, on Palm Sunday, the whole family and friends gather at the park after church. Josiah and his wife, Zoe, were present with their daughter, Jewel, who turned 2 last month. Prim came with them. Rafa’s parents Johnny and Wilma were present too. Since Paul and Bianca did worship at Rafa’s and Cleo’s church, they refused to miss Diego’s first birthday, and, of course, their brood was with them. And the rest of Cleo’s family, and her best friend Ashley, flew out for this special day too.

Rafa holds the slender tot in his arms under the Ramada, as they all gathered to blow out the candles on the birthday cake. Proud mama Cleo, who was happily four months pregnant with the next baby, took a picture of her handsome men and their unique glistening green eyes. The only difference was, Diego had sandy blonde hair and golden, peachy tan skin. And, like his daddy, he had gorgeous dimpled cheeks.

Rafa taught Diego how to blow out the candles. Cleo cried tears of joy, praising God for this beautiful life He’d given her. The wonderful husband, the acting career, the mommy-life, the restored family, her ministry working with the youth, the call God has on her children’s life as being the David Generation… None of this would be possible, if she hadn’t listened to God’s voice all those years ago. If she didn’t listen to his every command during The Storm, and there is no other place she’d rather be than in the will of God.

Bianca gives Cleo a side hug and whispers in her ear, “I told you following Jesus was the best!”

Cleo playfully shoves Bianca away for having to have the last word. “Be quiet!” She snaps.

“Praise the Lord, for He is good!” Bianca randomly hollers.

Cleo starts laughing as she watches Bianca break out into dance and song, wishing the birthday boy a happy year. The confused look on Diego’s face is priceless. Cleo takes a pic to capture that classic look while the earth still spun.

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*Edited by Kristen Wenneborg