"Other women had to let their dreams die. They gave up because they felt like they had to. You hope that they wouldn't give up. I couldn't give up." Esther pondering.

She didn't realize she is talking out loud. All the ladies listen to her.

"People will say anything

To make your goal stop

And you will have to ignore the comments

To rise up to the top

Dreams are forever

And it's never too late to try

Never let your dreams get crumbled

So never let them tell you what's right"

(Dreams Come True by Shaleka14)

Esther pats her back while spacing out. The girls claps bringing her out of her daydream. They cackle as Esther covers her face, while snickering and feeling embarrassed at the same time.

"Yesss sus!" All the girls glee and laugh.

Rebecca laughs and then ask Esther a question.

"If I'm not mistaken though, Esther, who were you named after?"

Esther wipes her eyes and then looks over at Rebecca. "I was named after Queen Esther."

All the girls say oooo. They glanced over at Rebecca.

"Ah. Okay that makes sense. I knew a little about Esther since I love Queens. But I think, in the book of Esther, she didn't give up on her people either, if I'm not mistaken."

"She saved her people from annihilation ordered by the King's favorite minister, Haman." Esther gently flips her hair.

"Right, then his plan was foiled and Esther saved the day." Rebecca confidently proclaims.

Shara pays close attention. Although it's been so long, she always loved the story of Esther.

Esther moves up from her chair. "She chose to do the right thing even if she was going to die because of her choice. Her cousin's life was on the line and her people, who are the Jews, were about to be annihilated. As you know, Esther was an orphan after her parents died and her cousin Mordecai took her and raised her. She was young when she became Queen of Persia, which was the country she lived in as well as the Jews.

She was chosen by King Xerxes to be his wife instead of all of the young women in Shushan, which was the palace in Persia, and the provinces, in which are cities that was reigned by the King. Haman, maliciously, went to the King about the Jews so they could be annihilated because Mordecai would not bow to him when he would come through the palace gates, which is a custom in Persia."

Leah checks and flicks her hand, "It seems as if somebody always wants to do something malicious because of their own pride."

"Right, like the enemy. He obviously was the voice of reason for Haman." Ruth appends.

"Haman had a choice though." Rebecca combats.

"Think about it though. Haman willingly chose the devil's will because of his own desires." Taylor analyzes. Taylor always loved these kind of conversations.

"Exactly, it doesn't negate that this was an attack of the enemy." Rahab indicates.

All the girls hum in agreement.

"Still what happened?" Rebecca focusing back on the story.

"Well, after Mordecai told Esther about the decree, he said that she had to go to the King to save the Jews. The problem was Esther couldn't directly see the king. She had to be called by the king as it was a law in Persia. So, if anyone went to see the king without being called, that person would be put to death. Although Esther knew this, she decided to go to the King anyway. She fasted and prayed for three days and asked for her cousin and the Jews to do the same. Then, the Lord kept her and soon saved the Jews." Esther clarifies.

"This is why I love Queens, which we are by the way." Rebecca nodding her head up and down, tightening her lips and snapping her fingers.

All the girls, except Esther, snap their fingers. The boys quietly aye's as Jin blushes at how wonderful his wife is.

"The thing is I've never felt I was like her in any way. I lost my family like she did so I felt like I was always going to be abandoned because of that. Thankfully, it always happened." Esther growing upset.

Suddenly, Esther gets up from the chair pacing back and forth, upset and disheartened. "Uhhhh

Thankful I am

For the fresh fruits,

The refreshing, cold water,

A shadowy tree

On a blazing day

A home, a warm cover

On a freezing night

Thankful I am

For a smile

To remember for a while

Or forgetting a scar

Putting it on deleted files

Thankful I am

For a word of advice

Enlights my obscurity

For responding my prayers

The way you know it fits

For knowing what's best

Thankful I am

For a sudden act

Changes my life away

From an unwanted outcome

For an unwanted event

Leading me away from going astray

Thanks for what I thought of

Thanks for what didn't went through my mind

Thank you for being generous and kind

("Praises and Thanks" by M-E)

Thank you for taking it from me" Esther goes back to her seat, laying her head on her knees crying. The girls look at Esther in sadness as their eyes look glassier than before.

The boys look shocked but upset. Jin's face shifts to despair. They switch their attention to Jin, still amazed.

"Did you know she feels like this?" Hobi asks.

Jin looks down feeling regret, as the boys wait for his answer. "I should know, but it's my fault I don't. I been busy."

The boys feel bad for him. Instead of saying anything, they turn to continue listening in the room from the curtain. Jin faces in the room with them, feeling many emotions at the moment.

I wasn't there for my wife...

All the girls comfort Esther, feeling awful. They understand her pain but they know Esther had it rough. Her family had a house raid. The robbers killed her parents. Esther was hiding, as instructed by her parents, when she heard the screams and then..

gun shots.

All the girls starts to shed tears with her. Hannah waves Esther to sit on the floor. Esther sits on the floor, as Hannah sits on her chair. Hannah pulls Esther near her lap, while Hannah rubs Esther's head and massage her scalp. Esther calms down while feeling Hannah's hands in her hair. Esther closes her eyes. The girls know that this helps calm Esther down. Shara and Taylor just looks at the girls frozen.

Taylor tries to hold back her tears because she hates seeing Esther like this and feel so powerless. This is why I will always protect you, my ole sister.

"Esther, God blessed you with so much more that your family would be so proud of you sis. You have so much family around you. The Lord himself will continually love you like no one ever could. You are a Queen, His Queen and Esther saved so many lives, remember? You are important to us and you are purposed to do so much for the world." Hannah says while massaging her scalp.

"Exactly!" Rebecca said.

The girls continue to encourage Esther.

Rahab gets up from the floor and looks at Esther. "Sis I understand what you are going through. I went through it too, since no one accepted who I was and what I had done. But, ain't nobody going to take who I truly am from me."

"I am not a slave, no.

Yet,

I am enslaved

By the:

Systems which you created

The history which you teach me

the name which you give me because mine is "too hard" to pronounce

I am not a slave, no.

But I am enslaved

By the societies which you have created that does not allow me to spread my,

I am not a slave, no." Rahab sashays back near Esther as the girls say aye sis. Esther smiles a bit, wiping her tears and holding Hannah's hand.

("Simple choices" by MangoMan)

Rahab fans herself as she continues.

"I wasn't made to be a slave, or to fit in. I was made to stand out.

as a snowflake in July

I melt before I hit the sidewalk

disappear in thin air

as a rhinoceros tramping down main street

people move aside

the ones that don't get trampled on

I don't have a nose; I have a horn

and you wouldn't want to find it up against your back

I don't fit in; I fit out

As a result, I am shunned by the world

So, must shout to be heard"

I Stand Out by Sandra Wyllie

The girls snapping their fingers and agreeing with Rahab, except Leah, who was having her head down looking at her phone. Esther hugs Rahab. Rahab hugs back and smiles.

"It's going to be okay sis. Your roar will be loud. Your fall is your triumph. Your pain is your testimony. Your tears are not in vain for the Lord is with you to comfort you and bring you to victory."

"Thanks ladies." Esther feels so loved at the moment.

"You better preach, Rahab!" Eve shout loudly as the girls laugh except Leah, who wanders away after putting her phone on the table.

"Rahab, are you saying you are not a slave? What are you referring to?" Rebecca beaming up like a starlight. She loves absorbing information and she relish in learning, especially about these ladies.

Rahab feels entertained by Rebecca. She's naturally a social butterfly. She loves to asks questions. Rahab chuckles and remarks, "The truth of the matter is if you aren't careful, people will already build a wall for you. That was me. I was given a wall before I could even take down that wall."

"So, I am not completely sure about the story of Rahab though. It wasn't as relevant in the Word." Rebecca slightly confused.

Rahab fires back, "Well, little did you know, Rahab was a part of God's plan for Jericho."

"What's Jericho?"

"Jericho was a city. It was known for its walls back in B.C. See if you knew anything, the Israelites come in this picture too. The Israelites were God's chosen people. They were slaves of Egypt until God used Moses to save them from the bondages of the Pharaoh of Egypt. Now, how Jericho comes into this picture is because of Joshua. After Moses died, since we are not going to get into his story, Joshua was called by God to take the land He gave the Israelites, which was Jericho." Rahab explicates.

"When did you come into the story?" Rebecca leaning her arms on her legs.

Ruth gives Rebecca the 'just why' look. "I guess you have to ask so many questions, huh. I'm sorry about her y'all."

"Excuuuuuse meeeee...I genuinely want to know though. Haven't you heard to always ask and never assume that you truly know. I have to ask. This is necessary since I didn't know the story well." Rebecca snarks jokingly.

Ruth laughs. "I can't with you. But I feel you since you need to be educated, sis."

Rebecca puts her hand out at Ruth. "Girl hush. Anyways, when did you come into the story?"

The girls chuckle a bit at them two. Rahab continues, "Well, God plans certain circumstances because it was already in His will. Joshua wanted to know about the walls of Jericho, so he ordered two spies to go into the city and view the land. The king found out about the spies in the city and ordered her to "bring forth the men that entered into thine house for they become to search out all the country." Instead, she brought the two spies up on the top of the roof of her house and hid them with the stalk of flax, which was laid in order upon the roof. See, flax is a plant that looks similar to wheat that's if you know what wheat looks like. The reason was Rahab already heard about the God of Israel and all the wonderful miracles He had done for the Israelites."

"Whoa. Did she get caught though?" Rebecca widen her eyes as her mouth forms a 'o'.

"Nope she didn't. She saved the spies from harm. The two spies promised to get Rahab and her family when God takes over the land. They gave her instructions that she must follow or she would have died. After the Israelites took Jericho, Rahab and her family were able to live with the Israelites. Happy ending. Even better, she was written in the generations of Jesus Christ in Matthews." Rahab does a little shimmy, confidently.

"Okaaaay, let me found out Rahab was an OG!"

Rahab pats her knees suddenly. "She truly was. Honestly, it's hard to make a decision when you want to make sure everybody else is happy. Rahab was a harlot to all that saw her, but God saw more. I wanted everyone around me to like me, but that only cause people to distance themselves from me. Of course, I have y'all, but I had to find out the hard way that worrying about how everyone sees me only shaped the "me" they made not the me who is."

Eve drives out her thoughts. "Deep down though, we want others to believe that we aren't the bad guys. We are learning,"

"Growing," Esther cuffing her hands.

"Dreaming," Hannah staring to the sky.

"Becoming," Leah and Ruth speak in unison.

"all we are meant to be. We are finding the courage to do what's right and run from the wrongs."

Shara and Taylor continues to listen. Shara blushes to herself knowing that Jin is still listening. Taylor peers over at her bewildered by the sudden blush, then she realized that Shara is fantasizing about Jin.

Girls reminiscing over their growth talk at once, oblivious of Leah's silence. Leah continue to look away upset. She wish she had that confidence in the spirit, but Jacob has broke it.

Now, she always question if she is ever going to be enough for anyone. Even God.