I was just a girl, but I carried a woman's burden.
Before my mother passed away, she held my hands tightly and said with a voice so soft, yet filled with power, "Victory, promise me you will wait. Don't give your body to just any man. Keep yourself for the one who truly loves you. And above all, honor God."
I nodded with tears in my eyes. I didn't understand everything then, but I felt the weight of her words. She was dying, and those were her final wishes for me. How could I not hold on to them?
After her death, I carried that promise like a badge of honor. It wasn't always easy. The world around me didn't make it easy. But I held on. Through the teasing, the pressure, the curiosity — I held on. I prayed. I fasted. I reminded myself that I was doing it for her… and for God.
Years passed. I focused on school. I dreamed of becoming something great — a woman my mother would be proud of. People called me "too holy," "old-fashioned," even "foolish." But I didn't care. I had made a promise. And I was determined to keep it.
Until he came.