A smile stretched across Pauline's face as she hustled to her locker. Peeking out of a metal louver was a familiar sight: a pink envelope. Her secret pal had struck again. she pulled the handmade card from its envelope, thoroughly delighted at the picture painstakingly drawn on the front. It was of a girl and a guy standing under a rainbow. The card read, "Hope your week is filled with special times and special friends. Good luck on your midterms. Especially math!" As usual, there was no signature, just a wide little heart with the letters JLY inside.

Pauline had been utterly amazed at the beginning of the school year when the first card had shown up. Her family had moved the fifth time in five years, and once again, she was the new girl at a new school.

Those first days at school had gone by in a blur of curious faces and hesitant smiles. Pau admitted she hadn't made any overtures at friendship. That is, until the first pink card appeared. She found it during study hall as she opened her Algebra book. She'd looked around the room, curious about who stuck it there, but no likely candidates in here, she thought. The front of the card looked like a party. Someone had drawn hats, streamers, and horns with TOOT-toots! Everything was sprinkled with glitter. Inside there was the message, "Welcome to Fairborn! It's never easy being the new girl but I'm glad you're here. You're pretty, and you look friendly. Maybe you could go out for cheerleading. I think you'd be great at it!" Beneath the message was a wide little heart with JLY inside. Who's JLY? She wondered. She searched her mind about the people she met, but none of them fit those initials. She even went to the study hall teacher for help, but didn't have any success.

Gary selected on all the pictures he'd drawn for Pauline. There was the party picture, the cheerleader pic when Pauline made the squad, and the one of the girl surrounded by a pile of homework. There was also one of a girl with an A+ on her algebra test. The last card was of he and Pauline under a rainbow.

Gary knew that last pic was supposed to be of him and Pauline, but he knew their being friends would hurt him in the end. He liked her from the start, like love at first sight, but he knew about Pauline's always moving.

Artwork had always been the best way to express himself and share the talent God had given him. He had been sending cards to Pau for more than 4 months-ever since he noticed Pauline was new, not to mention cute. He liked to think his cards were part of the reason for Pauline's transformation. She made the cheerleading squad, found a lot of friends, and seemed to love school.

But last week, Gary noticed that the closed look was back on her face. The slump in Pauline's shoulders told Abby it was time for another card. It was time for something more. Something special.

Pauline pulled off the card taped to her locker and sank down to the cold, tile floor. She just sat looking at it. How do you always know when I need you, Secret pal? She thought. She opened the envelope and pulled out the card. The drawing on the the front made her draw breath. It was of her nestled in someone's hands. Underneath was written," God will not forget you. He has engraved you on the palms of His hands."(Isaiah 49:15-16)Then, she read,"Pauline- life isn't always easy or fair, I know. But when life gets hard and people disappoint you , remember there is Someone who will always care. Someone who's loved you since you were born, and know's every tear you've cried. Someone who holds you so close, you're actually carved in the palms of His hands. You're never really alone, Pauline, because--" She looked through tears at the familiar heart, but instead of the usual initials, she read the words" -Jesus Loves You." They weren't initials at all. They were a message, one she would have never thought much about. As Pauline had read the card this morning and seen the picture of herself nestled in those hands, something inside her had come to life. She'd felt a sense of love an acceptance so strong it brought tears to her eyes.

A knock on her door interrupted. "hon, we need to talk, her mom said taking a seat. " Dad and I have been talking," her mom began, then stopped. She stared out the window. Pauline noticed tears welling up. " There's a job your dad wants in North Carolina with a new company, " her mom said quickly, as if the words wouldn't hurt as much if she said them fast. "Stop it. I already know"Pauline said. "im sorry. I know you had a harder time than usual settling here." She didn't have to say more. Pauline knew what her mom was thinking. Another rung up the corporate ladder and it didn't matter who you left behind." We'll be leaving by the end of this months."

Gary heard through the grapevine about Pauline's upcoming move. Should I tell her who I am? or should I just be her secret pal? Even though he and Pauline weren't really friends, he knew someone important was leaving her life. Whatever decision, Gary had something else to think about right now-the last card.

Pauline looked one final look around her now-empty room. Even in the short time it had been hers, it had felt like home-and home was always a hard place to leave. I won't cry , she told herself. She'd been doing enough of that over the last 3 weeks. Through it all, she'd tried to find out who her secret pal was, but she hadn't had any success. "Pauline, I found this outside," her mom said, handing Pauline a pink envelope. "it was stuck under the car's windshield wiper." She immediately opened the card and drawn was a moving van and a car pulling away from a house-her house. She recognized herself as the girl in the back seat looking out the rear window waving to somebody-a guy under the oak tree in the side yard, waving back. She looked out her window to see but there wasn't. She read" Jesus said,"I will never leave You."(Hebrews 13:5) "Goodbyes are never easy. Neither is starting over, but I think you're going to do just fine. You're fun and outgoing, and people like being your friend(!even a secret one) I hope you never forget me. I won't ever forget You. And always remember--" Pauline smiled at the familiar heart "Jesus Loves You!"Underneath was written,"and so do I!"

"Pauline, Time to go!" her dad called. She raced back into the house for a pen and on the envelope, she wrote,"dear secret pal, I won't ever forget You!" She stuck it in the crook of the oak tree. Pauline climbed into the back seat, and her dad quickly pulled out of the driveway and started up the street. Before they reached the corner, Pauline turned to look back and there, under the oak tree, she saw Gary - the guy from her algebra class- a guy who was smiling and clutching the pink envelope to his chest. " My secret pal," Pauie whispered. She rolled town the side window and called,"Thanks You, I'll never forget You!"