The Masterpiece

Roman meets with Brian at a coffee shop to talk about faith, and Brian emphasizes the necessity of letting go of the things that are holding him back in order to embrace the love of God. The conversation seems to meet a need for Roman, and they affirm their desire to keep meeting. Meanwhile, Grace is continuing to think about her next move. Shanice helps her set up a blog and an online business, but Selah continues to call and leave messages, pleading to be let back into Samuel’s life. Ultimately, Grace decides to go back north to Fresno and stay with Aunt Elizabeth until she can get a place of her own.

At Roman’s next meeting with Brian, the youth pastor advises him to consider the costly sacrifice that Jesus made for him by dying on the cross. This affects Roman deeply, but he still compares God’s love to the lost love he could have had with Grace. He thinks that “Grace might not love him, but God did” (390). When Grace drives away from Los Angeles for good, Brian calls Roman to let him know that she has truly moved on. Resigned to the finality of the romance ending, Roman lets go of Grace and opens himself up to God.